The Harmonium

A excerpt from the beginning of the first chapter: SKETCH OF THE FREE REED. The harmonium is one of a large family of instruments owing their origin to the invention or, more properly speaking, the revival of the "free reed." The production of sound by the vibration of an elastic tongue has many claimants to its invention; foremost among whom may be mentioned Kratzenstein, a German, living at St. Petersburg in the reign of Catherine II., and Grenie, a Frenchman. The former applied the free reed to certain organ stops; the latter constructed two free reed instruments, called by him ""Orgues expressives"" in the year 1810, which were sent to the Conservatoire des Arts. But the free reed, in various forms, notably in those of the Chinese organ and the Jew's harp, was in existence long before its application by Kratzenstein and Grenie. The Jew's harp (many years ago known by the name of "crembalum," also called "biambo" by the Greeks of Smyrna), is an early form of the free reed, and was known as far back as the year 1619, possibly earlier even than that. The "cheng," or Chinese organ, which is still in use, claims precedence in point of age; and it is even asserted by the Chinese that in the time of Confucius, who died about 479 B.C., the cheng was used in the religious rites which were performed in his honor. Be this. as it may, the instrument is undoubtedly of high antiquity, and its original form has undergone very slight modification. The cheng contains a number of tubes of bamboo reed (generally 13, 17, 19, or 24), placed upright in af calabash. The calabash serves the purpose of an air-chest, and has a spout or mouthpiece attached to it. Each tube is provided with a metal tongue, and has also an aperture which, except when stopped by one of the fingers, effectually prevents the tube from sounding.... ....It was on seeing the "cheng" that Kratzenstein, who was an organ-builder, conceived the idea of applying the free reed to the organs This has since led to many very beautiful registers in that king of instruments. But the man who first thought of using the free reed in the form in which it is now employed in the harmonium, i.e., independently of the tube, was far in advance of Kratzenstein. It would be exceedingly interesting to know who was the author of this employment of the free reed, and what suggested the idea. The only information which it appears possible to obtain, however, is that a small instrument, called "Mundharmonica," made its appearance at a fair in one of the minor towns of Germany, probably about the same time that the free reed was introduced into the organ. The instrument consisted of a metal plate having oblong apertures in it, over which were placed metal springs or tongues. Each tongue was fixed at one end to the plate, and was so placed that its other end could vibrate freely through the aperture. The tongues were made to vibrate by means of the breath; and the novelty and extreme simplicity of the instrument, combined with the pleasing character of its sound, made it exceedingly popular. In an improved form, and under the name of "Molina," it was subsequently introduced to an English public at the Royal Institution, in May, 1828, by Mr. Wheatstone (afterwards Sir Charles Wheatstone). The accompanying figures represent several forms of the instrument made by him. The chords they yield are placed above the figures."