Philipps Pianella / Wurlitzer PianOrchestra and Paganini
Rollography Project History and Goals
The PianOrchestra/Pianella/Paganini Rollography Project started out in circa 1997-98 as an ongoing attempt to catalogue original Wurlitzer (and to a lesser extent Philipps Pianella) factory-cut music rolls for the Concert, Mandolin, and Regular/Style 17 PianOrchestras. Some of the relatively small number of original Philipps Mandolinen (PM) rolls here in the U.S. were included in the Wurlitzer listings, as were a few Symphonia rolls made by
Eugene DeRoy, and all intermingled with the Wurlitzer titles. This was a natural outcome, because Wurlitzer PianOrchestras are nothing more than imported Philipps Pianella orchestrions, and Philipps (P., P.M., P.C., and P.P.) rolls are the templates upon which all Wurlitzer PianOrchestra and Paganini rolls are based.
The rollography database started out using Microsoft Access 97. Then in the year 2000 the Access 97 format was upgraded to Access 2000, which was not backward compatible with earlier Access versions. The creation date on this updated Access database file was 6/14/2000, which became the foundational file upon which all future updates up through Access 2010 have been based. New to the September, 2011, version of the rollography database is the inclusion of two new date type fields, (1) an entry creation date (set to 6/14/2000 for records already present in the database) and (2) a reported date. These timestamps in combination allow us to know when an entry was created, and if and when that particular entry is updated. This may be usefully accurate for any new entries, but there are no timestamps remaining to date the initial database attempt or for any items up to the 2011 revision. About all that is known is that the rollography database was well underway by June 14, 2000. Consequently, this date is being arbitrarily given as a creation date for all early and previously undated database items. Also new in the 2011 version is the addition of roll source information to some reports. However, this information will only be shown (1) if the roll source is that of a publicly accessible attraction or venue, and/or (2), in the case of a non-public source, if and when the roll source/owner has specifically authorized the release of source information. Currently, source information is enabled only in the new Philipps Duca and Philipps PM database reports.
The original Wurlitzer emphasis is another thing that gave way in
September of 2011, when a lot of Philipps Duca and PM roll information was
made available by a German enthusiast, Thomas Richter. As a result of this,
the rollography database structure was upgraded, with both Philipps Duca and
PM rolls now included in a major way, but with the U.S. made Wurlitzer and
German made Philipps (and DeRoy Symphonia) rolls kept in separate database
tables. This change makes updating and database maintenance easier, as
opposed to intermingling everything in one gigantic table, and it should
make finding a particular English or German roll and/or tune a bit easier.
That stated, please be aware that here in the U.S. it is entirely possible
to find an early Philipps red paper roll with an English label, more than
likely originally sold by Wurlitzer during the years before Wurlitzer
started cutting PianOrchestra rolls here in the U.S. Although rare, any such American Philipps rolls will be included in the appropriate Wurlitzer
PianOrchestra roll listing.
Recut music rolls are not included in this study, although title
information from recut rolls may be used as a source of cataloged tune and
composer information, and will be so noted as may be appropriate. The types
of music rolls currently included in this study and project are as follows:
Philipps Music Rolls:
P. — Pianella. The first Pianellas imported by Wurlitzer
used what they called a "PianOrchestra roll," intended specifically for "The PianOrchestra." A few years later these early PianOrchestra rolls became "Regular PianOrchestra rolls" after the importation of Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (P.M.) and Philipps Pianella Cäecilia (P.C.) machines had begun. This distinction was necessary to differentiate the different types of music rolls, each having a slightly different tracker scale. The early Pianella rolls were stamped with "P." followed by the roll number, with the capital "P" representing Pianella. For some reason the Style 17 Regular PianOrchestra persisted long after all of the other so-called Regular PianOrchestras had become obsolete and dropped from Wurlitzer advertising and catalogs. The venerable Style 17 remained a staple in Wurlitzer catalogs for several more years (to perhaps liquidate previously imported but unsold stock), whereupon the Regular PianOrchestra roll was re-branded the Style 17 PianOrchestra roll.
