前言

    自动乐器是一种能记录和自动演奏音乐的机械装置，是集音乐、机械制造和工艺设计等于一体的人类文明的产物，具有深厚的文化内涵。
    这个展览中的50件机械自动乐器精选自荷兰乌得勒支市国家自动乐器博物馆的藏品，它们是荷兰国宝级的珍贵文物。从中我们可以一览欧洲从文艺复兴时期到现代的机械式自动乐器的发展历史，领略欧洲精湛的机械制造工艺，当然还能感受到欧洲人对于音乐的无限迷恋。在自动乐器已被高级音响取代的今天，回首这些精妙绝伦的人造产品，我们不禁惊叹人类曾经有过如此灿烂的文明。
    在所有自动乐器中，街头风琴是最具有荷兰民族特色的，它盛行于20世纪上半叶的荷兰。每当街上响起风琴的音乐，人们就会高兴地从家中跑出来，在街上又唱又跳。可见，荷兰是一个无比喜爱音乐的民族。同时街头风琴还让人想起象征荷兰的郁金香和风车，因为所有这些都洋溢着一种温馨和欢乐的气氛。
    这些自动乐器不但音色优美，而且装饰和外形高贵典雅。它们各有不同的装饰风格，比如古典风格、巴洛克风格、新艺术风格等，让我们有机会欣赏到欧洲不同历史时期的设计艺术。
    藉此机会，我谨代表广东美术馆感谢荷兰乌得勒支市国家自动乐器博物馆为我们带来这样一个精彩的展览！感谢荷兰王国驻北京大使馆对展览及图录工作的鼎力支持！相信观众们一定会流连忘返于这些为我们带来视觉和听觉双重享受的美妙乐器。


广东美术馆馆长
王璜生
2007年9月


Preface I

    The automatic musical instrument is a kind of mechanism which can play music without a performer. It possesses profound cultural connotations in which many aspects of civilization such as music, mechanical manufacture and artistic design come together.
    This exhibition displays 50 of the best instruments which are chosen from the collection of the National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ in Utrecht, the Netherlands and which are national treasures of the country. These exhibits demonstrate the history of musical automata in Europe from the Renaissance period to the 20th century. They also show the exquisiteness of mechanical manufacture in Europe. And most importantly, the European’s intense fascination for music can be seen from these elaborate instruments. Today, although automatic music has already been replaced by hi-fi systems, we still marvel at the magnificent creations that mankind used to make.
    Among all musical automata, street organs, which were popular in the first half of the 20th century, are most representative of the Dutch nation. When the Dutch would hear the music of a street organ, they would come out of their houses cheerfully to dance and sing in the streets. This reveals the Dutch’s deep love for music. Street organs are also reminiscent of tulips and windmills in the Netherlands, since they can all arouse warm and happy sentiments.
    The instruments in this exhibition not only have pleasant tones for us to hear, but also elegant shapes and decorations. They have different design styles, such as classicism, baroque and art nouveau style, etc., offering us a precious opportunity to appreciate the art of design of the European history.
    On behalf the Guangdong Museum of Art, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Utrecht museum for bringing us this exhibition. Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to the Royal Embassy of The Netherlands in Beijing for their energetic support concerning both exhibition and catalogue. I believe that the audience will enjoy both the audio and visual beauty that these enchanting instruments present us with.

Wang Huangsheng
Director of Guangdong Museum of Art
September, 2007


前言二

    2005年8月，由广东省副省长雷于蓝女士率领的代表团参观我们乌得勒支市国家自动乐器博物馆，我十分荣幸接待了雷副省长一行。这次愉快而友好的会晤开启了广东省、乌得勒支省、广东美术馆以及国家自动乐器博物馆之间的成功合作。两年多后的今天，这一合作促成了2007年9月19日在广东美术馆开幕的“从文艺复兴音乐钟到现代街头风琴”的展览。该展十分荣幸能在广东省的省府城市举办，因为乌得勒支省和广东省已缔结了多年的友好伙伴关系。
    这个展览能在广州这座城市举办实在是再好不过了！早在18世纪，世界著名的伦敦自动乐器制造商詹姆斯·考克斯在广州设立了他的第一间欧洲以外的分公司。当然，两百多年后的今天，这一批珍贵的欧洲自动乐器藏品远道而来在广州展出，这显然更加值得称道。
    国家自动乐器博物馆拥有世界范围内数量最大的一批自动乐器藏品。这个精选自这批藏品的展览能让观众完整地纵观欧洲自动机械音乐的历史。我们尤为自豪的是一台大约1480年荷兰制造的“雅各马兹钟”，这是我们的藏品中最古老的一台音乐钟，这次亦来到广州展出。展览期间，导览员每天都会演示这台钟以及该展的所有其它乐器。
    我想藉此机会感谢所有促成该展成功举办的人们。我要尤其感谢广东省省长黄华华先生、广东省副省长雷于蓝女士，还有荷兰女王在乌得勒支省的长官罗伯逊先生、女王的前乌得勒支省长官斯塔尔先生，我感谢他们的承诺和支持。另外我还要感谢广东美术馆的馆长们和全体员工以及广东省政府的工作人员为筹办这个不同寻常的项目的热情和干劲。
    最后我祝愿所有参观这个展览的观众在美丽典雅的广东美术馆享受一个愉快的音乐之旅！


荷兰国家自动乐器博物馆
执行馆长
弗洛里斯·德·格尔德


Preface II

    It was in August 2005 that I had the honour of hosting a delegation from the Province of Guangdong guided by vice-governor Mrs Lei Yu Lan at our museum in Utrecht. This cheerful and friendly meeting was to be the start of a fruitful and unique co-operation between the Province of Guangdong, the Province of Utrecht, the Guangdong Museum of Art and the National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ. Today, over two years later, this co-operation has resulted in the exhibition From Musical Clock to Street Organ at the Guangdong Museum of Art, opening on September 19th, 2007. It is a great honour to be welcomed at the heart of the Province of Guangdong, with which the Province of Utrecht has shared a bond of friendship for so many years.
    What better location for this exhibition than Guangzhou! Already in the 18th century world famous London builder of musical automata James Cox opened his first non-European branch in Guangzhou. The more remarkable that today, over two centuries past, once more a collection of European musical automata has found its way to Guangzhou.
    The National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ owns one of the largest collections in its field world-wide. This allows for the composition of an exhibition that offers a complete and accurate overview of the history of European mechanical music. We are especially proud of the fact that the Jaquemarts clock, made in the Netherlands around 1480 and the oldest musical clock in our collection, is part of this exhibition. Like all the other instruments of the exhibition this clock will be played and demonstrated every day.
    I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all that have contributed to this exhibition. It is particularly Mr Huang Huahua, Governor of Guangdong and Mrs Lei Yu Lan, vice-governor of Guangdong that I would like to thank, as well as the Queen’s Commissioner of Utrecht, Mr. Robbertsen and former Queen’s Commissioner of Utrecht, Mr Staal for their commitment and support. Furthermore I thank the board and staff of the Guangdong Museum of Art and the staff of the Government of Guangdong for their enthusiasm and drive in preparing such an extraordinary project.
    Finally I would like to wish all visitors to this exhibition a pleasant, cheerful and musical stay at the beautiful Guangdong Museum of Art!

Floris de Gelder
Managing Director of the
National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ.