The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses
free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a vacuum system), and the
Indian harmonium. Historical examples include the ''Kunstharmonium'' and the
American reed organ, while earlier forms include the
physharmonica and the
seraphine.
More portable than
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
s, free-reed organs became widespread in smaller churches and private homes during the 19th century, although their volume and tonal range were limited. They generally featured one, or occasionally two,
manuals, while
pedal-boards were rare. Higher-end pump organs offered a broader range of tones, and models intended for churches or affluent households were often housed in finely crafted
cabinets.
Between the 1850s and the 1920s, several million reed organs and
melodeons were manufactured in the United States and Canada, with some exported abroad. Major manufacturers included the
Cable Piano Company,
Estey Organ, and
Mason & Hamlin.
In addition to the larger, furniture-sized instruments popular in the West, more compact designs also developed. The portable, hand-pumped Indian harmonium, adapted from Western designs such as the
guide-chant in the 19th century, became a central instrument across the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
. Today, the Indian harmonium is widely employed by Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims for devotional music such as
qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...
,
ghazal
''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
,
kirtan, and
bhajan. It is also commonly used in
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...
and within Western
yoga
Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
and kirtan
subcultures
A subculture is a group of people within a culture, cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures ...
.
History
During the first half of the 18th century, a
free-reed mouth organ called a ''sheng'' was brought to Russia.
The instrument attracted attention through its use by
Johann Wilde.
[ At the time, the free-reed mechanism was unknown in Europe, and the concept quickly spread westward from Russia.][
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (1723–1795), a professor of physiology at the ]University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University.
...
, is credited with the creation of the first free-reed instrument in the Western world, having won the annual prize in 1780 from the Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg.
The first free-reed organ was built by Abbé Georg Joseph Vogler in Darmstadt
Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the ...
after a concept suggested by Kratzenstein. The design of the harmonium, employing free reeds, derives from the earlier regal. A harmonium-like instrument was exhibited by Gabriel-Joseph Grenié (1756–1837) in 1810, which he named the ''orgue expressif'' ("expressive organ") due to its capability for greater expression, including crescendo
In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending ...
s and diminuendos.
Alexandre Debain improved Grenié’s design and patented his version under the name harmonium in 1840. There was concurrent development of similar instruments. Jacob Alexandre and his son Édouard introduced the ''orgue mélodium'' in 1844. Hector Berlioz
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
discussed it in his ''Grand traité d'instrumentation et d'orchestration modernes'', published in Paris in 843?or 844? and reprinted in 1856 (critical edition by Peter Bloom, 2003, Bärenreiter, Vol.24). Berlioz also wrote about it in later journals (Bloom, p.472, nn. 1 & 2) and incorporated it into ''L'enfance du Christ'', Part 1, Scene vi, where it was played off-stage. Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
performed the part during a concert conducted by Berlioz in Weimar on 21 February 1855 (Bloom, p.474, n.3).
A mechanic who had worked at Alexandre’s factory emigrated to the United States and conceived the idea of a suction bellows, replacing the outward-blowing bellows. After 1885, the firm of Mason & Hamlin of Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
adopted the suction bellows, which soon became the standard construction technique in America.
The term ''melodeon'' came to be associated with concert saloons in Victorian-era America, named after the reed instrument. The word later became a general term for entertainment venues catering to men.
Harmoniums reached the height of their popularity in the West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were especially favoured in small churches and chapels where a pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
was impractical. In the funeral ''in absentia'' scene of Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
’s ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...
'', a "melodeum" (likely a satirical conflation of melodeon and harmonium) is mentioned.
Harmoniums, generally lighter and more resilient than similarly sized pianos, were ideal for export to colonies where transport infrastructure was limited. Moreover, the harmonium maintained its tuning stability despite heat and humidity, unlike the piano. Special models impregnated with chemicals to deter woodworm
A woodworm is the Xylophagy, wood-eating larva of many species of beetle. It is also a generic description given to the infestation of a wooden item (normally part of a dwelling or the furniture in it) by these larvae.
Types of woodworm
Woodbo ...
and tropical pests were manufactured for export markets.
At the peak of the instrument’s popularity circa 1900, harmoniums ranged from simple models with minimal stops to elaborate ones featuring ornate cases, multiple stops, and faux pipe displays. Some harmoniums were built with two manuals or even pedalboards, although these larger models required either an assistant to operate the bellows or electric blowers. Compact, folding reed organs were also made for missionaries and travelling evangelists.
The invention of the electronic organ in the 1930s marked the beginning of the harmonium’s decline in the West, although its popularity as a household instrument had already waned in the 1920s. The Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
offered greater tonal versatility, reduced maintenance, and compactness, making it an attractive successor. Additionally, harmoniums had become increasingly complex mechanically, with intricate networks of levers and rods owing to diverse patent-driven designs.
The Estey company was the last major North American manufacturer, ceasing production in the mid-1950s. A few Italian firms continued manufacturing into the 1970s. As harmoniums aged and spare parts became scarce, many were scrapped or modified, with electric blowers frequently retrofitted, often in an unsympathetic manner.
Today, most Western-style harmoniums are preserved by enthusiasts, while the Indian harmonium remains widely used across South Asia.
Modern electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard, portable keyboard, or digital keyboard is an electronic musical instrument based on keyboard instruments. Electronic keyboards include synthesizers, digital pianos, stage pianos, electronic organs and digital audio work ...
s are capable of emulating the sound of the traditional pump organ.
Reed organ in Japan
The foot pump organ (足踏みオルガン, ''ashibumi organ'') was first introduced to Japan during the early Meiji period, brought by foreign Christian missionaries as part of their evangelisation efforts. Initially used in churches and schools, the reed organ quickly became an important tool for music education, offering Japanese people their first widespread exposure to Western musical instruments.
The first domestically manufactured reed organs were produced by Nishikawa Organ Company in Yokohama. Shortly thereafter, Yamaha founder Torakusu Yamaha, originally a medical equipment repairman, began manufacturing reed organs in Hamamatsu following his successful repair of an imported American model. These efforts helped establish Hamamatsu as a major centre for musical instrument production in Japan.
Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reed organs were installed in schools nationwide and became central to public singing education. Their affordability, durability, and relatively simple maintenance compared to pianos made them ideal for widespread use. By the early Shōwa period, reed organs were a familiar fixture in most Japanese elementary schools, contributing significantly to the spread of Western music literacy.
Domestically produced reed organs ranged from simple, affordable models with 39 or 49 keys to larger, more elaborate designs with multiple stops, swells, and even pedalboards, primarily intended for teacher training colleges and music schools.
Although the popularity of reed organs declined after the mid-20th century with the rise of more accessible pianos and electronic instruments, they remain fondly remembered by generations who grew up with them. Today, institutions such as the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments preserve and exhibit historical reed organs, celebrating their cultural and educational significance in Japan’s modernisation and musical history.
In several Asian countries, particularly former Japanese colonies such as Taiwan and South Korea, the use of treadle-operated reed organs became widespread under Japanese influence.
Reed organ in China
In China, the reed organ was introduced around 1897. Following the Opium Wars, the spread of Christianity and the increasing presence of European expatriates contributed to the broader dissemination of Western music. Church schools, in particular, played a major role in introducing European musical forms, such as hymns, salon music, and elementary piano pieces.
In 1872, Christian missionary J. D. Collins published the ''Hymn Book'' through the American Presbyterian Mission Press in Shanghai, featuring over 360 religious hymns with musical notation, alongside an introduction to Western musical theory, all employing the five-line staff notation system. In 1883, British missionary Timothy Richard published the ''Supplement to Hymns'', which incorporated familiar Chinese folk melodies to facilitate religious outreach.
The activities of these missionaries contributed positively to the early development of Western music education in China.
It is beyond doubt that, at one point, the People’s Republic of China was very likely the country where the pump organ was most widely used. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, treadle-operated reed organs gained renewed popularity as affordable tools for mass music education. Factories were established in various cities to produce reed organs, such as the "Danfeng" Organ Factory in Shanghai and the "Baihua" Organ Factory in Sichuan. It became common for primary school teachers, particularly female teachers, to be trained in reed organ playing to support classroom music education.
By the 1990s, however, reed organs were gradually supplanted by pianos in Chinese primary and secondary schools as the primary instrument for music instruction. Today, many treadle-operated reed organs in mainland China have been dismantled, although a small number of artisanal workshops continue to produce new instruments, primarily for enthusiasts who collect and perform with them.
In the Indian subcontinent
The Indian harmonium, also known as the hand harmonium or ''vaja'', is a small, portable, hand-pumped reed organ that gained popularity across the Indian subcontinent. It arrived in India during the mid-19th century, potentially introduced by missionaries or traders. Adapted by Indian craftsmen, the harmonium was modified to be played on the floor, in keeping with traditional Indian musical practices, and made more compact and portable.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Indian harmonium became integral to Indian music, widely used in devotional genres such as qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...
, ghazal
''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
, kirtan, and bhajan. Its lightweight design, portability, and ease of learning contributed to its widespread adoption among Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims for devotional purposes. Notably, it also gained popularity within the Western yoga subculture, thanks to figures such as Krishna Das and Jai Uttal.
During the 20th century, the harmonium faced controversy within Indian classical music due to technical limitations, such as the inability to produce slurs, gamaka, and meend. Despite these challenges, it became the instrument of choice for North Indian classical vocal genres, supported by its ease of learning and suitability for group singing. The harmonium's fixed pitches and other limitations led to its ban from All India Radio
All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
from 1940 to 1971. Nevertheless, it remained favoured in the reformed classical music of the early 20th century.
The harmonium remains popular to the present day, serving as an important instrument across many genres of Indian, Pakistani
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
, and Bangladeshi music. For example, it is a staple of North Indian classical vocal music and Sufi Muslim qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...
performances.
Acoustics
The acoustical effects described below arise from the free-reed mechanism, and are therefore essentially identical for Western and Indian harmoniums as well as reed organs. In 1875, Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (; ; 31 August 1821 – 8 September 1894; "von" since 1883) was a German physicist and physician who made significant contributions in several scientific fields, particularly hydrodynamic stability. The ...
published his seminal book, ''On the Sensations of Tone'', in which he used the harmonium extensively to study different tuning systems:
"Among musical instruments, the harmonium, on account of its uniformly sustained tone, the piercing character of its quality of tone, and its tolerably distinct combinational tones, is particularly sensitive to inaccuracies of intonation. And as its vibrators also admit of a delicate and durable tuning, it appeared to me peculiarly suitable for experiments on a more perfect system of tones."
Using two manuals and two differently tuned stop sets, Helmholtz was able to compare Pythagorean, just, and equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament or Musical tuning#Tuning systems, tuning system that approximates Just intonation, just intervals by dividing an octave (or other interval) into steps such that the ratio of the frequency, frequencie ...
tunings simultaneously, and observe the varying degrees of inharmonicity
In music, inharmonicity is the degree to which the frequency, frequencies of overtones (also known as Harmonic series (music)#Partial, partials or partial tones) depart from Integer, whole multiples of the fundamental frequency (harmonic seri ...
inherent in different temperaments. He subdivided the octave into 28 tones, allowing modulation in just intonation across 12 minor and 17 major keys without encountering the harsh dissonances typically caused by standard octave divisions. This system, however, proved difficult to play. Additional modified instruments were constructed for experimental use, notably Bosanquet’s '' Generalised keyboard'' (1873) for a 53-tone scale, employing 84 keys for easier fingering. Another notable experimental reed organ was built by Poole
Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...
.
Lord Rayleigh also used the harmonium to devise a method of indirectly measuring frequencies, using approximated equal temperament intervals and their overtone
An overtone is any resonant frequency above the fundamental frequency of a sound. (An overtone may or may not be a harmonic) In other words, overtones are all pitches higher than the lowest pitch within an individual sound; the fundamental i ...
beats. The harmonium’s clear overtones enabled reliable beat counting by two listeners, although Rayleigh acknowledged that maintaining constant pressure in the bellows was difficult and could cause pitch fluctuation.
In tone generation, a reed organ is similar to an accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
or concertina, but differs in installation; while accordions are hand-held, reed organs are typically placed on the floor within a wooden casing (which may initially resemble a piano). Reed organs are operated using either pressure or suction bellows. Pressure bellows allow greater dynamic control through varying pedalling speed. In North America and Britain, pressure-bellows organs are termed harmoniums, while in continental Europe, any reed organ is generally referred to as a harmonium, regardless of its bellows type. Because pressure-bellows instruments were more complex and expensive to produce, most North American and British reed organs and melodeons employed suction bellows.
The frequencies produced by reed organs are influenced by the blowing pressure: the fundamental frequency
The fundamental frequency, often referred to simply as the ''fundamental'' (abbreviated as 0 or 1 ), is defined as the lowest frequency of a Periodic signal, periodic waveform. In music, the fundamental is the musical pitch (music), pitch of a n ...
slightly ''decreases'' under medium pressure compared to low pressure, but ''increases'' again at high pressures, particularly for bass notes. Measurements have shown sinusoidal oscillations of the reed with sharp transitions when it bends through its frame.
The fundamental frequency is close to the reed’s mechanical resonance frequency. The overtones generated are primarily harmonics
In physics, acoustics, and telecommunications, a harmonic is a sinusoidal wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the ''fundamental frequency'' of a periodic signal. The fundamental frequency is also called the ''1st harm ...
rather than inharmonics, although a weak inharmonic overtone at approximately 6.27''f'' has been observed.
In addition to the main transverse vibration mode, weaker higher transverse and torsional modes have been measured. Torsional modes arise due to slight asymmetries in reed construction. During the attack phase, the fundamental and a secondary transverse or torsional mode are predominantly excited.
To date, radiation patterns and coupling effects between the soundbox and the reeds have not been extensively studied.
The unusual vibration physics of the free reed directly impact the performance of the harmonium, restricting the dynamic range and requiring subtle control. The reed, riveted into a metal frame, vibrates in self-excited oscillation as air is pumped through the bellows and reservoir. This aerodynamic system is nonlinear, with the reed's maximum displacement limited by damping forces, resulting in relatively stable sound pressure. A threshold pumping pressure exists below which reed vibration remains minimal. Within these thresholds, reed amplitude exhibits exponential growth
Exponential growth occurs when a quantity grows as an exponential function of time. The quantity grows at a rate directly proportional to its present size. For example, when it is 3 times as big as it is now, it will be growing 3 times as fast ...
and exponential decay
A quantity is subject to exponential decay if it decreases at a rate proportional to its current value. Symbolically, this process can be expressed by the following differential equation, where is the quantity and (lambda
Lambda (; uppe ...
.
Repertory
upA Victorian-era pump organ
The harmonium was considered by Curt Sachs to be an important instrument for music of Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
(1750s–1900), which "vibrated between two poles of expression" and "required the overwhelming power and strong accents of wind instruments".[
Harmonium compositions are available by European and American composers of classical music. It was also used often in the folk music of the Appalachians and South of the United States.
Harmoniums played a significant part in the new rise of Nordic folk music, especially in Finland. In the late 1970s, a harmonium could be found in most schools where the bands met, and it became natural for the bands to include a harmonium in their setup. A typical folk band then—particularly in Western Finland—consisted of violin(s), double bass and harmonium. There was a practical limitation that prevented playing harmonium and accordion in the same band: harmoniums were tuned to 438 Hz, while accordions were tuned to 442 Hz. Some key harmonium players in the new rise of Nordic folk have been Timo Alakotila and Milla Viljamaa.
In the Netherlands, the introduction of the harmonium triggered a boom in religious house music. Its organ-like sound quality allowed Reformed families to sing psalms and hymns at home. Many new hymns were composed expressly for voice and harmonium, notably those by Johannes de Heer.
