Rare Nicole Freres 3" diameter "Fat" 10" Cylinder Music Box, Two-Per-Turn 10 Aires,

This early box is a fine example and quite desirable. The crank wind two-per-turn mechanism along with the beautiful rosewood case with handsome inlaid top has been meticulously restored by the firm of Keith Harding in 1985. The mechanism plays properly with excellent tone.

The recording I made has a bit of distortion caused by the camera being too close I expect and the box has generally has a loud tone. In person the box sounds better!

The “Fat Cylinder” mechanism playing 10 Operatic Aires is unusual because generally these 3" diameter "fat" cylinders by Nicoles are 12" long, where this one is 10" long. As a result of the shorter cylinder it play 10 aires as opposed the normal 12. Must have been a special order for customer that preferred a small music box. The brass bed plate numbered and stamped "Nicoles Freres A Geneve" to the left rear corner, the comb marked "Nicole Freres" and bedplate to the rear right is stamped with serial number "39870"

The mint condition tune sheet has Gamme number 2004 and serial number matching the one stamped on the bedplate with the Nicole logo. It lists the 19 Operatic aires but realize that each revolution plays 2 tunes. A nice feature is the 2nd auto stop notch on cylinder so each tune auto stops when played. The 3 control levers are to the right side on a shiny brass plate. There is an instant stop button which stops the governor in the middle of at any point during the cylinder's rotation. Newer boxes eliminated this "during play stop" button. Probably a good thing because in this middle of a rotation situation, the cylinder can shift and easily cause damage the comb teeth.

Nicole Freres music boxes are of the utmost quality and have excellent music arrangements which can be quite complex

Especially this box which is a real treasure!!!

I hope you enjoy listening to it!!


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TUNES

0 0:00 "Intro to the box"
1 2:42 “Au Huguenots que le Cielo - Les Huguenots (1836) - Giacomo Meyerbeer
2 3:31 “Libiamo, Ne’lieti Calici" - La Traviata (1853) - Giuseppe Verdi
3 4:21 “Marche” - La Sonnambula (1831) - Vincenzo Bellini
4 5:14 “Sempre Libero Aria” - Il Trovatore (1853) - Giuseppe Verdi
5 6:04 “Vivre Duetto - Il Trovatore (1853) - Giuseppe Verdi
6 6:56 “Cora de Zing” - Marche - Il Trovatore (1853) - Giuseppe Verdi
7 7:49 “Voyez Sur Cette Roche” - Fra Diaviola (1830) - Daniel Auber
8 8:46 "Gloire immortelle de Nos Aïeux" - Faust (1859) - Charles Gounod
9 9:42 "Entends-tu Chants de Fête" - Lucie de Lammermoor (1839) - Gaetano Donizetti
10 10:41 “Vorlse de Freischutz” - Der Freischutz (1820)- Carl Maria von Weber


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Here are live performances of echoing tune on this Music Box. Enjoy!!

Meyerbeer: Les Huguenots / Act 3: Au banquet où le ciel leur apprête
   • Meyerbeer: Les Huguenots / Act 3: Au banqu...  

La Traviata: “Libiamo, Ne’ Lieti Calici” (Metropolitan Opera)
   • La Traviata: “Libiamo, ne’ lieti calici”  

Bellini’s La Sonnambula: “Ah! Perché Non Posso Odiarti?” (Xabier Anduaga)
   • Bellini’s La Sonnambula: “Ah! perché non p...  

Sempre Libera' - La Traviata' - Verdi
   • 'Sempre Libera' - 'La Traviata', de Verdi  

Renée Fleming & Dmitri Hvorostovski - Il Trovatore - Verdi
   • Renée Fleming & Dmitri Hvorostovski - Il T...  

Il Trovatore - Coro Degli Zingari - Arena di Verona
   • Il Trovatore - Coro degli zingari - Arena ...  

Fra Diavolo, Act I: Couplets. "Voyez Sur Cette Roche" - Dialogue . "Ah, mon Dieu !"
   • Fra Diavolo, Act I: Couplets. "Voyez sur c...  

GOUNOD : Faust "Gloire Immortelle de Nos Aïeux"
   • GOUNOD : Faust "Gloire immortelle de nos a...  

Lucie de Lammermoor, Act 2: "Entends-tu Ces Chants de Fête ?" (Henri, Lucie)
   • Lucie de Lammermoor, Act 2: "Entends-tu ce...  

Weber: Der Freischütz, J. 277 / Act 1: Walzer
   • Weber: Der Freischütz, J. 277 / Act 1: Walzer