[ Robbie remarked in 110324 MMDigest:

>[ ... Popper called it a "Swanee Whistle".  The position of the
>[ sliding piston is calibrated for each note, which assures better
>[ pitch intonation than can be achieved by most human musicians!
>[ See & hear it playing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P9dMlNH5jU
 

Hi Robbie,  Thanks so much for posting the link to the Popper Roland
clip on YouTube!  In all my years of mechanical music, my favourite
orchestrion has always been the Popper Weltpiano Model X, as featured
in Siegfrieds Museum in Ruedesheim.  That Popper Roland, however, tops
everything I have ever heard!  The music arrangement is incredible and
the sound that thing produces -- Man o man! -- I am speechless!

Needless to say, the video clip has been playing here at least 50 times
already and no end is in sight. :-)  Okay, so there is the Weber Maesto
and some Hupfeld orchestrions like the Violina and the really big ones
but, in my opinion, they don't even come close to this thing.

Does anyone know where this instrument is located?  Are there other
video clips, recordings or even better, more technical information
available somewhere?  Bowers' Encyclopedia does not say much about it
and I wonder if the one in his book is the exact one on YouTube?
Fantastic!

Best regards,
Bernt Damm
Sydney