]
Western classical
The harmonium repertoire includes many pieces written originally for the church organ
Carol Williams performing at the West_Point_Cadet_Chapel.html" ;"title="United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel">United States Military Academy West Point Cadet Chapel.
In music, the organ is a keyboard instrument of one or mo ...
, which may be played on a harmonium as well, because they have a small enough range and use fewer stops. For example, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
's Fantasia in C major for organ BWV 570 is suitable for a four-octave harmonium.
Other examples include:
*Alban Berg
Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( ; ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...
. '' Altenberg Lieder''
* William Bergsma. ''Dances from a New England Album, 1856'' for orchestra. It includes parts for melodeon (movements I–III) and harmonium (movement IV).
* William Bolcom. ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' for orchestra, choirs, and soloists, includes parts for melodeon, harmonica, and harmonium.
*Anton Bruckner
Joseph Anton Bruckner (; ; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer and organist best known for his Symphonies by Anton Bruckner, symphonies and sacred music, which includes List of masses by Anton Bruckner, Masses, Te Deum (Br ...
. '' Symphony no. 7'', an arrangement for chamber ensemble, prepared in 1921 by students and associates of Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
for the Viennese Society for Private Musical Performances, was scored for two violins, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn, piano 4-hands, and harmonium. The Society folded before the arrangement could be performed, and it went without premiere for more than 60 years.
* Frederic Clay. '' Ages Ago'', an early work that features a harmonium part (libretto by W. S. Gilbert).
*Claude Debussy
Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
. '' Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune'', a chamber ensemble arrangement by Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
.
* Antonín Dvořák. ''Five Bagatelles'' for two violins, cello and harmonium, Op. 47 (B.79).
*Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...
. ''Sospiri, Adagio for String Orchestra'', Op. 70 (scored for harp or piano and harmonium or organ). ''Vesper Preludes''.
*César Franck
César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in present-day Belgium.
He was born in Liège (which at the time of h ...
. The final collection of pieces popularly known as L'Organiste (1889–1890) was actually written for harmonium, with some pieces with piano accompaniment.
* Alexandre Guilmant, author of many duos for piano and harmonium, including:
** ''Symphonie tirée de la Symphonie-Cantate "Ariane"'' (Op. 53)
** ''Pastorale A-Dur'' (Op. 26)
** ''Finale alla Schumann sur un noël languedocien'' (Op. 83)
*Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...
. '' Hin und zurück'' (''There and Back''), an operatic sketch that uses a harmonium for its stage music.
* Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Various works for solo harmonium.
* Kronos Quartet. ''Early Music'', an album that has several pieces featuring harmonium.
* Henri Letocart (1866–1945). 25 pieces for harmonium, Premier cahier.
*Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
. ''Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, Movement II: Purgatorio''
*Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...
. '' Symphony No. 8''
* George Frederick McKay. ''Sonata for Clarinet and Harmonium'' (1929) (also adaptable to piano or violin)
* Martijn Padding. ''First Harmonium Concerto'' (2008) for harmonium and ensemble
* Elise Rondonneau ( active 1827-1860s) composed many works specifically for harmonium
*Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
. '' Petite messe solennelle'' is scored for twelve voices, two pianos and harmonium.
*Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...
. The '' Barcarolle, Op. 108'' is scored for piano, harmonium, violin and cello.
*Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
**''Herzgewächse'', Op. 20, for high soprano, celesta
The celesta () or celeste (), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music ...
, harp and harmonium.
**''Weihnachtsmusik'', for two violins, cello, harmonium and piano.
* Franz Schreker
** '' Chamber Symphony''
** ''Vom ewigen Leben''
*Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...
. '' Ariadne auf Naxos'' an opera (libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal) that employs a harmonium in the orchestration of each of its versions. It requires an instrument with many stops, which are specified in the score.
*Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...
. " Manfred Symphony", fourth movement
* Louis Vierne. 24 Pièces en style libre pour orgue ou harmonium, Op. 31 (1913)
*Anton Webern
Anton Webern (; 3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and musicologist. His music was among the most radical of its milieu in its lyric poetry, lyrical, poetic concision and use of then novel atonality, aton ...