P.A. — Pianella Artiste-Music-Rolls. These artistic music rolls cut for the Model Pianella A Pneumatic Artist Played line of keyboard pianos were hand-played by celebrated
artists and apparently at least somewhat interchangeable with P.C.a. rolls. In the 1911-12
Philipps catalogue, for the "Artist Played Piano," in addition to the regular P.C.a. roll, it was stated that there was a "Special Price for Artiste-roll." Elsewhere in the catalogue the accompanying price list shows P.C.a. rolls priced at 28 Marks, while the P.A. artist rolls are only 20 Marks each. Why the price difference? Possibly it is because the P.C.a. roll (like the regular P.C. roll) was a multi-tune roll, while the P.A. roll might have been single tune. Curiously, one of the artist played piano models contains a 30-note xylophone, like those used in the Pianella Mandolin Pianos and Orchestrions, which indicates that at least one of the non-piano register controls in the standard P.C. roll was used. Another model of the artist played keyboard piano line is fitted with a standard looking six station revolver mechanism (roll changer).
P.C. — Pianella Cäecilia. These rolls were arranged and cut for the large
Pianella Cäecilia line of orchestrions, known as Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestras in the U.S. market.
P.C.a. — Pianella Cäecilia-Artista. These rolls were arranged and cut for the Pianella A Kunstspiel Klavier (Artist Played Piano), which was a series of upright keyboard style expression
pianos. P.C.a. rolls may be "artistic" piano music with expression limited to that of the P.C. roll, which was arranged for a large piano based orchestrion with simple piano expression limited to sustaining (loud) pedal, and hammer rail (soft) pedal. The P.C.a. roll may also have used perforations such as those that controlled the swell shutters, for instance, for additional piano expression, perhaps varying the vacuum level of the instrument.
P.D. — Philipps Duca (Reproducing Piano). Duca rolls are noted in the circa
1911 Paganini catalogue as being playable on some of the relatively
small keyboard and cabinet style kinematographen-theater model Pianella
Paganini Violin Pianos, but no such interchangeability is noted for the
large cabinet style Paganini Orchestrions. Duca rolls were used when
artistic piano music was desired without any violin or other
accompaniment, the rolls being actual recordings of various well known
pianists of the time, and which utilized only the Duca expression piano
portion of the Paganini machines. The piano controls used in Paganini
instruments are basically a simplified version of the Duca reproducing
piano system.
P.E. — Philipps Pianella Modell P.E. Violinen Orchester. Only two Philipps Pianella Violinen Orchester keyboardless orchestrions playing the P.E. type of music roll are known to exist. This little violin orchestra has a large "Philipps-Pianella" nameplate located just above the roll access door. The instrumentation includes on odd piano plate arrangement that is divided into two sections, the left side being an abbreviated 29-note piano, while the right side is for a 17-note ratchet-operated reiterating mandolin mechanism. Other effects consist of a rank of wooden violin pipes (with tremolo effect), snare drum, bass drum, and separate crash cymbal. The instrument also has swell shutters and a 5-station revolver (roll changer) mechanism.
P.H. — Pianella Harmonium. Special to the Duplex-Piano with Harmonium (Organ), for Cinematographs (motion picture theaters). These upright keyboard style pianos, with duplex roll changers, were advertised as using P.A., P.C.a., and P.H. rolls interchangeably. The P.H. rolls were probably specially arranged to take advantage of the harmonium rather than the piano. When piano music was desired the P.A.
and P.C.a. rolls, arranged specifically for piano, would have been used.
P.M. — Pianella Mandolinen (spelled Mandoline for English readers in the Philipps catalogue), These rolls were arranged for the medium to large Mandolinen orchestrions -- known as Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestras in the U.S. market. Philipps P.M. rolls are known to have used two different numbering sequences, the earliest probably beginning circa 1904 is thought to have started with Nr. 1, continuing upwards into the low 1,000s. The second series of P.M. rolls begins in the 1920s with Nr. 10001, and probably coincides with the introduction of the Philipps Jazz-Band Pianos, which used P.M. rolls with
"special jazz arrangements."
