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MMD > Archives > December 2003 > 2003.12.17 > 03Prev  Next


Orchestrion Is An Indoor Instrument
By Ingmar Krause

Hello Francoise,  while I can't speak for everywhere, but at least
in Germany an "Orchestrion" refers to an _indoor_ instrument, whether
organ or piano is not that much the point as much as it usually was
a multi-instrument (a piano with percussion or accordion or organ)
and it is usually kept in a cabinet-style piece of furniture.

While there is not a clear definition, at least I can tell you what
it is _not_!  Every time when a dear friend of ours mentions that he
is "going there with his orchestrion", while actually referring to
a street organ, I feel tempted to choke him really badly.  It just
doesn't seem right and by then at the latest I come to think that
someone who doesn't even know that much about mechanical instruments
surely must be spreading a whole bunch of other nonsense about them
as well.

Too bad I can't be everywhere to hit people on their fingers when
they do that.

greetings by(e) InK - Ingmar Krause
Victoria, B.C., Canada

 [ Good point, Ingmar.  The word orchestrion is used in English just
 [ as in German.  (The English-language adverts were straightforward
 [ equivalents of the German adverts.)  But might the same instrument
 [ playing outdoors be called a street organ?  -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 17 Dec 2003, 04:35:22 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  An, Indoor, Instrument, Is, Orchestrion

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