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
08 Nov 2003 21:05:19 -0500
 

"Gott ist Liebe", WAV audio file (2,495 kb), DDR movement, duration 15 seconds