P.P. — Pianella Paganini. These wide music roll were arranged for the
sophisticated Paganini Violin Pianos and Paganini Orchestrions --
known as Wurlitzer Paganini Orchestrions in the U.S. market. roll, although the Wurlitzer made rolls
are not nearly as artistically composed.
P.X. — Pianella Xylophon. These are essentially P.M. rolls that are more or less specifically arranged for piano with xylophone accompaniment. There were used with small keyboard instruments featuring a xylophone, and the small Mandolin Orchestrions that featured the xylophone along with drums and cymbal. The P.X. roll uses the same tracker bar layout as the Pianella Mandolinen or Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra roll.
Philipps music rolls have been observed in the following paper colors:
Red -- Early rolls are cut on a thin red paper that is often fragile
from age.
Green.
Orange.
White.
Chamois (looks similar to very aged and yellowed white paper).
Pink.
Euterpe Music Rolls
In the 1930s, Euterpe manufactured music rolls for Philipps Pianella Mandolinen (PM) and Philipps Paganini (PP) instruments, as well as music rolls for Hupfeld (Clavitist, Helios, and maybe for other models), Popper, and possibly other brands. Little is currently known about the Euterpe music roll operation, but it was reportedly located at Prinsengracht 263, Amsterdam, Holland.
Symphonique (Symphonia) Music Rolls:
These rolls (for Philipps Model PM instruments) manufactured circa 1930s through the 1950s, were
arranged, perforated, and then sold by the late Mr. Eugene DeRoy of
Antwerp, Belgium. Once the major European manufacturers, such as
Hupfeld, Philipps, and Popper quit the production of music rolls Mr.
DeRoy's Symphonia Piano Rollen business became the only remaining source
for "new" music for the outdated automatic pianos and orchestrions.
Symphonia music rolls are generally of an off-white colored paper,
sometimes appearing light yellow due to aging. Spools are of wood, with
finished wooden spool ends glued in place. Commonly, they are 4-tune
music rolls.
Symphonia music rolls for Philipps machines are limited to the P.M.
(Philipps Mandoline) type, which is the same tracker scale as the
Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra.
Wurlitzer PianOrchestra and Paganini Music Rolls:
Wurlitzer
Regular PianOrchestra (first or "The PianOrchestra," circa
1903-1910).
Wurlitzer Style 17 PianOrchestra (early
PianOrchestra, circa 1905-1920)—(Note: Circa 1910, Regular PianOrchestra rolls were thereafter titled Style 17 PianOrchestra rolls).
Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra.
Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestra, occasionally
referred to on labels as a "Grand PianOrchestra."
Wurlitzer Paganini (Violin Piano and Orchestrion)
Wurlitzer music rolls have been observed in the following paper colors:
Dark Red -- The first PianOrchestra rolls were cut in Germany by
Philipps on a thin red paper that is often fragile from age.
Bright Red -- Early rolls cut on red paper that are often fragile
from age.
Purple.
White.
Orange.
Light Grayish Orange (looks similar to very aged white paper with an orange cast).
Dull Yellowish Green -- First green paper rolls, circa 1915.
Green Waxed -- Probably circa 1918 (after World War I)
through the end of roll production in the early 1930s.
Wurlitzer’s Importation of Philipps Music Rolls
PianOrchestra Music Rolls:
According to Farny Wurlitzer, all music for PianOrchestras was originally imported from Philipps in Germany, beginning circa 1902/03, when the paper roll operated Pianella Orchestrion was introduced by Philipps and soon thereafter imported into the U.S. by Wurlitzer as The PianOrchestra. But a problem soon became evident, because, although classical music was sometimes played on a PianOrchestra, the main audience for these giant coin-operated piano orchestrions was demanding the latest popular music for listening and dancing. American customers wanted tunes currently popular in the U.S.; not what might be popular in a foreign country, in this case Germany. And so Wurlitzer started sending the latest sheet music to Germany for rolls specifically cut for the U.S. market. Unfortunately, however, by the time the steamship with its cargo of new sheet music arrived in Germany, and the sheet music made its way to the Philipps factory, and the music arrangers made the various music roll layouts, and the rolls were next given perforator time, and the newly cut rolls were shipped back across the Atlantic Ocean, and then finally distributed to Wurlitzer outlets, the “new” music was already out of date and no longer the latest rage.
