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Hello!  I am trying to rebuild an Italian portable barrel piano,
or <tympanon vertical à cylindre>, a beggar's instrument from the
beginning of 19th century.

I have, alas, only very few elements.  I bought this "wreckage" of
the instrument at the time of the auction following the death of Alain
Vian.  The remains include only the case (damaged) and the pinned
cylinder which is covered with a very beautiful wallpaper of the style
of the 18th century.  The sounding board was split; I strengthened and
restored it.  Some broken hammers survive, but there are no tuning
pins, no strings.

It's dimensions are, overall, height 95 cm, width 32.5 cm, depth 36 cm.
The lower portion that contains the pinned barrel is 22 cm height,
the easel that covers the barrel compartment is 12.5 cm depth.

The pinned barrel, of 18 cm diameter, contains six tunes and plays
25 keys.  There are 75 holes for tuning pins, each hammer striking
three strings.  The speaking length of the longest string is 80 cm,
the shortest is 8.5 cm.  The 25-key scale played is, from bass to
treble: do, fa, sol, la, si, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, la#, si,
do, do#, re, mi, fa, fa# sol, la, la#, si, do, re.

The aesthetic aspect of my instrument is quite similar to the one
offered by Galerie de Chartres in the auction of 18 May, 2003, with
the same general architecture and the same columns of blackened wood.

 [ See the photos of the Italian vertical barrel piano, No. 766,
 [ at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Auctions/Chartres0305/index.html 

My instrument seems, however, to have been used a lot by a beggar.
The case suffered greatly; it is composed of walnut-tinted "mahogany"
and has numerous repairs made with poplar and pine.  It's general
appearance is less tidy than the one of the Chartres auction.

Today the work on the case and the sounding board (with repairs to
the easel) is finished.  Awaiting is

(1) to string the instrument and therein arises the problem of the
string details (e.g., what diameter, what material, overwound with
steel or copper, etc.), and

(2) to reconstruct the barrel-reading system and the hammers to make
this instrument to play as best possible.

Therefore the need to get some technical information from instruments
of this era rather than to get involved in many tests, all being more
or less hazardous.  I am interested in all documentation about these
instruments: technical description and especially photos to explain
the mechanical system, the hammers, the release spring, the type and
dimensions of the piano wire.

I have some documentation but it's not enough for a good job.  That
is therefore why I am calling upon you.  All information possible
will be welcomed (especially photos) to complete that already in my
possession: piecemeal and very partial.  Thank you for your help.

Best regards,
Hervé Hubert
France
herve.hubert3@free.fr.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]