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The Story of the Music Box

George and Madeleine Brown
The Story of the Music Box

The music box, the first successful device that could play a musical tune, was probably invented in Switzerland around 1770. Early music boxes were designed to play music using flat metal prongs that were plucked by a revolving metal cylinder. Eventually music box makers developed a flat disc to play the music. Commercial music boxes were gradually replaced by player pianos and phonographs by the early 20th Century. In 1952, Emory Cook recorded an album of music made by American and European music boxes from the George and Madeleine Brown collection. Using his skill as an audio engineer, Cook was able to record a fuller sound frequency than had previously been available in sound recordings. The recording accompanied Brown’s book of the same name.

Track Listing

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101
Jingle Bells (Version 1) George and Madeleine Brown 00:59
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102
Adeste Fideles George and Madeleine Brown 01:46
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103
Waldteufel: Skaters' Waltz George and Madeleine Brown 01:08
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104
First Noel George and Madeleine Brown 01:12
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105
Rossini: Prayer from William Tell George and Madeleine Brown 01:09
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106
Necke: Nightingale Song George and Madeleine Brown 01:05
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107
Valaque: Angel's Serenade George and Madeleine Brown 00:59
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108
Rossini: Stabat Mater George and Madeleine Brown 00:51
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109
Jingle Bells (Version 2) George and Madeleine Brown 01:00
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110
Auld Lang Syne George and Madeleine Brown 01:27
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111
Hark the Herald Angels George and Madeleine Brown 01:51
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112
Gounod: Ave Maria George and Madeleine Brown 01:08
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113
Song of the Virgin Mary George and Madeleine Brown 00:53
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114
Lefébure-Wély: Monastery Bells George and Madeleine Brown 00:57
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115
O'Sanctissima George and Madeleine Brown 01:02
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116
Cloister Bells George and Madeleine Brown 01:02
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117
Adams: Holy City George and Madeleine Brown 01:25
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118
Weber: Hunting Chorus George and Madeleine Brown 01:10
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119
Metra: Bells of Cornville George and Madeleine Brown 01:08
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120
Gruber: Silent Night George and Madeleine Brown 02:09