. ''Five Pieces for Orchestra op. 10''
*Alexander Zemlinsky
Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conducting, conductor, and teacher.
Biography
Early life
Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfat ...
** ''Six Maeterlinck Songs''
** '' Lyric Symphony''
Artists
* Ivor Cutler, Scottish humorist and musician
* Krishna Das, American kirtan singer, composer and recording artist
* Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, Pakistani qawali performer, composer and recording artist
* Mariana Sadovska, Ukrainian singer, composer and recording artist
*Radie Peat, singer and musician of Lankum
*Nico
Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model.
Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...
, German singer, songwriter, actress, model and recording artist
Western popular music
Harmoniums have been used in western popular music since at least the 1960s. John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
played a Mannborg harmonium on the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' hit single "We Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a A-side and B-side#Double A-side, double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. The song was rec ...
", released in December 1965, and the band used the instrument on other songs recorded during the sessions for their '' Rubber Soul'' album. They also used the instrument on the famous "final chord" of " A Day in the Life", and on the song " Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", both released on the 1967 album '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. The group's hit single "Hello, Goodbye
"Hello, Goodbye" (sometimes titled "Hello Goodbye") is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Backed by John Lennon's " I Am the Walrus", it was issued as a non-album single ...
" and the track " Your Mother Should Know" were both written using a harmonium.
Many other artists soon employed the instrument in their music, including; Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
on the title song " Chapter 24" of their first album '' The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' in 1967, Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
on his 1973 album ''Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
''Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player'' is the sixth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released on 26 January 1973 by DJM Records, it was the first of two studio albums he released in 1973 (the second was '' Goodbye Yellow Br ...
'', 1976's '' Blue Moves'', the 1978 album '' A Single Man'', and 1995's '' Made in England''. German singer Nico
Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model.
Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...
was closely associated with the harmonium, using it as her main instrument, during the late 60s and 70s, on albums such as ''The Marble Index
''The Marble Index'' is the second studio album by the German musician Nico, released in November 1968 on Elektra Records. The avant-garde sound introduced in the album—a stark contrast with her folk pop debut, '' Chelsea Girl'' (1967)—was t ...
'', ''Desertshore
''Desertshore'' is the third studio album by German musician Nico. It was released in December 1970 on the Reprise label and co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd.
Recording
''Desertshore'' was co-produced by John Cale and Joe Boyd.
"Janito ...
'' and '' The End...''.
Donovan
Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
employed the harmonium on his 1968 album '' The Hurdy Gurdy Man'' where he played it in droning accompaniment on the song "Peregrine", and where it was also played on his song "Poor Cow" by John Cameron.
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is an English musician, composer, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session mu ...
of King Crimson
King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
played a pedal harmonium borrowed from lyricist Peter Sinfield
Peter John Sinfield (27 December 1943 – 14 November 2024) was an English poet and songwriter. He was best known as a co-founder and lyricist of King Crimson. Their debut album '' In the Court of the Crimson King'' is considered one of the fi ...
on the title track of the progressive rock band's 1971 album ''Islands
This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below.
Lists of islands by count ...
''.
More recently Roger Hodgson from Supertramp used his harmonium on many of the group's songs including "Two of Us" from ''Crisis? What Crisis?
''Crisis? What Crisis?'' is the fourth album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in 1975. It was recorded in Los Angeles and London – Supertramp's first album to have recording done in the US.
A remastered CD version of the albu ...
'', "Fool's Overture" from '' Even in the Quietest Moments...'', the title track to their 1979 album ''Breakfast in America
''Breakfast in America'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released on 16 March 1979, by A&M Records. It was recorded from May to December 1978 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. It spawned three US ''Billbo ...
'' and "Lord Is It Mine". Hodgson also used a harmonium on "The Garden" from his 2000 solo album '' Open the Door''. Greg Weeks and Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
have both used the instrument on their recordings and live performances.
