The Aeolian Company
AEOLIAN SOLO
ORCHESTRELLE
1906
The Aeolian Solo Orchestrelle was the latest and final addition to the Orchestrelle range of the Aeolian Company which was aimed to address the trend for home entertainment for not only the rich, but also the working classes.
14 REEDS
1 TRIANGLE
1 DRUM
4 MIN PLAYTIME
98”4 x 74”8 x 38”6
Aeolian
New York, U.S.
New York, U.S.
Manufacturer
William B. Tremaine founded the Aeolian Company in 1887 after a merger between the Aeolian Organ & Music Co. in New York and the Automatic Music Paper Company in Boston. By 1887 they were manufacturing automatic pianos and organs including the Solo Orchestrelle Style 'F' which is regarded highly among the automated reed organs.
A very private man, Tremaine nevertheless knew his audience very well. His so-called 'chamber' organs offered entertainment for the bourgeois salon. Organettes and Player Organs on the other hand addressed the needs of the working classes.
Initially located on Broadway, famous pianists and musicians would present this manufacturer's instruments range during the popular Aeolian Recitals.
sourcestechnique
The basic principle of the Solo Orchestrelle was the sub-division of stops into a higher and a lower manual. A new type of roll was introduced carrying 116 notes instead of 58 which made it a very versatile instrument.
The Style 'F' was the largest among its sisters, the 'XY' and 'XW’, and was fitted with foot-pumped bellows.
sources
