Harmonium – china Mosaic texture – china Tile texture
Definition
In North America, the most common pedal-pumped free reed keyboard instrument is known as the American Reed Organ, (or parlor organ, pump organ, cabinet organ, cottage organ, etc.) and along with the earlier melodeon, is operated by a suction bellows where air is sucked through the reeds to produce the sound. A reed organ with a pressure bellows, that pushes the air through the reeds, is referred to as a harmonium.
A traditional wooden portable harmonium
In much of Europe, the term “harmonium” is used to describe all pedal pumped keyboard free reed instruments, making no distinction whether it has a pressure or suction bellows. The British introduced harmoniums to North India during the colonial period[citation needed].
History
The harmonium was invented in Paris in 1842 by Alexandre Debain, though there was concurrent development of similar instruments. Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein (1723-1795), Professor of Physiology at Copenhagen, was credited with the first free reed to be made in the western world after winning the annual prize in 1780 from the Imperial Academy of St.Petersburg.
Harmoniums reached the height of their popularity in the West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were especially popular in small churches and chapels where a pipe organ would be too large or too expensive. Harmoniums generally weigh less than similarly-sized pianos and are not as easily damaged in transport, thus they were also popular throughout the colonies of the European powers in this period not only because it was easier to ship the instrument out to where it was needed, but it was also easier to transport overland in areas where good-quality roads and railways may have been non-existent. An added attraction of the harmonium in tropical regions was that the instrument held its tune regardless of heat and humidity, unlike the piano. This ‘export’ market was sufficiently lucrative for manufacturers to produce harmoniums with cases impregnated with chemicals to prevent woodworm and other damaging organisms found in the tropics.
At the peak of the instruments’ Western popularity around 1900, a wide variety of styles of harmoniums were being produced. These ranged from simple models with plain cases and only 4 or 5 stops (if any at all), up to large instruments with ornate cases, up to a dozen stops and other mechanisms such as couplers. Expensive harmoniums were often built to resemble pipe organs, with ranks of fake pipes attached to the top of the instrument. Small numbers of harmoniums were built with two manuals (keyboards). Some were even built with pedal keyboards, which required the use of an assistant to run the bellows or, for some of the later models, an electrical pump. These larger instruments were mainly intended for home use, such as allowing organists to practise on an instrument on the scale of a pipe organ, but without the physical size or volume of such an instrument. For missionaries, chaplains in the armed forces, travelling evangelists, and the like, reed organs that folded up into a container the size of a very large suitcase or small trunk were made; these had a short keyboard and few stops, but they were more than adequate for keeping hymn-singers more-or-less on pitch.
The invention of the electronic organ in the mid-1930s spelt the end of the harmonium’s success in the West (although its popularity as a household instrument declined in the 1920s as musical tastes changed). The Hammond organ could imitate the tonal quality and range of a pipe organ whilst retaining the compact dimensions and cost-effectiveness of the harmonium whilst reducing maintenance needs and allowing a greater number of stops and other features. By this time harmoniums had reached high levels of mechanical complexity, not only through the need to provide instruments with a greater tonal range, but (especially in North America) due to patent laws. It was common for manufacturers to patent the action mechanism used on their instruments, thus requiring any new manufacturer to develop their own version- as the number of manufacturers grew this led to some instruments having hugely complex arrays of levers, cranks, rods and shafts which made replacement with an electronic instrument even more attractive.
The last mass-producer of harmoniums in the West was the Estey company, which ceased manufacture in the mid-1950s. As the existing stock of instruments aged and spare parts became hard to find, more and more were either scrapped or sold. It was not uncommon for harmoniums to be ‘modernised’ by having electric blowers fitted, often very unsympathetically. The majority of Western harmoniums today are in the hands of enthusiasts, though the instrument remains popular in South Asia.
A relatively modern example of the use of a harmonium in European music can be found in The Beatles’ songs such as “We Can Work It Out” and “Cry Baby Cry”.
Construction
Harmoniums consist of banks of brass reeds (metal tongues which vibrate when air flows over them), a pumping apparatus, stops for drones (some models feature a stop which causes a form of vibrato), and a keyboard. The harmonium’s timbre, despite its similarity to the accordion’s, is actually produced in a critically different way. Instead of the bellows causing a direct flow of air over the reeds, an external feeder bellows inflates an internal reservoir bellows inside the harmonium from which air escapes to vibrate the reeds. This design is similar to bagpipes as it allows the harmonium to create a continuously sustained sound. (Some better-class harmoniums of the 19th and early 20th centuries incorporated an xpression stop which bypassed the reservoir, allowing a skilled player to regulate the strength of the air-flow directly from the pedal-operated bellows and so to achieve a certain amount of direct control over dynamics.) If a harmonium has two sets of reeds, it’s possible that the second set of reeds (either tuned unison or an octave lower) can be activated by a stop, which means each key pressed will play two reeds. Professional harmoniums feature a third set of reeds, either tuned an octave higher or in unison to the middle reed. This overall makes the sound fuller. In addition, many harmoniums feature an octave coupler, a mechanical linkage that opens a valve for a note an octave above or below the note being played, and a scale changing mechanism, which allows one to play in various keys while fingering the keys of one scale.
