Mälzel (Mälzl), Johann N#

Maelzel (Maelzl), Johann N., b. Regensburg (Germany), Aug. 15, 1772, d. July 21, 1838 (on a sea voyage), instrument maker and designer of automatons. In Vienna from 1792, 1808 appointed "Hofkammermaschinist" ("Court Machinist"), built a metronome in 1816 ("M.-Metronome"), the notation "M.M." with a figure (e.g. M.M. 60) is still used to indicate musical tempo; constructed a panharmonicon, a trumpet automaton, an orchestrion and in 1824 a talking doll with "sleeping eyes". In 1813 L. van Beethoven wrote his Opus 91 ("Auf Wellingtons Sieg oder Die Schlacht bei Vittoria") for M.'s panharmonicon.

Literature#