The instrument that Gerry Bay encountered in Athens, that he described
in MMD 980712, is a Greek barrel piano called a 'laterna'.  They were
manufactured in Constantinople (Istanbul) in the late 19th & early 20th
century.  Some instruments were imported from Italy.

They were played by street entertainers in cities in Greece and western
Turkey, often accompanied by a second person playing a rhythmic accomp-
animent on a "defi" (tambourine).  Melina Mercouri plays a laterna
briefly in the film, "Never on a Sunday."

The last remaining repairman is Nikos Armaos.  Born in Constantinople
in 1890, he settled in Pireaus in 1923; he also made up the pinned
cylinders for the instruments.

There is a CD made in Greece in 1995 featuring him playing a laterna:
"Nikos Armaos - Laterna kai Defi" on Minos-EMI 724383483525, available
from Greek Music & Video in Astoria, NYC: 800-473-3522 or

    http://www.greekmusicusa.com/

There was an article on a laterna: "A Turkish Street Barrel Piano" by
Joeseph Schumacher in the Spring 1996 issue of the Journal of
Mechanical Music.

Bob Godfried
Bronx, NYC
godfried@dti.net