Harmoniums are made with 1, 2, 3 and occasionally 4 sets of reeds. Classical instrumentalists usually use 1-reed harmoniums, while a musician who plays for a qawaali (Islamic devotional singing) usually uses a 3-reed harmonium.
India
Man playing a harmonium. He is pumping the bellows of the harmonium with one hand and playing the keys with the other.
Harmonium close up
During the mid-19th century missionaries brought French-made hand-pumped harmoniums to India. The instrument quickly became popular there: it was portable, reliable and easy to learn. It has remained popular to the present day, and the harmonium remains an important instrument in many genres of Indian music. It is commonly found in Indian homes. Though derived from the designs developed in France, the harmonium was developed further in India in unique ways, such as the addition of drone stops and a scale changing mechanism.
In Kolkata, Dwarkanath Ghose of the renowned Dwarkin was adept in modifying musical instruments to the individual needs of users and is particularly remembered for modifying the imported harmony flute and producing the hand held harmonium, which has subsequently become an integral part of the Indian music scenario. Dwijendranath Tagore is credited with having used the imported instrument in 1860 in his private theatre, but it was probably a pedalled instrument which was cumbersome, or it was possibly some variation of the reed organ. Initially, it aroused curiosity but gradually people started playing it and Ghose took the initiative to modify it. It was in response to the Indian needs that the hand-held harmonium was introduced. All Indian musical instruments are played with the musician sitting on the floor or on a stage, behind the instrument or holding it in his hands. In that era, Indian homes did not use tables and chairs. Also, Western music being harmonically based, both a player’s hands were needed to play the chords, thus assigning the bellows to the feet was the best solution; Indian music being melodically based, only one hand was necessary to play the melody, the other hand was free for the bellows.
The harmonium was widely accepted in Indian music, particularly Parsi and Marathi stage music, in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century, however, in the context of nationalist movements that sought to depict India as utterly separate from the West, the harmonium came to be portrayed as an unwanted foreigner. Technical concerns with the harmonium included its inability to produce meend (slides between notes) and the fact that, once tuned, it cannot be adjusted in the course of performance. The former prevents it from articulating the subtle inflections (such as andolan, gentle oscillation) so crucial to many ragas; the latter prevents it from articulating the subtle differences in intonational color between a given svara in two different ragas. For these reasons, it was banned from All-India Radio from 1940 to 1971. (Indeed, a ban still stands on harmonium solos.) On the other hand many of the harmonium’s qualities suited it very well for the newly-reformed classical music of the early 20th century: it is easy for amateurs to learn; it supports group singing and large voice classes; it provides a template for standardized raga grammar; it is loud enough to provide a drone in a concert hall. For these reasons, it has become the instrument of choice for accompanying most North Indian classical vocal genres, though it is still despised as a foreigner by many connoisseurs of Indian music, who prefer the sarangi as an accompanying instrument for khyal singing.
A popular usage is by followers of various Hindu and Sikh faiths, who use it in the devotional singing of prayers, called bhajan or kirtan. There will be at least one harmonium in any mandir (Hindu temple) or gurdwara (Sikh temple) around the world. The harmonium is also commonly accompanied by the tabla as well as a dholak. To Sikhs the harmonium is known as the vaja/baja. It is also referred to as a “Peti” (A loose reference to a “Box”) in some parts of North India and Maharashtra.
The harmonium plays an integral part in Qawwali music. Almost all Qawwals use the harmonium as their sole musical accompaniment. It has received international fame as the genre of Qawwali music has been popularized by renowned Pakistani musicians such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
There is some discussion of Indian harmonium-makers producing reproductions of Western-style reed organs for the export trade.
22 Shruti harmonium
The 22-ruti harmonium
Dr. Vidyadhar Oke has developed a 22-shruti harmonium, which can play the 22 Indian Shrutis (microtones) in an octave, as required in Indian classical music. The fundamental tone (Shadja) and the fifth (Pancham) are fixed, but the other ten notes have two microtones each, one higher and one lower. The higher microtone is selected by pulling out a knob below the key. In this way, the 22-shruti harmonium can be tuned for any particular raga by simply pulling out knobs wherever a higher shruti is required.
Samvadini
Samvadini – a modified version of harmonium to perform solo on the instrument.
Pt. Bhishmadev Vedi is said to have been the first to contemplate improving the instrument by augmenting it with a string box like a harp attached to the top of the instrument. His disciple, Pt. Manohar Chimote later implemented this concept and also provided the name “Samvadini” to this instrument – this name has now gained widespread acceptance. Like Pt. P. Madhukar, Pt. Bhishmadev Vedi is also have said to been among the first to contemplate and design compositions specifically for the harmonium, styled along the lines of “tantakari” – performance of music on stringed instruments. These compositions tend to have a lot of cut-notes and high speed passages creating in some ways an effect similar to that of a string being plucked.
