An interesting music box recording on MP3.com

Microtoners,

Another song with a story.

I recently found a large music box I found at an antique store in the
Fremont neighborhood in Seattle. Fremont is a local district that
welcomes visitors with the sign, "Welcome to Fremont, Center of the
Universe. Throw your watch away". Lots of bars, antique stores, and
Starbucks.

The music box is about the size of an old washing machine, made of
wood. The only markings on the box are a small label on the
bottom: "F. Nicole 014751". It has a crank on the right side, which
connects to a spring-loaded drive for the cylinder. Inside is a long
row of about 100 metal teeth, from about 1/4 inch at the top to
almost 8 inches long at the bottom. The big ones make the whole case
vibrate when they play. Inside is a large metal cylinder, with tiny
pins that pluck the metal teeth. It appears to be removable, but
there weren't any more cylinders at the store. It runs for about 6
1/2 minutes on a full crank, and has a delightful gradual
deceleration as the spring runs down. I'm not sure where to start the
song, as it doesn't appear to have a beginning or an end mark.

The tuning of the keys is what attracted me to it in the first place.
I have no way of knowing if it has drifted from its original tuning,
but it is a charming sound, nonetheless. It appears to shift from a
utonality-type sad minor key into a harsh super-major.

There is a cryptic notation on the drum: "#38 Cuernavaca 1975 CN".
This must be the title of the piece I guess, but it doesn't sound
very Mexican to me. Perhaps there are some more cylinders somewhere
that I could try out. Sounds kind of like circus calliope music, for
a Javanese circus troupe. Boogie-woogie on Saturn.

I made a recording of the music box and posted it on my MP3.com web
site. If you are interested in listening, point to
http://www.mp3.com/PrentRodgers and look for "#38 Cuernavaca 1975
CN". More details of the recording, and a big picture are on my web
page at http://members.home.net/prodgers13/ . Also a Csound version
for those who like that kind of thing.

Prent Rodgers
Mercer Island, WA
"It's cold, but it's a damp cold."

Prent,

--- In tuning@y..., prentrodgers@h... wrote:
> I recently found a large music box ...

Good luck passing a lie detector test! Nonetheless, I jump when I see
your postings, because I know fun and intriguing music is just around
the corner. Your "find" is no less swell than any previous
unearthing, and the main aspect of your musics I find so impressive:
it sounds very natural to me.

Thanks, Prent!

Jay here,
What a delightful piece! Interesting mechanism. I'd really like to see one
like that: you can hear that it has very long plektra so you can hear notes
come atcha , and wow! what fine gearing and good lubrication, too! And how
come such a little-sounding winder? Or was that just the adjustment of the
plektra? And by the way, do you, perchance, have any bridges for sale? Keep
up the delightful worki.
At 12:17 AM 9/27/01 -0000, you wrote:
>Microtoners,
>
>Another song with a story.
>
>I recently found a large music box I found at an antique store in the
>Fremont neighborhood in Seattle. Fremont is a local district that
>welcomes visitors with the sign, "Welcome to Fremont, Center of the
>Universe. Throw your watch away". Lots of bars, antique stores, and
>Starbucks.
>
>The music box is about the size of an old washing machine, made of
>wood. The only markings on the box are a small label on the
>bottom: "F. Nicole 014751". It has a crank on the right side, which
>connects to a spring-loaded drive for the cylinder. Inside is a long
>row of about 100 metal teeth, from about 1/4 inch at the top to
>almost 8 inches long at the bottom. The big ones make the whole case
>vibrate when they play. Inside is a large metal cylinder, with tiny
>pins that pluck the metal teeth. It appears to be removable, but
>there weren't any more cylinders at the store. It runs for about 6
>1/2 minutes on a full crank, and has a delightful gradual
>deceleration as the spring runs down. I'm not sure where to start the
>song, as it doesn't appear to have a beginning or an end mark.
>
>The tuning of the keys is what attracted me to it in the first place.
>I have no way of knowing if it has drifted from its original tuning,
>but it is a charming sound, nonetheless. It appears to shift from a
>utonality-type sad minor key into a harsh super-major.
>
>There is a cryptic notation on the drum: "#38 Cuernavaca 1975 CN".
>This must be the title of the piece I guess, but it doesn't sound
>very Mexican to me. Perhaps there are some more cylinders somewhere
>that I could try out. Sounds kind of like circus calliope music, for
>a Javanese circus troupe. Boogie-woogie on Saturn.
>
>I made a recording of the music box and posted it on my MP3.com web
>site. If you are interested in listening, point to
>http://www.mp3.com/PrentRodgers and look for "#38 Cuernavaca 1975
>CN". More details of the recording, and a big picture are on my web
>page at http://members.home.net/prodgers13/ . Also a Csound version
>for those who like that kind of thing.
>
>Prent Rodgers
>Mercer Island, WA
>"It's cold, but it's a damp cold."
>
>
>
>You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe through
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>
>
>

