Exhibitions
Exhibitions (29.6.2012-18.3.2013)
Magical Music Machines
self-playing musical instruments. Exhibition from the Monarchy exhibition series
Location: Czech Museum of Music, Karmelitská 2/4, Praha 1
This exhibition from the Monarchy exhibition series, straddling the boundaries of art, science, and technology, tells the story of self-playing musical instruments (automatophones) from the sixteenth century to the present day.
Those touring the exhibition will see more than sixty automatophones and fifty auxiliary exhibit items from Europe and the USA, divided according to basic types. They will acquaint themselves with carillons, musical clocks, flute clocks, musical boxes, polyphons and symphonions (disc musical boxes), barrel organs, automatons, orchestrions, player pianos, and contemporary electronic playing machines. Also on display are such rare items as a Re
naissance Trauttmansdorff clock with carillon, and fairground organs from Waldkirch, Germany.
The exhibition offers written information, photographs, the opportunity to listen to audio and audiovisual recordings of the exhibit items specially made for this occasion, and other interactive features. Visitors will be able to try out for themselves how some of the instruments are activated and controlled.
