19th Century Harmonium in Moscow (VSTi)

[Ghekorg7]

Hi and Hello guys and Ladies !

There is a 19th century Harmonium in Moscow Russia owned by Mr.Vitaly Kataev.
Dr. Tikov made exellent samples of it and issued a VST instrument from it, about 9MB, version 1.0. FREE download.
Of course we can make it as a stand alone instrument with SaviHost.

There is only one photo of it, witch comes with the console, very nostalgic !
Sounds great. I allready planed to practice some Franz List music on it....

Check it out ! (It is located near the end of the site page)

Here's the link
http://www.goodkarma.ru/softrave.htm

Have fun !
Panos

PS. Does anyone know something more about the real Harmonium?
Br. CD, help please

[Corno Dolce]

Blessed Br. Panos,

I must honestly confess that I don't have much knowlege about harmoniums. I'll see what I can dig up. What I do know is that in an acoustically reverberant space a well spec'd harmonium has a glorious tone - from a quite ethereal PP to the *caged rage* FF. I prefer the French made harmoniums because the reeds are so finely voiced. Of course, other countries made harmoniums.

The harmonium in many parishes would take the place of an organ. People had them in their houses because they were relatively inexpensive to acquire as opposed to pianos. They were quite portable and were not finicky when temperatures dropped or soared while a piano which has experienced sudden and drastic changes in temperature would have to be retuned.

Well spec'd hamoniums had an almost quasi-orchestral sound. Some harmoniums had three manuals and pedal with two 32's and a 32' on the manuals!!! Sadly, much of what has been built has been destroyed.

Cheers,

CD

[Ghekorg7]

Thanks for your imidiate reply br.CD and for your information. This one, judging from the only picture, seems biger than the French ones I've seen.
Days ago I came across a site with French ones (sampled) , not free, but I forgot to save the link... I'll try again, remembering how I came across this site, and post here the details.

be good
Panos

[wljmrbill]

Panos: here is a scott borthers video.. you will like then..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1El36Z9kxS4

[Corno Dolce]

Go to www.harmoniums.com/hist_en.htm

Two famous makers are: Debain, the other is Mustel.

[Ghekorg7]

Bill I just returned from a DREAM... exellent link

Br, Cd you did it again, I'll have to return to this site again and again to lern more 'cause it gives more links.

I've got somewere a cd with the instruments of F.List, with Jeno Jando. List had a curius two manual instrument, with piano on the lower and harmonium on the upper, I'll post details later today 'cause I gotta drive my son to school within the hour and then to the court.

Panos

[Corno Dolce]

Br. Panos,

I know that very instrument which you speak of. It was specially built for Ferenc Liszt. Ahhh, the innovativeness of the 19th century...

Then you must check out this instrument:

http://www.borgato.it/immagini/origi...%20borgato.jpg

There was a maker of these in the 19th century but I recall not the name. However, Liszt had also such an instrument

Cheers,

CD

[Ghekorg7]

Hi people !

Br. CD look and listen to this

Liszt had a Piano-Harmonium made by the firm ERARD-ALEXANDRE. This he requested to be taken to his Pest apartment and from this time he was never parted from it (!) despite all the moves of house he made.

He called it Chimera (in Greek XIMAIPA) with two keyboards !! and Piano-Orgue.
In fact is a combination of a harmonium and a miniature piano. The serial number is 37537-44236.8740 D.N..
This serial indicates that it was built in 1866. The forward section, including the harmonium with abellows-system and a range of 5 oct, is narrower and lower. This section was made by Jacob Alexander and his son - They were the most notable Harmonium-makers in Paris at the time.
The sound chest containing the piano strings is wider and higher and it has an iron (!) frame and a range of 7 oct, with a damper pedal and a "pianino una corda" pedal (positioned between the blower pedals of the harmonium(!).
This piano was made by Erard (known sponsor of Liszt from late 1823).
Sadly we do not know how exactly Liszt used this fashionable instrument...
Imagine what you like . See the photo bellow

To make a link with the other thread (Europe against USA..) listen also to this

Liszt had an interest in the Harmonium, he was fond of his timbre and liked to use it SOLO and as part of an accompaniment (instead of organ as Bill pointed earlier)
So he requested specialy for him from AMERICA a large harmonium made by Mason & Hamlin (Bill do you know anything ?) in 1876, delivered to Ferenc in January 1877.
It's a model "Style 496, serial No.90243" with a suction system and range of 4 oct. Later the model was mass-produced..(famous artists advertising fine instruments....do you know?) and they gave the name : "Liszt Cabinet Organ" with 15(!) stops and the knee-swells, allowing a great variety of sounds.
See the photo.
Enjoy
Panos

[Corno Dolce]

Br. Panos,

That is some really fine detective work you've done - A real Yeomans labor of Love.

Cheers,

CD

[Ghekorg7]

He, He I usualy hire detectives for my work, this time I had to dig myself....
thaks CD !

I consider Liszt as a multikeyboard player. have you seen some other keys of him? Wait a little I 'll send more

Glad you liked these
Panos

[Corno Dolce]

Liszt was never really an organist per se but that did not stop him from writing one of the most important works for organ, namely the Fantasy and Fugue on *Ad Nos, Ad Salutarem Undam*. I have two recordings of it, one with Daniel Roth on the CC in St. Sulpice and the other with Nicholas Kynaston on the Klais in the Minster of Our Lady in Ingolstadt. Personally I feel that Mr. Kynaston does a better read of it than Daniel Roth, who is otherwise a superstar in my book.

[Ghekorg7]

Hi again.

So, to support my saying that Liszt was a multi-keybard player, here are two more of his.... "keyboards" :

The Glass Piano (very delicate like a Rhodes El.p.) and the fabulus COMPOSERS DESK !!!! (Wavestation XR8Pg7 whatever..).

I wonder if he ever made a keyboard set-up/all around, like ...let say... Rick Wakeman did with YES.... If someone have information please share !

Anyway here are the evidence

Have allways fun
Panos

[Ghekorg7]

I agree CD. In Greece Kynaston has made some concerts and had some teaching sessions with some lucky people. I've seen him perform in Athens concert Hall and I like him a lot.

Liszt composed many works for Organ very interesting stuff , I've seen some scores, having two simultaneusly notes on pedals with 8 note chords for hands...
And he made the famous continuo of B.A.C.H.

I'll have to dig some more br. Cd...

Panos

[Corno Dolce]

Simply fascinating Br. Panos - Ya know, Liszt was considered a *Ladies Man* when he was younger, then something happened - He turned his life 180 degrees around and became somewhat of an ascetic. I believe both he and Wagner had dalliances with the wife of the famous Conductor von Bulow - Wagner stole the woman from von Bulow - End of story! If my memory serves me it happened during his *Weimar Period* - Lots of Sturm und Drang then. After that, he renounced his errant ways, or so the story goes........

[Ghekorg7]

Great stories br.CD!
You know I like those .....issues with ladies and composers, and of course turning face to other targets 180deg 240, all around searchin' for answers..
Liszt is one of my favotite on that, along with Chopin..
I think I have somewhere the piece of music Liszt wrote for his harmonium..
Give me some time...


Something else for all of you who want to download the Moscow Harmonium.

Dr.Tikov's page send people to....errorland..
I tried and found another site.

DOWNLOADS INSTANTLY without sending to other link (s)
TRY:
http://freemusicsoftware.org/categor...ic-instruments

Enjoy
Panos