Harmonium Hire
Black Mustel & Late Mustel on stage in Purcell Room South Bank for Anne Page's Concert | Photo by Tim Clayton
We have a wide range of top quality harmoniums, each with its appropriate stool.
All our hiring instruments have had their bellows restored.
Black Mustel No. 311 Date – 1880 Tuning – A440
This instrument – affectionately known as Black Beauty – was built in 1880 by the firm of Mustel. They were always acknowledged to be the Rolls Royce of makers, and today their instruments are sought out by those who want the best for their performance.
It has 22 stops with 6 rows of reeds in the bass & 8 in the treble. So there is plenty of ‘colour’ to be heard in the stops themselves and in the many combinations possible. Being an earlier number the reeds have a bright, ‘clean’ sound.
Keyboard – 1 manual, 5 octaves, C-C compass
Dimensions (in cm) – 125 x 63 x 100
Rosewood Mustel No. 1023-779 Date – 1900 Tuning – A440
Another of Mustels’ famous instruments- affectionately known as Rosie (for her lovely rosewood case).This one is from a later date and therefore has a slightly fuller & more rounded sound.
It also has 22 stops with 6 rows in the bass & 8 rows in the treble. Again, many colours can be found in the variety of stops.
Keyboard – 1 manual, 5 octaves, C-C compass.
Dimensions (in cm) – 128 x 65 x 102
Debain Harmonium No. 26869 Date – 1879 Tuning – A440
This instrument – affectionately known as Debbie was built in Paris by the firm of Debain. He was the man who gave the harmonium stops their names and thus established uniformity of Registration. He also built the instrument on which Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle was first performed.
The harmonium has 16 stops with 4 rows of reeds in the bass and 41/2 in the treble.
The bellows – feeders & reservoir – have been fully restored using lambskin.
Keyboard – 1 manual, 5 octaves, C – C compass
Dimensions (in cm) – 120 x 66 x 97
Rosewood Alexandre No. 502 Date – 1846 Tuning – A443
Alexandre was another well respected Harmonium builder in Paris. This instrument is a very early example and consequently has a very keen sound. It has 12 stops with the basic 4 rows of reeds typical of the time. A wonderful sound to accompany a visiting continental orchestra.
Keyboard – 1 manual, 5 octaves, C-C compass
Dimensions (in cm) – 128 x 68 x 93
Rosewood Mustel No. 1924-1057 Date – 1908 Tuning – A438
With its 24 stops and 6 rows of reeds in the bass + 10 rows in the treble this large specification enables harmoniumists to play the most taxing of pieces written for the harmonium – such as the music of Karg-Elert. His 2nd Sonata is considered to be the epitome.
This instrument was used by Anne Page in a CD of that piece and also in the Concert she gave in the Purcell Room, South Bank London. It is an excellent instrument for solo work.
Dimensions (in cm) – 128 x 69 x 106
Portable Reed Organ made for Salvation Army Tuning – A440
This instrument was made in c.1925
It folds into a box for easy transportation.
It has 3 full set of reeds – 4ft, 8ft, 16ft.
Each set is activated by a lever with the footage printed on it.
A robust sound – made for work on the streets, such as Open Air Services, Rallies, etc.
Keyboard – 1 manual, 5 octaves, F – F compass.
Dimensions (in cm): 103 x 45 x 100 when open
55 x 30 x 100 when closed
Videos of Our Harmoniums Being Played
To see a fine rendition of Mahler’s Song Cycle ‘Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen’ by Psappha please click on ‘Watch & Listen Now‘. Then click on A – Z (M for Mahler) and on the ‘Lieder’.
Hope you enjoy this. Jonathan Scott is the Harmoniumist.
Also try the Ligeti Chamber Concerto played by Psappha. The harmonium is our Black Mustel.