The first harmonium appeared in the early 19th century. But the mechanism that was at the heart of it was invented in 1784 by the Czech organ master Frantisek Kirshnik, who worked in St. Petersburg. The very name harmonium had appeared by 1818 thanks to the Viennese master Heklu. Later models of harmoniums, which appeared in the 1850s, resembled a piano.
Harmonium
Creation period
1890-s
Dimensions
159x118x59 cm
157x118x59 cm
157x118x59 cm
Technique
Wood, metal, ivory, leather
Exhibition
2
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Harmonium
#2
#10
The mechanism of the harmonium consists of thin plates in the form of a prism — tongues, which are fixed in special larger slots. Air stream created by windbags forces the tongues to pass through the slots, and thus a melody sounds. To play harmonium a musician alternately presses two wide pedals at the bottom of the instrument with his feet to set the windbags in motion, and plays the keys.
The tongues in mechanism of the harmonium
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The harmonium from the museum collection was made in the 1890s. It has two keyboards. The upper one is called manual. It is a five-octave keyboard for hands, its length is 83 centimeters. Above the manual there are 11 registers — sets of sounds that are grouped according to the height of pitch. Two more registers in the form of levers are at the level of the musician’s knees.
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The lower keyboard consists of the left and right pedals. For them, inside the instrument there are two independent sets of planks, each with its own range of sound. This harmonium has only the right side of the pedal mechanism functional.
The body of the instrument is made of wood. At the top there is a shelf for candlesticks and music sheets. The front panel is decorated with views of the city of Tallinn. Above the top keyboard there is the inscription with the trademark of the firm: Dominion Piano & Organ Company.
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The manual
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The Canadian firm Dominion Piano & Organ Company opened in 1870. It specialized in the manufacturing and sales of cabinet pianos, home pianos and several types of harmoniums. The company’s products were sold in North America, Europe and Australia. At various times the company received awards in London and Philadelphia, Chicago and Paris. The company existed until 1936.
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In the 19th and 20th centuries harmoniums were mainly used for music exercises at home. By the middle of the 20th century the instrument began to lose popularity.
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A page from the Dominion Piano & Organ Company catalogue
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Harmonium
Creation period
1890-s
Dimensions
159x118x59 cm
157x118x59 cm
157x118x59 cm
Technique
Wood, metal, ivory, leather
Exhibition
2
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