Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > February 2005 > 2005.02.23 > 01Prev  Next


"Volks-Klavier" Self-Playing Zither
By Christian Greinacher

In MMD 2004.06.14 Marcus Pregler talked about a rare self-playing
zither, named "Volks-Klavier", and asked for more information.
As far as I know, nobody sent any response.

Meanwhile I could acquire exactly that instrument and restore it.
First I worked very hard because I could not succeed in making the
correct adjustments.  The instrument would not play until I found out
how to adjust the hammers with a tolerance of a tenth of a millimeter
(sorry that I use the metric measures).  I never saw an instrument with
such a tricky, simple and effective construction to adjust the hammers.
Now it plays very nicely!

I am interested in learning more about that really rare instrument.
I know about only two specimens of it: this one which I have and one
other I saw last summer in the Deutsches Musikautomaten Museum in
Schloss Bruchsal.  My instrument measures 56 x 29 x 14 cm, it plays
34 notes on 34 strings from folding cardboards.

I searched through all my literature but the only hint I found is in
Bowers' "Encyclopedia" on page 356 (as Marcus Pregler already mentioned).
Nowhere is any illustration, no word about who manufactured it, when
and where -- only the name on the instrument itself indicates that it
was made in Germany ("Volks-Klavier" translates as "people's piano").

I am pretty sure that there must be some more specimens of this type
of instrument, still alive somewhere in the world.  But who knows about
them and their history?  It would be great to get as much information
about the Volks Klavier as possible!

Looking forward to your help,

Christian Greinacher
Germany

 [ Thanks, Christian, I'll place the photo at the MMD Pictures site,
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/  -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 23 Feb 2005, 09:07:12 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Self-Playing, Volks-Klavier, Zither

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page