The Damned singer Dave Vanian bought a harmonium for £49 and used it to compose "Curtain Call", the 17-minute closing track from their 1980 double LP '' The Black Album''. In 1990, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
used a harmonium on a version of their song " Enjoy the Silence". The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest wor ...
used a harmonium on "Neptune's Daughter" from their 1994 album ''Promenade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortification, fortress or city walls ...
''. Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...
used the harmonium on her 2012 song "Once Upon Another Time". Motion Picture Soundtrack, the closing track to Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
's 2000 album Kid A, makes heavy use of a harmonium pedal organ in a stark contrast to many other tracks on the album that are almost entirely electronic.
During the 1990s the Hindu and Sikh-based devotional music known as kirtan, a 7th–8th century Indian music, popularly emerged in the West. The harmonium is often played as the lead instrument by kirtan artists; notably Jai Uttal who was nominated for a Grammy award for new-age music
New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management to bring about a state of ecstasy rather tha ...
in 2004, Snatam Kaur, and Krishna Das who was nominated for a Grammy award for new age music in 2012.
Types
In the view points of preservation of cultural properties, maintenance and restoration, the pump organs are often categorized into several types.
Historical instruments
Historically the ''ancestor of pump organs'' began as the types of pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
s ( positive, portative
A portative organ (from the Latin verb , "to carry"), also known during Italian Trecento as the , is a small pipe organ that consists of one rank of flue pipes, sometimes arranged in two rows, to be played while strapped to the performer at a r ...
) using the resonance-pipes powered by the bellows
A bellows or pair of bellows is a device constructed to furnish a strong blast of air. The simplest type consists of a flexible bag comprising a pair of rigid boards with handles joined by flexible leather sides enclosing an approximately airtig ...
(''i.e.'' pumped pipe organs).
In the 17th century on the small reed-pipe organs called regal, these reed-pipes were replaced by the beating- reeds, and its form is closer to the later rocking melodeon, the early small pump organs or the early accordions.
In the early 19th century when the free reeds became factory-manufacturable, various free reed instruments were invented one after another, including: early pump organ
The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reed aerophone, free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ ...
s (), accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
s (), and Symphonium () as an early harmonica.
File:横浜みなとみらいポジティフオルガン「スージー」全体.JPG, ''cf. Positive organ
A positive organ (also positiv organ, positif organ, portable organ, chair organ, or simply positive, positiv, positif, or chair) (from the Latin verb ''ponere'', "to place") is a small, usually one-manual, pipe organ that is built to be more o ...
(small pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
with bellows
A bellows or pair of bellows is a device constructed to furnish a strong blast of air. The simplest type consists of a flexible bag comprising a pair of rigid boards with handles joined by flexible leather sides enclosing an approximately airtig ...
)''
File:Portative.jpg, ''cf. Portative organ
A portative organ (from the Latin verb , "to carry"), also known during Italian Trecento as the , is a small pipe organ that consists of one rank of flue pipes, sometimes arranged in two rows, to be played while strapped to the performer at a r ...
(portable pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
with bellows)''
File:Bibelregal1988ME I.JPG, '' Regal'' without pipes circa 1600
(beating reed organ, without pipes after the 17th century)
File:8 key accordion.JPG, ''cf. Accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
circa 1830''
( invented c.1822/1829)
File:Mouth organ (or symphonium) (c.1830, London) by Charles Wheatstone, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.jpg, ''cf. circa 1830''
( invented c.1829)
Early instruments
Note: the term "melodium" seems to be interchangeable with the terms "melodion" and "melodeon".
File:Musee des Ursulines de Quebec 010.jpg, [ (invented in 1810 by , Paris) or Mélodium
File:Reed Organ (Physharmonica) MET DP227017.jpg, Portable or folding:] Physharmonica[ (invented in 1818 by Anton Haeckl, Vienna)
File:Seraphine MET 225316.jpg, Seraphine (invented in 1833 by John Green, London)
File:Harmoniflute, Technisches Museum Wien.jpg, Portable or folding:]
(introduced in 1855)
Harmonium
Harmoniums are pressure system free-reed organs.
