dwilz@cix.compulink.co.uk (Daniel Wilson) writes:

>I've just spent a very enjoyable four weeks in Spain, doing almost
>nothing but lie in the sun and read.  But automatic pianos will come and
>find you out ...

>When I expressed interest, the bar girl led me to a second piano, which
>she said worked, although the regular customers rather preferred it not
>working.  This was one of the classic undersized type of around 1890 of
>which a few were still playing in the streets of London during and just
>after WW2.  In this case the tune sheet was not only typed but on a
>Madrid piano-tuner's headed notepaper, printed in classical late 1930s
>or 40s style with a six-digit phone number.  There was a maker's plate
>"LUIS CASALI Torres Amat 1 Barcelona" and a smaller repairer's plate "J
>DE BERNARDI (unreadable address) SALAMANCA".

>The tunes were as follows:

>Anonymous "1910" piano              Luis Casali piano
>----------------------              -----------------
>Nota de las Piezas (Cilindro)
>1 Vals, Fandanguillo de Almeria     1 Vals  Peteneras
>2 Paso-doble, El Gallo              2 Pasodoble  El Fallero
>3 ld - Las Cosarias                 3  "  Las Leandras
>4 ld - Valencia                     4  "  El Gato montes
>5 ld - El Gato Montes               5  "  Vaya torerazo
>6 Schotis, Rosa de Madrid           6 Schotis  La Violetera
>7 Mazurca, La Verbena de la Paloma  7 Habanera  La Paloma
>8 Habanera, El Ven y Ven            8 Mazurka, Santa Lucia
>9 Tango, A media Luz                9 Rok, Ahora te puedes marchar
>10 Jota, T R E M P S               10 Jota  Aragonesa

I have a Luis Casali piano with the following tunes:

1  Vals, El Danubio Azul (The Blue Danube!)
2  Paso-Doble, Timbales y Toreros
3   ", Las Leandras
4   ", Pepita Creus
5   ", Dicen de Jaen
6  Schotis, Madrid
7  Mazurca, La Verbena de la Amapola
8  Habanera, Amapola
9  Fox, Vuelo 502
10 Jota, Campesina Aragonesa

It's interesting that the type of tune is the same at the corresponding
tune number. My tune sheet is also on a piano tuner's head: Isabelo
Velazquez in Madrid. Can anyone explain the different spelling for what
was obviously the same tune (la Paloma vs. la Amapola)?

What was the instrumentation? My piano has 54(?) notes, drum, cymbal,
wood blocks, and 6 tuned cowbells. It's very loud: The hammers are
leather covered at the low end and wood at the high end, with 4 strings
per note in the treble.

(shameless sales notes follows:)

If anyone wants a nice Luis Casali, give me a call. I need to make room
for the pipe organ I just acquired. (I also have a 2 manual + 30 note
pedal 1906 Estey reed organ for sale - not automatic, but comes with a
1916 organ blowing machine that turns the bellows crank)