Pianola Museum, Amsterdam

The Pianola Museum is a small museum of pianolas - automatic pianos which invented in the USA in 1894. Pianolas were reproducing music using carton rolls with punched holes for each music note. As the recording of music on wax cylinders and gramophone records has been very primitive at the time, pianolas were very popular, with more than 2 millions built. Public was impressed by the mechanical music and quality of the sound, and pianolas seemed to be an invention of the future. Important composers as Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Milhaud have written pieces of music especially for pianola. Pianolas were also widely used to record existing music pieces. There were pianolas built to work with the traditional pianos as both - a mechanical piano and a recorder. Today’s term honky-tonk piano refers to the Tonk Brothers in New York, producers of pianolas.

The Pianola Museum in Amsterdam, located in the old district of the Jordaan, has several original, beautiful instruments, among them a Steinway grand piano, adapted to be a mechanical instrument, 20 000 pianola paper music rolls plus several other interesting memorabilia. The museum friendly curator, Kasper Janse speaks good English, and will be happy to show you around.

The feel:
A unique, beginning of the 20th century atmosphere. Old furniture, dimmed light, interesting instruments. A small museum, about an episode from the history of modern civilization. Very interesting for people who are interested in music and its history. Might be also an idea for some kids.

Open: Sunday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. and every other day by appointment. Concerts on pianola with a short spoken introduction on other days; check the museum website for the schedule.

Admission: €5; Children: € 3; People aged +65: € 4.

How to get there:
The Pianola Museum is located in a short walking distance from the Anne Frank House (10 minutes).
By tram: 3, 10 (stop Marnixbad).
Westerstraat being the widest street in the Jordaan, offers some parking possibilities (paid parking, directly on the street).

Address:
Westerstraat 106
1015 MN Amsterdam
Phone. + 31 20 627 96 24
Homepage: www.pianola.nl