I have been enjoying reading the comments about the Mills Violano
Virtuoso.  Over a long period of years I have owned a number of
these, and companies of which I have been a partner have handled many,
including Hathaway & Bowers, Inc., American International Galleries,
and Mekanisk Musik Museum A/S.

Beyond that I have seen and heard many instruments -- the most recent
in the collection of Dwight and Mary Porter (a finely restored single
violin model equipped with a MIDI system).  The Porter instrument
played several tunes, including one or two from the old Mills days and
two new arrangements: "Beautiful Ohio" and "Tennessee Waltz".  I and
a friend who was traveling with me (not a collector, nor had he ever
seen such an instrument) were very impressed.  Had time permitted
I could have spent an hour or more listening.

At the same time, it is important to say that the "listenability" of
a Violano depends on two main factors:

  (1) Whether it is superbly restored, regulated, and tuned, and
  (2) The arrangement of the music.

I recall having a Violano in the Hathaway & Bowers showroom many
years ago.  It was a new purchase, had recently arrived, had never
been restored, but was in "playing condition" and sort of in tune.
A visitor, a director of a symphony orchestra, stopped by, as
professional musicians often did.  Mainly, they were interested in
listening to a reproducing piano -- as they had heard of the alleged
wonders of such and wanted to hear an Ampico, Welte, or Duo-Art
in action.  Generally, we had from one to several on hand.  Most
musicians were very impressed with what they heard.

The aforementioned visitor saw the Violano against the wall and
asked if he could hear it.  Terry Hathaway switched it on, played
the next tune on the roll, and in about three or four minutes the
instrument shut off.  "It sounds like a cat scratching on a screen
door," our visitor said!  I have never forgotten this particular
"review."

On the other hand, Don Barr, who was a fine friend and a frequent
visitor, was a Violano specialist.  In his home he had several of
them, with some restored and tuned to perfection.  They were a delight
to hear.

Back to Hathaway & Bowers, American International Galleries, and
the Mekanisk Musik Museum -- even with a well tuned and regulated
instrument, many listeners simply felt that the typical Violano tune
was too long, with four minutes or so being about typical.  They would
watch for a minute or two through the glass, then walk away.  On the
other hand, a Seeburg KT (piano, mandolin, xylophone) coin piano with
its typical two-minute tune would hold the attention of most viewers,
but not all.

I recall that Bill Allen, a collector who lived in Santa Ana, had
a special music room filled with coin pianos and related things, nearly
all with the art glass removed so that the interiors could be seen
(sometimes he sold or traded the art glass away, as unusual as this
might seem).  When I visited there he would play his instruments,
switching them on, letting them play for a half minute to a minute, and
then turning them off.  I had to ask if I could hear an entire melody.
He said that a half minute was just about right for most of his other
visitors -- not collectors, but neighbors and the like.

Back to the Violano music rolls, some of them "drone" on and on for
several minutes, intended for background music in a Greek restaurant
(a favorite location for such), a penny arcade, or the like -- venues
in which patrons did not stand in front of the instrument in rapt
attention to hear the music.

The secret -- and this is true of just about all automatic musical
instruments -- is to carefully select melodies that will "showcase"
the instrument.  For example, on a Wurlitzer PianOrchestra, "Tuck Me to
Sleep in My Old Tucky Home" or "The Entertainer's Rag" were both loved
by everyone who used to visit our showroom.  On the same orchestrion,
"By a Waterfall" might put listeners to sleep.

The Weber Maesto orchestrion is fairly well known for its musical
abilities.  However, a close examination will quickly reveal that for
a large orchestrion it has relatively few pipes, with none at all in
the bass register.  It is the _arrangement_ of the music that carries
the day, especially tunes arranged by Gustav Bruder.  On the other
hand, a Symphonia roll played on the Maesto is usually as boring as
all get-out!

For the Violano Virtuoso my suggestion is to seek out a well-restored,
regulated, and tuned instrument, and then discuss the music rolls with
the instrument's owner.  Find some of your favorites and listen to
them.  Do this for several melodies and you will probably have a good
appreciation of this instrument.

Dave Bowers