The State Hermitage Museum: Exhibitions

9: What is hidden inside the body of the Mechanical Orchestra

Need help with HotMedia?

View of the Mechanical Orchestra with doors open (model)
Larger view

The side door of the case used to insert the barrel with an inscription (model)
Larger view

The pendulum clock in the Mechanical Orchestra (model)
Larger view

The musical mechanism and organ
(animated model)
Larger view

previous

Johann Strasser's Mechanical Orchestra had the following main components: the body or case, a pendulum clock, the musical mechanism, the organ, the drive mechanism and the barrel with a piece of music recorded on it. All these components complemented each other and made this unique piece of applied art work. Doors were made in the body of the Mechanical Orchestra to allow the changing of the music barrels and the adjustment of the various mechanisms.