Some well known harmonium players of India
Pt. P. Madhukar, Pt. R. K. Bijapure, Pt. Manohar Chimote, Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, Pt. Vishwanath Kanhere, Pt. Anant Kemkar, Pt. Purushotta Walawalkar, Pt. Appa Jalgaonkar, Pt. Arvind Thatte, Dr. Sudhanshu Kulkarni, Dr. Ravindra Katoti, Ajay Joglekar, Vyasmurthy Katti, Anant Joshi.
Classical repertoire (Western music)
Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911), author of many duos for piano and harmonium, including:
Symphonie tire de la Symphonie-Cantate “Ariane” (Op. 53)
Pastorale A-Dur (Op. 26)
Finale alla Schumann sur un nol languedocien (Op. 83)
24 Pices en style libre pour organ ou harmonium, Op. 31 (1913) by Louis Vierne.
Antonn Dvok’s Five Bagatelles for 2 violins, cello and harmonium Op. 47 (B.79)
The final collection of pieces by Csar Franck popularly known as L’Organiste (18891890) was actually written for harmonium, some pieces with piano accompaniment.
Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini is scored for piano and harmonium.
Ages Ago, an early work by W. S. Gilbert with Frederic Clay features a harmonium part.
An arrangement of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony no. 7 for chamber ensemble, prepared in 1921 by students and associates of Arnold Schoenberg for the Viennese Society for Private Musical Performances, was scored for 2 violins, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn, piano 4-hands, and harmonium. The Society folded before the arrangement could be performed, and it was not premiered until more than 60 years later.
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
“Ariadne auf Naxos,” the opera by Hugo von Hoffmansthal and Richard Strauss, employs a harmonium in the orchestration of each of its versions. It requires an instrument with many stops, which are specified in the score.
Hin und zurck (There and Back), an operatic sketch by Paul Hindemith, uses a harmonium for its stage music.
The album Early Music by Kronos Quartet has several songs featuring harmonium.
Sospiri, Adagio for String Orchestra, Op. 70 – Edward Elgar (scored for harp or piano and harmonium or organ)
Dances from a New England Album, 1856 for orchestra by William Bergsma includes parts for melodeon (movements I-III) and harmonium (movement IV).
Songs of Innocence and of Experience for orchestra, choirs, and soloists, by William Bolcom, includes parts for melodeon, harmonica, and harmonium.
Nordic folk music
Harmonium played significant part in the new rise of Nordic folk music, especially in Finland. In late 70’s, harmonium could have been found from most schools where the bands met and it became natural for the bands to include harmonium in their setup. A typical folk band then consist of violin(s), double-bass and harmonium. There was however a practical limitation that prevented playing harmonium and accordion in the same band: the older harmoniums were tuned to 438 Hz while accordions were tuned to 442 Hz.Reference in Finnish
Some key harmonium players in the new rise of Nordic folk have been Timo Alakotila of JPP and Troka, Timo Valo of Tallari, Milla Viljamaa and Eero Grundstrom who plays in the bands Svang, Spontaani Vire, Juuri&Juuri and Von&Af.
Use in Western popular music
The harmonium has been extensively used in popular music. For example, The Beatles used it in many recordings, including “Doctor Robert”, “The Inner Light”, “We Can Work It Out”, “Cry Baby Cry”, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite”, “Rocky Raccoon” and “The Word”. Most of Nico’s post-Velvet Underground career is marked by a heavy usage of the harmonium, in avant-garde drone songs. Philadelphia based experimental pop band Br’er uses harmonium frequently in both recordings and their live set. Xiu Xiu features harmonium on many of their albums, as well as in the live setting; most notably featured in the songs “Dr. Troll”, “Nieces Pieces”, and “Rose of Sharon”. Sigur Rs use the harmonium on many of their tracks, including Samskeyti and on acoustic versions of Vaka, Starlfur, Heystan and Von (found on the Hvarf/Heim double EP). Lisa Hannigan uses a harmonium extensively in her album Sea Sew. Jeff Buckley uses a harmonium on the introduction of the song “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” from the album Grace.
References
^ a b c “The Invention of Hand Harmonium”. Dwarkin & Sons (P) Ltd.. http://www.dwarkin.com/dwarkinaboutus.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
^ Khan, Mobarak Hossain. “Harmonium”. Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/H_0070.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-24.
^ http://www.svang.fi Svng website
^ http://www.spontaanivire.com/main.html Spontaani Vire website
External links
”Harmonium”. Encyclopdia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
Harmonium parts, construction
Categories: Carnatic music instruments | Hindustani musical instruments | Keyboard instruments | Indian musical instruments | Free reed aerophones | Pakistani musical instruments | Sets of free reedsHidden categories: Articles needing additional references from July 2009 | All articles needing additional references | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009
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