After reading the fine article by Hauke Marxsen in DMM, the German
Society publication, and the translation by Robbie in the MBSI Journal,
we were very pleased to find a DDR movement (no case) in Germany last
spring.  After corresponding more with Hauke we also found an Erzgebirge
musical box, complete with a DDR movement, on eBay.  And to our
surprise and amusement, they both play the same tune, tentatively
identified as "Gott ist Liebe".  I have included a sound clip and also
some photos to add at the MMD Tech site.  These movements are
fascinating in their complication!

Have any of the other MMD collectors come upon musical box movements
(or whatever) that seem to have been constructed for the purpose of
either complication or to see just how many parts can be incorporated
into a very small space?  Most of us look at a musical work and assume
that they are all pretty similar -- until someone points out something
completely out of the ordinary, as Hauke did!  How about a discussion
string on the odd and unusual in mechanical music?

Beatrice Robertson
Luuk Goldhoorn

 [ Hauke Marxsen's article about the DDR movement was originally
 [ published in Das Mechanische Musikinstrument, Vol. 80, April 2001,
 [ entitled "Ein ungewoehnliches Musikdosen-Laufwerk ('DDR-Laufwerk')".
 [ An English translation was published in the MBSI Journal, Vol. 47
 [ No. 2, Autumn 2001, entitled "A Unique Music Box Movement (the
 [ 'DDR Movement')".  An expanded English version, with sound files
 [ and additional photos and text, appears at the MMD Tech site at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/DDRL/index.html  Thanks, Beatrice and
 [ Luuk, I'll add your photo and sound file at the DDRL web site.
 [ -- Robbie