Evolution of the Organ
The pipes associated in mythology with the Greek god Pan are the legendary ancestor of the organ. Greek shepherds played a similar instrument, called the panpipes or syrinx, made from strong reeds of different lengths bound together. The organ evolved from such a set of simple pipes with the addition of an air pressure source and a mechanical means of admitting or shutting off the wind as desired.
The Hydraulis, or water organ, was invented in Alexandria (then a center of technological knowledge) around 250 B.C. In this early organ, water pumped into a jar caused the displaced air to sound the variously pitched pipes while keys or levers controlled the wind supply to each pipe. Even though the hydraulis had a very loud, penetrating tone which was not particularly musical, it became one of the most popular instruments of the Roman Empire. Nero was supposedly an enthusiastic player.
The organ of the Middle Ages was usually an enormous and cumbersome instrument which probably played only a melodic line, due to limited keyboards and no stops to alter volume and timbre. The famous organ constructed at Halberstadt Cathedral in 1361, for example required wind from twenty bellows pumped by ten hard-working men. The lowest pipe on this organ was about 29 feet tall and 14 inches in diameter. The size of such pipes, it is assumed, led to the first pedals since the use of the foot would be an easier means of controlling the wind supply.
The positive organ, developing simultaneously with the grand Gothic organs, was so called because it was “placed” in a certain position on the floor or table to be played although it could be moved. This positive organ, similar to one shown in a 15th century engraving, has keys so wide that the organist must use his whole hand to play one note. Keyboards first began to appear in the 13th and 14th centuries.
In the early A.D. centuries, hydraulic mechanisms gradually were replaced with bellows to provide a steady source of wind. The earliest representation of such a pneumatic organ is found on an obelisk erected in Constantinople around 395 A.D. This instrument was quite small and the weight of two youths standing on top compressed the bellows. Following the decline of Greek and Roman civilizations, organ development passed to the Middle East. Slowly the organ filtered back to Europe, finding a place in the Medieval church as early as the 5th century.
The portative organ, carried by a strap around the neck, was first heard of in England in the 12th century and flourished both there and on the Continent in the following three centuries. Played with the right hand and blown with the left, the portative was used in church processions, in the homes of merchants, in private chapels of the nobility, and as accompaniment for Miracle and Mystery plays. Both positive and portative organs soon obtained a more or less complete chromatic keyboard, of a size and touch convenient to be played with the fingers.
Organs of the Baroque or Classica period, respected and admired thought the years, are gaining new interest and favor today. Contemporary organ designers are making increased us of the tonal principles developed by the great Baroque organ builders. This organ was the medium for the mighty works of Bach and Handel and its characteristic brightness and clarity of sound are essential for the polyphonic music of the period. Perhaps the greatest of the Baroque schools was in Northern Germany, where organ design reached its peak between 1650 and 1725. The typical Baroque organ illustrated here represents an artistic interpretation of the magnificent organ at Jakobikirche, Hamburg, built by Arp Schnitger, one of the most renowned of the Baroque organ builders, combined with the ornate console of the Klosterneuberg organ near Vienna.
An interesting sidelight in the evolution of the organ are the mechanical organs popular since the 16th century and sometimes built in enormous size. These devices represent man’s continuing endeavor to produce a musical instrument which can be played mechanically without skill or previous music education. The greatest composers, such as Karl Phillip Emmanuel Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, even wrote music especially for such instruments. The flute-playing clock, a form of mechanical organ, illustrated (c. 1910) plays Mozart’s Andante, K. 616, one of several Mozart compositions written for the purpose
Nineteenth century music inspired organ builders to design a different type of organ, more suited to the homophonic or chordal music replacing polyphonic music. The more significant additions to the organ were increased means of expressiveness and colorful solo and orchestral qualities. The controls and stops available made it possible for the organist to go from the softest whisper to a tremendous cascade of sound. This unusual tonal depth and warmth with the many colorful solo stops are most characteristic of the Romantic organ.
Tonal warmth and color of organs in the 1920’s made them a natural choice to provide background music for the first silent movies and led to that unique by-product of organ design—the theatre organ. The versatility required to musically set the proper mood for all the action and emotions of these first movies resulted in increasingly “mighty” organs with a fantastic array of novelty effects and an orchestra of instrumental voices. Thanks to modern electronics, the theatre organ can be adapted today to a size suitable for the home, where its entertainment potential makes it a natural for family fun and relaxation.
Contemporary organ tonal design effectively combines a fine Baroque-Classica ensemble of clarity and brightness with the warmth of beautiful solo stops and broad ensemble of the Romantic period. American church organs today are built to conform to standard specifications, first established in 1912, by the American Guild of Organists. The 20th century science of electronics has opened a remarkable new chapter in the long history of the organ as an instrument for worship. Modern electronic circuitry realistically produces the traditional voices of the organ, thus making available a quality instrument at ta more reasonable price that ever before possible
EVOLUTION OF THE ORGAN: Copyright 2020 DC Music Publishing, LLC, dba Church Music Support. Originally developed and published by Baldwin Piano & Organ Company in 1970 as a service to music education. Original art by Dorothy Borchers. Original poster printed in the USA.