Music Trade Review

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VOL. XVI. No. ii.
published Euery Saturday.
^volutioi) of tty^ pip<^
BY THOMAS HOLMES.
Written for THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
the spirits of the Greek and Roman shep-
herds, who performed on wind instru-
ments that they called organs, centuries ago,
can look through the veil that separates the
material world from the immaterial, and witness
the improvement made upon their crude ideas,
they must be impressed with the fact that, after
all, their knowledge, which they thought was
great, was exceedingly small. But they may
well feel proud, for their minds were quick
enough to learn the lessons that the wind taught
them, by whispering and murmuring over the
jagged edges of broken reeds.
While the improvement in the pipe organ has
been great, it cannot be said to have been rapid,
for the principle of organ-pipes was understood,
or perhaps, to be more correct, known centuries
ago, in the days of Jubal, who was called " the
father of all such as handle the harp and organ.''
It is probable, but, of course, not certain, that
the shepherds, while watching their flocks, no-
ticed that the passing breezes, in blowing across
the tops of broken reeds by the water side, crea-
ted sounds of a peculiarly mellow nature, and
that these sounds differed in volume and char-
acter, according to the length of the reeds. The
idea grew and rounded out in the minds of the
sheep herders, until mouth organs were made,
upon which weird sounds were produced. These
mouth organs were a number of hollow reeds of
different lengths, fastened together, side by side.
When pressed to the lips of the player, each reed
gave forth a distinct sound, and, by rapidly
shifting the reeds to the lips, a succession of
harmonious sounds was produced. This in-
strument, with the number of tubes increased
to twelve, is in vogue to-day, and is known as
the " Pandean pipes."
The idea, once implanted in active minds,
made rapid growth. It was soon learned that
the sound emitted by the reeds that were cut oft
below the knots, thus preventing the wind
from escaping, and compelling it to return to
the point where it entered, was nearly an octave
lower than that given forth by the open pipe.
Here was the principal of the stopped and open
pipes.
The work of playing upon these primitive or-
gans was exceedingly exhausting, for the lips
had to be kept in constant motion over the tops
of the reeds, and the feasibility of conducting
the air into the tubes from below, instead of
through the top, began to be questioned, with
the result that the open pipe was brought into
existence.
The first steps taken in this direction were
crude, but, nevertheless, wide. The reed was
given additional length below the knot. A
Straight, narrow slit was cut through the knot,
*
Yoi% October 22, 1892.
to make a passage for the breath. Above this
slit a horizontal opening was cut, and over that
a sloping notch, beveling upwards and out-
wards. The breath, blown in at the bottom of
the reed, passing through the slit in the knot
and striking against the edge of the notch above,
produced quick vibrations, which produced a
sound. Very crude and discordant the sounds
thus produced must have been, but out of the
idea has come the grand, soul-stirring melody
of the pipe organ of to-day, and all lovers of
music should look with gratitude upon the un-
couth, patient toilers at the homely, rasping
reeds, for upon their patience and industry a
temple of harmony has been built.
Now that the idea of introducing wind into
the pipes from below had been caught, it was
found that they could not be conveniently played
upon with the mouth in that position. This
subject attracted the attention of musicians until
at last a box was made, in the top of which was
a row of holes. Into each hole was inserted the
lower extremity of a pipe. At each end of the
box was a tube through which two attendants
blew. The tubes were pliable, and when the
lungs of one blower were exhausted he pinched
the end of the tube togt ther with his fingers and
" caught his breath," while the man at the other
end of the box kept up the supply of air. Even-
tually, two bellows were attached to the box in
place of the human beings, and thus the first
pneumatic organ was given to the world.
As far back as the seventh century the pipe
organ was introduced into England by Aldhelm,
Bishop of Shirnburn. It was said to be a
mighty instrument, with innumerable tone?,
blown with bellows and enclosed in a gilded
case. Two centuries later, A. D. 951, Elfeg,
Bishop of Winchester, had placed in his cathe-
dral the largest organ then known. The sight of
this ponderous affair excited a monk, of the
name of Walstan, to write a poetical description
of it that, whatever it may lack in purity and
force as poetry, is not altogether without merit,
since it interests the reader. It is as follows :
" Twelve pairs of bellows, ranged in stated row,
Are joined about and fourteen more below.
These the full force of seventy men require,
Who ceaselessly toil and plenteously perspire ;
Each aiding each, till all the air is pressed
In the close confines of the incumbent chest,
On which four hundred pipes in order rise
To bellow forth the blast the chest supplies."
The organ grew rapidly in public favor, and
at the close of the tenth century the instrument
was in general use in cathedrals and in monastic
establishments throughout Germany. But little
was done to improve the instrument for the next
hundred years ; then a great step forward was
taken. The keyboard was introduced. The
first keyboard organ to be used publicly was
erected in Magdeburg, Saxony. The keyboard
covered two octaves. The keys were "hnmense
things, from three to five inches wide andan inch
»3.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
and a half thick, and from a foot and a'half to
more than three feet in length. To produce a
sound it was necessary to press the keys down a
foot. In those days an organist was obliged to
have a fine muscular development to insure good
work. It was impossible to press more than one
of the keys down at a time, and the motions
through which the players went won for them
the title "organ beaters." There could have
been but little music in the affair, but as it was
used only for the purpose of guiding the singers
it met all requirements.
The method of furnishing wind for this pon-
derous instrument was unique. A number of
bellows were placed horizontally above the pipes.
During the playing of the organ it was necessary
for men to tread on these bellows, constantly
shifting from one to another. This kept up the
supply of wind.
At this point in the development of the pipe
organ religious prejudice stepped in, and for a
time it looked as if the instrument would be lost
sight of. Church wardens conceived the idea
that the use of organs in divine service was un-
godly, and in the thirteenth century the priests
of Rome and Greece expelled it from their ser-
vice. Active minds were busy behind the scenes,
and in a few years an organ was constructed in
which were introduced the mutation stops, mix-
tures, twelfths, etc. From that day to this pro-
gress in the improvement of the pipe organ has
been rapid, and now we have the spectacle of an
organ with its breathing power furnished by
bellows operated by an electric motor. To-day
the deft finger of a slender woman does the work
that it required the strength of a powerful man
to do a few centuries ago. Is the end yet, or
are we as far from the point of perfection in this
grand musical instrument as was the maker of
that ponderous machine for which seventy men
were required to furnish breath ?
JAMES J. WALL, piano polisher, 27 years old,
of 408 East 23d street, New York, attempted to
commit suicide, while intoxicated, by jumping
overboard at the foot of 23d street, but was saved
by Capt. John Moyer, who threw a lasso over
Wall's head.
MESSRS.
MORRELL & SHAFENBERG, of
Al-
toona, Pa., music dealers, headed the parade at
the Columbian celebration there with a fine dis-
play of musical instruments.
THE Pianomakers' Union of New York con-
templates the formation of a labor bureau for
statistics, correspondence and employment to be
established in this city.
PEEK & CURTIS, piano dealers, of Red Bank,
N. J., have dissolved partnership. Mr. Peek
will retire and Mr. Curtis will continue the busi-
ness.
MORRIS REISS will open up a branch music
store at 104 Main street, Evansville, Ind., of D.
H. Baldwin & Co., whose general offices are at
Cincinnati, Ohio.