File:Harmonium Debain - c.1865.jpg, Flattop harmonium () by Alexandre Debain, a French inventor of the harmonium (patented in 1842)
File:Orgue-Célesta.gif, with Celesta
The celesta () or celeste (), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music ...
, by , Paris (1890)
File:Orgues-mélodium d'Alexandre père et fils.jpg, and Orgue-mélodium (invented in mid-19th c. by )
File:Lyon 8e - Rue du Général André - Classe-musée de la Plaine - Guide-chant.jpeg, Guide-chant
File:Harmonium (Varanasi, India. 19th century. Inv.2000.015) - MIM Brussels (2018-05-26 10.44.51 by Miguel Discart @Flickr 44507244450).jpg, Indian harmonium, which remains influential in Indian music
Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk, rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several ...
File:Organeum Harmonium.jpg, Chapel harmonium
File:Organeum, Weener - 15.JPG, Two manual with pedal harmonium by (1911)
File:MIM Orthotonophonium Schiedmayer.jpg, Orthotonophonium (1870s/1914)
File:CIMA mg 8380.jpg, Player harmonium (1888–1903, disc-type)
Suction reed organs are vacuum system free-reed organs.
Melodeons and seraphines
Note: The term "melodeon" seems to be interchangeable with the terms "melodion" and "melodium".
For the "melodeon" as a type of accordion, see .
File:Rocking Melodeon MET D3198 89.4.1194.jpg, [ or ''lap organ''][ ][ (available a]
PDF
File:Seraphine reed organ, by James A. Bazin, Canton MA, 1835, bird's eye maple, rosewood - Old Colony History Museum - Taunton, Massachusetts - DSC03905.jpg, Seraphine[ of the United States (ca.1835 by James A. Bazin, MA)
File:Melodium (23986253000).jpg, ''Portable melodeon''][ or ''lyre-leg melodeon''][
File:New Haven Melodeon, Mission Mill Museum.jpg, ''Piano-style melodeon'']
[ (c.1867)]
See images
1
2
3
4
5
6
See also
Treat & Linsley
s
File:Sunday School Organ in Barratt's Chapel Museum, Frederica, Delaware.jpg, Folding reed organ[ (19th century)
File:Geo. Woods Melodeon.JPG, Flattop reed organ:] ''melodeon'' or
''American reed organ''
File:American Organ Odilienberg 1.jpg, Parlor organ:[ ''melodeon'' or]
''American reed organ'' [
File:Harmonium in St Peter's Church, Normanby by Spittle (geography.org.uk 2622275 2ed0d039).jpg, Chapel organ][
File:Piano case reed organ, removed a front panel, preparing for Noise Boundary music ensemble.jpg, Piano case reed organ]
[
File:Estey Phonorium. (front).jpg, Two manual with pedal reed organ][ (pipe-top)
File:Alleyorgan.jpg, '']Enharmonic
In music, two written notes have enharmonic equivalence if they produce the same pitch but are notated differently. Similarly, written intervals, chords, or key signatures are considered enharmonic if they represent identical pitches that ar ...
reed organ'' (1868/1871)
by Joseph Alley
File:"Autophone" Organette MET MUS483A.jpg, ''cf.'' mechanical instrument, Organette in 1878
(electric-blower driven / electronic organs)
File:Harmophon koestler 2.jpg, Electric-blower driven reed organ
File:Magnus electric chord organ (free stand, wood, 3oct, 6maj, 6min, 3stop, vib).jpg, Electric-blower driven reed chord organ (1960s)
File:Wurlitzer Model 44 Electrostatic Reed Organ.png, Electrostatic-pickup reed organ (1930s–1960s)
File:Gulbransen Organ, Museum of Making Music.jpg, ''cf. Electronic organ (1939–)''
Related instruments
* Harmonica
The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...
* Shruti box
* Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
References
External links
The Reed Organ Society
The Reed Organ Home Page
of John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University
Top Harmonium Makers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed Organ
Keyboard instruments
Organs (music)
Sets of free reeds