Table of contents

CHAPTER I.

The mechanically blown trumpet of Ctesibius of Alexandria – Hero causes a row of musical pipes to be blown by mechanical means – The hydraulic organ of Vitruvius – Popularity of this instrument – Its representation on contorniates, gems, in pottery, and in a poem – The Roman emperors and the hydraulus – References by writers – The compass of the hydraulus – Discovery of two instruments at Pompeii which are probably portative organs – The state of music in ancient Rome – Greek slaves as performers – Gigantic instruments constructed – The Emperor Julian – The hydraulus used at weddings – Cassiodorus’s The Story of the Organ by C. F. Abdy Williams of the organ – Abolition of theatres – Object of the water in the hydraulus – The “Pneumatic” organ – The word organ in Scripture – The meaning of the Greek word ’όργάνον and the Latin organum – The principle of the modern organ explained – Explanation of the expressions “Equal and unequal temperament”

CHAPTER II.

The Christians and Pagans in the fourth and fifth centuries – Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, objects to instrumental music – The Hydraulus objected to – Loss of documents relating to music – The Christians introduce Roman secular music into the ritual – Hymns accompanied by the lyre – The Pneumatic Organ probably first used at Constantinople – Its introduction to the west of Europe – Pepin’s organ – Anglo-Saxon organs – Mention of organs by various writers –Vitalian – The vocal organum – Introduction of the mixture or locatio into the organ – A gigantic organ at Winchester – The organ introduced into the churches of Italy – Mediæval organ-builders – Dunstan – Wheels with bells in churches – Pope Sylvester II. as an organ-builder – Chaucer’s references to the organ – Legend of St. Cecilia – References to organs in mediæval poetry – Portative and Positive organs – Origin of the term Keyboard – Small organs placed on pillars – The compass of the earliest keyboards – Introduction of Stops or Registers – The invention or the Pedal – Increase in the number of claviers, and their compass – The “coarse roar and deep growling” of mediæval organs – Gradual reduction in the size of the keys – The organ did=978-1-902222-27-1& not always accompany the voices

CHAPTER III.

The bellows of mediæval organs – Frequent repairs required – Improvements in the sixteenth century – Stop-handles – The positive joined to the great organ – Invention of reed stops – Pretorius’s The Story of the Organ by C. F. Abdy Williams of organs existing in his days – Unequal temperament found unsatisfactory – The black keys divid=978-1-902222-27-1&ed – Curious arrangements of keyboards – Unequal temperament used for organs in A.D. 1879 – The organs at Ulm and Danzig – The tremulant – The downward compass of German organs fixed at C – Manual couplers introduced – Extraordinary features in organ cases – The foxtail stop – Pretorius’s suggestion for a cheap three-manual organ – The Regal

CHAPTER IV.

The keyboards of portatives and positives – The invention of the clavichord – Landino, the first famous organist – Sguarcialupo – The Ricercare – Spanish organ-playing and organs – Italian organ-builders – English cathedral statutes – English organists – Anecdote of Christopher Tye – Marbeck escapes the stake owing to his musical excellence – Epitaphs on organists – A German opinion of the English organists of the sixteenth century – Objections to the organ – Efforts to regulate its use – Luther’s dislike to it – Destruction of organs in Switzerland and Belgium

CHAPTER V.

The organ in the Church of England during the arrangements for a reformed ritual – English organs in 1634 – General destruction of organs ordered under Oliver Cromwell – Escape of the organ at York Cathedral – Quaint allusion to it by Mace – Destruction of the organs of Westminster Abbey, Chichester, Peterborough, and other cathedrals – Restoration of the cathedral service under Charles II. – English organ-builders – Father Smith comes to England – Arrival of Thomas and Renatus Harris – The contest between Father Smith and Renatus Harris at the Temple Church – Description of Smith’s organ – English organs unsatisfactory on account of having no pedals – Smith’s organ at Durham – He is engaged to build an organ for St. Paul’s – Sir Christopher Wren and the organ – Rivalry between Smith and Harris – History of the organ erected by Harris in the Temple Church – Organ-builders who succeeded Smith and Harris

CHAPTER VI.

German and Dutch organs in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – Examination of candid=978-1-902222-27-1&ates for organistships – Organs at Haarlem, Antwerp, Cologne, Strasburg, and other towns – Bach and the Hamburg organs – Arnold Schlick’s rules for organ-building – A transposing keyboard – Large organs required by Lutheran congregations – Difficulties with the sound-boards – Ventils – Tricks of dishonest builders – The organ at Gröningen – Examined by fifty-three organists, who fail to discover its defects – French organs – English organs after the Restoration – English inventions : the swell, concussion bellows, wind-gauge, composition pedals, horizontal bellows, and Cumming’s improvement in their construction, hydraulic and gas engines for blowing – The pedal in England – English improvements in pedals – The old German pedals : their position with relation to the manuals fixed by Imperial decree – Prejudice against pedals – English inventions for avoid=978-1-902222-27-1&ing heavy touch – The pneumatic action – Electric action – Couplers – English improvements in their mechanism – German and Italian builders adopt English improvements

CHAPTER VII.

Ancient organ-pipes – Curious materials used for them – The materials and shapes of modern pipes – Mitred pipes – The compass of English organs – The persistent use of unequal temperament in England – Sketch of the history of equal temperament – Competition between Neid=978-1-902222-27-1&hardt and Bach in tuning an organ-stop – Anecdote of Bach and Silbermann – Complaints of the tuning of English organs – The use of the organ in place of and together with the orchestra discussed – Short octaves – Mutation stops removed from the organ at York Minster – The building of this organ produces a law-suit

CHAPTER VIII.

Curiosities and anecdotes – Mace’s table organ – The Apollonicon – Barrel-organs – The mendicant’s organ – The barrel-organ much used in private houses and village churches – Hydraulic barrel-organs – Modern barrel-organs – Dutch clock organs – Anecdotes of Snetzler and Herschel – Curious organs made for use on railways – Miss Stirling as an organist – The Freiburg organ – Anecdotes of Mendelssohn’s organ-playing – Vogler’s orchestrion – Anecdote of M. Gevaert – Adlung’s advice to organists – Pretorius on organs of his clay – Incompetent organists of the sixteenth century – Curious methods of blowing – Seven organs played together at Venice

CHAPTER IX.

Some Reflections on the Method of Playing the Organ

APPENDIX

A. – Two Instruments found at Pompeii

B. – The Rev. F. W. Galpin’s Hydraulus

C. – Organ-builders

D. – Organ Stops

E. – Technical Terms

F. – Bibliography

G. – Specifications of Organs of various Dates and Countries in Chronological Order

INDEX