Melia Don Pepe - Organillo En Espana

The mechanical reproduction of music is quite old. For more than 600 years, inventors in Europe have tried all kinds of devices to provide mechanical music. Some of the great composers such as Beethoven, Handel, Haydn, Mozart and others have supported these efforts. The barrel-and pin principle that was mostly used in these inventions, was followed by the the perforated paper roll. When Henry VIII died (1574) he left a collection of musical instruments, among them a barrel instrument. In 1593 his daughter, Queen Elisabeth, sent to the sultan of Turkey a number of presents, including an organ with a carillon (4-tone musical bell). The earlier street organ was called Orgue de Barbarie, a corrupted version of the name of the Italian instrument maker "Barbieri." The sound of the street-organ or barrel today creates a certain nostalgic atmosphere. Because these musical instruments are fast disappearing, people in many lands have started to clamor for recordings of these organs to retain their quaint and charming sounds. In particular demand are the musical reproductions of street organs from Spain. The original producer of the recordings presented here, H.J. Lengsfelder, on his world travels, found such an instrument in the luxurious Hotel Melia Don Pepe in sunny, beautiful Marbella. There the street organ was used to entertain the very sophisticated crowd, assembling year after year. The producer Lengsfelder immediately arranged with the management for an up to date recording of the old world sounds. There were two organs used, a small one and one larger with a fuller sound. Originally released in the mid-1960s, this historic recording is presented here newly remastered for this exclusive release.