Dear MMDers,  You probably always wanted to see and to know what is:

 - a Marotte ?

Answer : By turning the doll, a child makes a small music box movement
play.

 - A party of hurdy-gurdy players ?

Answer: to play the hurdy-gurdy or the barrel organ, you have to turn a
handle.  That is why many people do not distinguish one from the other.
But you need to be a good musician to play the hurdy-gurdy, which has
no pre-noted cylinder or book of music.  (It is better to have a good
musical ear to play the barrel organ if you do not want any complaining
from the neighbourhood).

 - Vaucanson ?

Answer: Jacques de Vaucanson (1709-1782) is one of the most famous
French automata makers. In 1737-38, he produced especially a transverse
flute player, a pipe and tabor player, and a mechanical duck (who was
supposed to sh**, but it was a fake).

 - a Moritat ?

Answer: In Germany, barrel organ players often showed on a picture
various episodes of tremendous stories, besides which our violent
movies are just baby talk.

 - How a Serinette may be teaching a canary ?

Answer: see a famous engraving after Chardin (XVIIIth century), showing
a lady turning the handle of a bird organ (or a serinette) to teach a
canary how to sing. No bad comments, please. I have a lawyer, too.


I put recently images illustrating all these very fundamental questions on
Musica Mecanica.  Have a look at the A-Z section (in English, French
and German. Dutch and Japanese coming soon):

    http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/

Bonne nuit,

Philippe Rouille (Paris, France)
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/