Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1825. Excerpt: ... MAEEZEL. N. Maelzel, born in 1776, and the first mechanician of the Emperor of Austria, was a native of Regensburg. At Vienna, where he resided in the year 1800, he constructed an instrument, which, by the descent of a weight attached to a revolving wheel, performed a variety of Turkish compositions, and comprised in itself all the powers of a complete military band. Its effect was so surprising and attractive, that soon after the instrument had been exhibited, it was sold to an Hungarian nobleman for three thousand guineas. This encouragement stimulated the inventor's endeavour to improve upon his original plan; and, in 1806, he produced, in Paris, his Panharmonicon, founded on his first design; and which produced hiin the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. Among the pieces performed by this improved and most ingenious piece of mechanism, were the Echo of Cherubini, and several compositions of Haydn, Mozart, Steibelt, and other distinguished masters, with all the lights and shades of forte and piano, and every variety of expression intended by the composers. After the sale of this second production of his.inventive talents and mechanical knowledge, Maelzel quitted Paris for Munich, where he gave a new proof of his extraordinary ingenuity, by the invention of a Musical Automaton. A concert performed in the presence of the court, and afterwards before the public, by this novel and curious piece of machinery, excited a higher admiration than even his former contrivances, and spread his name through Europe. This astonishing effort of mechanical art he afterwards carried to Vienna, in which city it awakened the wonder of all who heard it, and was described in the public journals, in terms of astonishment and the warmest eulogium. The next surprising work of...
