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MMD > Archives > November 1997 > 1997.11.03 > 11Prev  Next


Expression Coin Pianos
By Dan Wilson, London

Damon Atchison asked:

> Were any expression pianos manufactured for coin pianos
> (excluding the massive band organs by Hupfeld)?

Hupfeld made a very fine cafe piano called the Clavitist, some versions
of which incorporate other instruments such as glockenspiels.  There is a
small amount of expression not unlike the Recordo but some of the tracks
are used for auxiliary instrument control.  The rolls are 88-note with
theme "snakebites", are like the Animatic series but numbered in the
20,000 range, and can be played on any "theme" piano.  The Musical Museum
in Brentford, West London, has a Clavitist Jazz Piano which is great fun
but scarcely jazz.

The Clavitist remained available into the days of the Third Reich but I
don't know if the rolls included that great Nazi sing-a-long, the "Horst
Wessel Song"! I believe Popper made an expression coin piano too, right
into World War 2, but as they never went international, I never learnt
much about them.  Maybe our German members can fill in some detail ?

Dan Wilson, London


Key Words in Subject:  Coin, Expression, Pianos

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