To resolve this vexing problem Wurlitzer needed to begin arranging and cutting PianOrchestra rolls here in the U.S. When exactly this occurred is unknown, but it probably took place not long after Wurlitzer took possession of de Kleist’s North Tonawanda factory in January of 1909. Since circa 1904 Eugene de Kleist’s operation had been arranging and cutting music rolls for coin-operated pianos it built exclusively for Wurlitzer. How many perforators de Kleist had is unknown, but by the time Wurlitzer took over operation the firm had been cutting rolls for the Pianino, Mandolin Quartette and Mandolin Sextette, and the 65-note automatic player piano/orchestra piano style instruments. It would have been relatively easy to merely add another perforator to the already existing lineup, one that specifically catered to PianOrchestras, and that accurately duplicated the distinctly different metric hole size and spacing used by Philipps.
Paganini Music Rolls:
The Paganini series of instruments, also built by Philipps and introduced circa 1910, were essentially a next generation line of instruments that were mechanically much more sophisticated than were the earlier PianOrchestra models. The Paganini was specifically designed to be easily capable of playing the most refined and delicate of musical selections, and in particular the classics. Each Paganini was fitted with a reproducing piano, as well as pipework housed within swell shutter arrangements capable of producing subtle volume shadings. The smaller Paganini instruments were representative of a small string ensemble, while the larger Paganini instruments were capable of representing an entire orchestra with piano, strings, woodwinds, trumpets, and a large variety of percussive trapwork.
With its classical leanings and intricately expressive musical arrangements the Paganini instruments apparently did not suffer from the popular music issue that had plagued the PianOrchestra during its early days, and that caused Wurlitzer to begin cutting PianOrchestra rolls here in the U.S. It is known from observing a few surviving Wurlitzer sales invoices that the company was selling Philipps cut Paganini rolls (in the 8000 series) up through July of 1913, and probably through the first half of 1914. Each Philipps Paganini roll was protected in an elegant Philipps cardboard roll box with a gold embossed Philipps logo on its topside, and with a genuine Philipps roll label on one end. The rolls themselves had either a genuine Philipps roll label, or the roll leader was alternately rubber-stamped in blue ink with “P.P.Rev” and with the roll number situated directly below it. Wurlitzer appears to have sold these imported Paganini rolls as received from Philipps, without any Wurlitzer branding marks or labels.
The flow of Philipps cut Paganini rolls would have come to an abrupt halt in August of 1914, when Germany became fully involved in World War I. This great worldwide upset would have made it imperative that Wurlitzer begin cutting Paganini rolls here in the U.S., probably by late 1914, but almost certainly by early 1915. This would most certainly have required a new Paganini designated perforator, because, although the hole size and spacing was the same as for the PianOrchestra lineup of instruments, Paganini rolls were much wider, and so the already present, circa 1909, PianOrchestra perforator (installed a year or more before the first Paganini instruments were marketed) would have been unable to accommodate the much wider Paganini roll.
For a Quick Summary:
Wurlitzer seems to have begun cutting PianOrchestra music rolls at the North Tonawanda facility sometime in early to mid-1909. This is not only a logical date, but it seems to be confirmed by the 1909 copyright dates for many of the tunes that populated the earliest known Wurlitzer cut PianOrchestra rolls.
Wurlitzer is thought to have begun cutting Paganini music rolls towards the end of 1914 or possibly early 1915, after the import of materials from Germany had been disrupted due to World War I. It is logical that this is when Wurlitzer would have been forced to take on the perforating of Paganini rolls in its North Tonawanda factory. Wurlitzer music roll bulletins for 1913 and for the first three months of 1914 do not list Paganini rolls, which is logical, because it is known that Wurlitzer was selling Philipps cut Paganini rolls up through 1913. The roll bulletins for the last 9 months of 1914, and for all of 1915 and 1916 are missing, but the last three months for 1917 do exist and they do have Wurlitzer cut Paganini rolls listed, starting with #238 (the Phillips cut Paganini rolls were in the 8000 number range).