Quite amazing and very pleasant! It's fascinating to hear rather well-
tuned pitches, at least as "in tune" as 12-tET, alternating with
other-worldly microtonal harmonies and melodic/polyphonic
inflections. I feel there is a definitely Mexican or at least Latin
rhythmic influence in this music, but tonally it's all over the
microtonal map.

It's almost as if a creature from another planet decided to leave us
a beautiful alien archeological artefact!

--- In tuning@y..., Jay Williams <jaywill@t...> wrote:
> Jay here,
> What a delightful piece! Interesting mechanism. I'd really like to
see one
> like that: you can hear that it has very long plektra so you can
hear notes
> come atcha , and wow! what fine gearing and good lubrication, too!
And how
> come such a little-sounding winder? Or was that just the adjustment
of the
> plektra? And by the way, do you, perchance, have any bridges for
sale? Keep
> up the delightful worki.
> At 12:17 AM 9/27/01 -0000, you wrote:
> >Microtoners,
> >
> >Another song with a story.
> >
> >I recently found a large music box I found at an antique store in
the
> >Fremont neighborhood in Seattle. Fremont is a local district that
> >welcomes visitors with the sign, "Welcome to Fremont, Center of
the
> >Universe. Throw your watch away". Lots of bars, antique stores,
and
> >Starbucks.
> >
> >The music box is about the size of an old washing machine, made of
> >wood. The only markings on the box are a small label on the
> >bottom: "F. Nicole 014751". It has a crank on the right side,
which
> >connects to a spring-loaded drive for the cylinder. Inside is a
long
> >row of about 100 metal teeth, from about 1/4 inch at the top to
> >almost 8 inches long at the bottom. The big ones make the whole
case
> >vibrate when they play. Inside is a large metal cylinder, with
tiny
> >pins that pluck the metal teeth. It appears to be removable, but
> >there weren't any more cylinders at the store. It runs for about 6
> >1/2 minutes on a full crank, and has a delightful gradual
> >deceleration as the spring runs down. I'm not sure where to start
the
> >song, as it doesn't appear to have a beginning or an end mark.
> >
> >The tuning of the keys is what attracted me to it in the first
place.
> >I have no way of knowing if it has drifted from its original
tuning,
> >but it is a charming sound, nonetheless. It appears to shift from
a
> >utonality-type sad minor key into a harsh super-major.
> >
> >There is a cryptic notation on the drum: "#38 Cuernavaca 1975 CN".
> >This must be the title of the piece I guess, but it doesn't sound
> >very Mexican to me. Perhaps there are some more cylinders
somewhere
> >that I could try out. Sounds kind of like circus calliope music,
for
> >a Javanese circus troupe. Boogie-woogie on Saturn.
> >
> >I made a recording of the music box and posted it on my MP3.com
web
> >site. If you are interested in listening, point to
> >http://www.mp3.com/PrentRodgers and look for "#38 Cuernavaca 1975
> >CN". More details of the recording, and a big picture are on my
web
> >page at http://members.home.net/prodgers13/ . Also a Csound
version
> >for those who like that kind of thing.
> >
> >Prent Rodgers
> >Mercer Island, WA
> >"It's cold, but it's a damp cold."
> >
> >
> >
> >You do not need web access to participate. You may subscribe
through
> >email. Send an empty email to one of these addresses:
> > tuning-subscribe@y... - join the tuning group.
> > tuning-unsubscribe@y... - unsubscribe from the tuning group.
> > tuning-nomail@y... - put your email message delivery on hold
> for the tuning group.
> > tuning-digest@y... - change your subscription to daily digest
> mode.
> > tuning-normal@y... - change your subscription to individual
> emails.
> > tuning-help@y... - receive general help information.
> >
> >
> >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >