(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

The Harmonist (Treadle Powered) Piano Player—Style N. Publicly introduced in 1900, it was the second automatic musical device offered by Roth & Engelhardt's newly organized Peerless Piano Player Company. The Harmonist Piano Player was initially a foot pumped (or treadle powered) device housed in a small wooden cabinet that could be pushed up to the keyboard of a regular upright or grand piano. It contained treadle operated vacuum feeder bellows, a rewind type music roll spoolbox, and individual pneumatics that caused little mechanical fingers to play the piano's keys. An electric motor option was advertised as available. The Harmonist functionally resembled in operation and appearance the German made Welte Vorsetzer, or "front sitter."

Mr. Alfred P. Roth reportedly said, according to The Music Trade Review, March 31, 1900, that “after many months of patient work, trial, and experiment the Harmonist had at last been perfected and is now ready for the market.” Some of the advantages of the Harmonist included an especially fast reroll speed, only half the pedal exertion was needed in comparison to other makes, and “expression is properly varied without continued attention and manipulation of stops on the part of the player.”

(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

The Harmonist Electric (Pneumatic) Piano Player. This was a piano player that would "appeal to those who wish to always control expression, but dislike the labor of pumping. It will also play expression automatically when desired. Plays 66 notes."

(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

The Harmonist Piano Player—Style R. E. Foot or treadle powered, the Harmonist was adjustable to any piano, or so it was stated.

From The Music Trade Review of May 10, 1902: "The firm of Roth & Engelhardt have come forward with several very practical improvements in their automatic piano players. They began with the "Harmonist" [earlier piano player attachment introduced in 1899], which is, it is believed, the only automatic player which can produce the accents on which music depends for its life and spirit. Very careful experiments in the application of power, based upon the years of skill and experience acquired in their action factory, have enabled them to reduce the force required to operate the mechanism to the lowest power. The power applied is pneumatic, and more easily regulated in dynamic expression than any other. The Harmonist plays softly or loudly at will. Much more depends upon the cutting of the roll than would be imagined. Messrs. Roth & Engelhardt not only cut all their own rolls, but they have their own editor, a practical musician who edits and lays out the note scheme for the cutters. They are issuing an average of forty new pieces a month, all calculated and cut with the most absolute accuracy."

(Photograph courtesy of Reblitz-Bowers Encyclopedia.)

The Harmonist Electric (Pneumatic) Piano Player—Style E. H. Motor power was electric

From The Music Trade Review of September 10, 1904: "... The Harmonist, through several very novel features, is suited to both the active and passive lover of music. This wonderful instrument is adapted to those who wish to produce music and to color a composition according to their own ideas, by means of a peculiarly sensitive mechanism, operated by two levers, which control the length of a tone as well as its power; in other words, a sustaining lever is provided besides the usual tempo regulator. The loud and soft control is, of course, provided; by means of these three regulators."

"... To that other class of music lovers who prefer to hear and enjoy without actually wishing to perform themselves, the Harmonist has proved a great source of pleasure. The Harmonist perforated music rolls, of which there are thousands, including compositions of every land, are prepared and edited by a musician of authority, and so cut that, if played properly, the expressions, the rises and falls in the strength of tone, the quickening and retards, will bring out the true meanings of the piece, just as if a master was playing it. In other words, the correct rendering of Harmonist music rolls is in the rolls themselves, and it is only necessary for the passive lover of music to put the roll in the Harmonist, turn on the automatic expression attachment, and pump; and even this trouble may be saved, since one style of Harmonist is provided with an electric motor furnishing the power for pumping. The connection with an ordinary electric light socket furnishing ample power. This style of player is equipped with the voluntary expression devices.