Music in old Ljubljana
In the streets of Ljubljana, organ grinders dressed in historical clothing will be conjuring up an atmosphere of times long gone. The barrel organ, commonly known as a simple instrument used by 19th century buskers travelling from village to village, cannot be played as automatically as it may seem and is much more interesting than it appears at first sight.
The technique of playing the barrel organ, which was historically the first musical automaton and as such the predecessor of today's electronic musical instruments, is something that can only be mastered with practice - just like playing modern electronic instruments. Just turning the handle is far from enough to play a melody as provided by the cardboard book music folded zigzag inside the instrument.
A walk through the old town will be accompanied by the sound of festive music and conjure up a joyful atmosphere.