Database Properties:
The Music Roll Database incorporates the following important attributes:
Music roll number.
Music roll type: (Example: "WMPO-01023" or "PhPM-00004")
Euterpe (cut for Philipps PM machines) (abbreviated: "EuPM")
Music roll title (if any), such as "Dance Roll With Drums," or
"Tanzrolle"
Individual tune title(s), usually limited to no more than five
tunes; however, one roll with seven tunes has been cataloged.
Tune Composer(s).
Dates (if any, as mentioned in the label, a roll catalog or an
estimated date of issue or copyright).
Pertinent comments or other descriptive information, such as:
Source of information, i.e., music roll, loose box label or
catalogue.
Noteworthy characteristics, such as hand typed label, German-cut
roll, etc.
Submitting New Music Roll Information
Please note that partial information from damaged roll labels can be very useful,
and can often be used to match up and
complete otherwise incomplete tune title and/or composer information. For examples and suggestions on how to submit images click here or on the thumbnail image at right.
—Please send an e-mail message to
and include the following information:
If Sending a Hand-Typed List
For the rolls listed be sure to include the brand and type of music roll, i.e.:
Philipps Pianella,
Philipps Paganini,
Wurlitzer PianOrchestra,
Wurlitzer Regular PianOrchestra,
Wurlitzer Style 17 PianOrchestra,
Wurlitzer Mandolin PianOrchestra,
Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestra (Wurlitzer Concert PianOrchestra rolls and Wurlitzer Grand PianOrchestra rolls appear to
be essentially identical, but noting the "Concert" or "Grand" label
designations is useful information. Also, while the Grand PianOrchestra
labels appear to have been printed by Wurlitzer, the actual roll number
and tune titles are hand-typed, at least in the examples observed.
And the hand-typed term "CONCERT" may proceed the printed term
"GRAND PIAN ORCHESTRA."),
or Wurlitzer Paganini.
Is the roll an original factory roll or more recent recut roll?
Include the music roll title, if any, i.e., Dance Roll with Drums, March roll, etc.
Include the tune number, tune title, and composer information.
Is the information from a music roll, roll box, a loose unattached label, or a list?
Include the color of the roll paper when known, i.e., red, white, orange, tan, green, etc.
Attach the list, or copy and paste it into the e-mail body,
Note whether, or not, you want you name associated with the information submitted.
If Sending Photographs of Roll Labels
Snap a clear, easily readable picture of the roll label. For multiple music roll box labels, four to six boxes can be grouped together for a group picture of the labels.
Attach the pictures to an e-mail message.
Note whether, or not, you want you name associated with the information submitted.
Thank you for any assistance you may
provide. Information submitted will be added to the music roll database
and/or will be very helpful in confirming that data already collected is
correct. Some of the cataloged data has come from old typed lists or nearly
illegible box labels, for which no known original roll exists, and so every bit of new data can be very useful in compiling a more complete and accurate database of rolls.
Distribution of Database Information Last Updated on November 30, 2022
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and Paganini Violin Pianos
Philipps & Söhne
97 pages.
20 pages.
67 pages.
27 pages.
12 pages.
20 pages.
15 pages.
135 pages.
128 Pages
All database report information is
offered "as is," without any guarantee or warranty whatsoever of any kind,
neither stated, implied, nor inferred, as to the accuracy, correctness,
exactness, suitability, or usefulness of any content.
Credits:
Music roll information resources: Disney (Disneyworld)
Concert PianOrchestra music roll list, Rudy Edwards Collection, Gilson
Collection, Hanulec/Kehoe Collection, Terry Hathaway (and Playland Mandolin
PianOrchestra music roll list), Krughoff Collection, Milhous Collection,
D.J. Neilson Collection, Nethercutt Collection, Play-Rite recut rolls,
Sanfilippo Collection, Art Reblitz, Thomas Richter, Michael Lund, Hans Kunz, Brian Smith, Wurlitzer
Monthly Roll Bulletins.
