Monday, March 21, 2022

The adventures of the rolling reed organ

Prologue

My collection of musical instruments is expanding. In Italy, I left a digital organ and an East-Germany piano, bought by my parents during my school years, not mentioning the mandolin inherited from my grandfather and other small instruments. As soon as I moved abroad, 12 years ago, I bought a digital keyboard to practice at home. I also purchased two recorders and a mandolin in these years. Two years ago, after buying another digital organ for my viennese flat, I gave away the keyboard, hoping that it will help a friend to learn playing. Then, I had to think of the house on the mountains. I was looking for an instrument with a keyboard and that could possibly play without requiring electricity. The piano is too loud, too expensive for transportation and very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Then, a young organist met in Vienna suggested to go for a reed organ (Harmonium in German). I was skeptical at the beginning, I had played one in Brussels and I remember some from the time in Italy, but I was not quite impressed and such instruments are out of production since decades. I gave it a try, I learned something about the instrument from him and the internet, and I finally convinced myself that a kind of accordion but as large as a piano could be what I was looking for. I began to search for a second hand instrument on the internet.

The purchase

I checked the second hand market website for Austria for months, but I was not convinced by any of the announcements. Then, I contacted the person selling an Estey, an American reed organ, because I had the feeling that the instrument had been taken care of. I went to check it and it looked in a good condition. Quite big, with a lot of stops, but with a warm and gentle sound. The owner was a very kind educated lady, who was not playing the organ anymore and wished that it was sold to someone able to play it further. Done, I take it.

The transportation

Happy for the decision, I had to find a way to carry the organ to the country side. Many (more or less) professional companies asked quite a lot of money, even more than the price of the instrument, and many friends' car was too small to fit the instrument. Finally, I found a Romanian guy, who offered to help for a reasonable price. It was complicated to fix a day compatible with my, his and the owner's agenda, but we manage it.

current situation

The reed organ was actually heavier than imagined. A couple of friends and the seller were so kind to help me bringing the instrument to the street and loading it on the truck. The journey went fine, but the surprise was waiting at the destination: not only there was a heavy snowstorm, but it had continued for hours, so that the ground and the roads were covered by a thick layer of compacted snow. No way, the truck didn't manage to reach the house. The slope was too steep. We decided to park as close as possible and to carry the reed organ. Making it rolling, although it has wheels, was not possible due to the snow. We tried to lift it, but I'm not strong at all. Almost in despair, I phoned the neighbour crying for help. She sent her husband and son, even though they were just sitting for lunch. God bless them,! Four men managed to take the instrument into the garage, because the steps to the house were completely covered on snow. After carefully drying and cleaning the outer part of the organ, I could briefly check it. The reed organ had survived the adventurous transportation with very minor problems and I could play my favorite choral "Wer nur der lieben Gott läßt walten" full of joy. The day continued with some field work in the area, despite the snow.

The restoration

A couple of weeks after, I had time to check carefully the instrument. I am not able (yet) to perform a real restoration, but I wanted to check all the parts, repairing the wooden pieces that got damaged during the transportation and cleaning the interior of the instrument. Everything went fine. I could find the original label and thank to the young Italian organist I found out that the reed organ was manufactured in the USA in 1912. The instrument is 110 years old!!! It was then imported in Austria and survived two world wars (hopefully, it will not have to experience also a third one...). Unbelievable, despite the adventures, the intonation is still good and all the stops work.

First experiments

Mozart Krapfen for Carnival

After months, the reed organ is still in the garage. It took a while to get rid of the snow from the entrance, then the neighbours got covid, and now my parents are coming. The temperature in the garage (not heated) is similar to that I generally experience in churches, so it shouldn’t damage much the instrument, but staying there too long is not pleasant at all. Anyway, every time I'm home, I offer a kind of concert to the neighbours, playing with the garage door wide open. I've been playing music from Frescobaldi (I know, he composed long before the instrument was even invented) to Franck (more appropriate). Some chorals of Krebs seem written for the instrument. The several stops, the separation between high and low, and the forte with the knee levers allow effects recalling the two manuals of a pipe organ. Of course, I've been playing Bach, too.

The next chapter of the story will be carrying the instrument in the house and starting playing with friends and other instruments. I'll keep the blog updated. Make music, not war!


Saturday, March 12, 2022

Fast forward - guerra

Due anni di pandemia, siamo tutti frustrati e stanchi. Ormai le notizie dei contagi che almeno in Austria continuano a battere ogni record non ci sconvolgono più. È passata l'idea della "Durchseuchung", ossia che tutti più o meno si facciano la malattia, chi può con la "protezione" del vaccino, che sembra funzioni nel limitare i decorsi gravi. Hanno riaperto tutto e tolto i controlli (tranne in alcuni settori ed a Vienna). In questa atmosfera di rassegnazione è arrivata la mazzata successiva, una guerra a due passi che minaccia di diventare mondiale e di decretare la distruzione totale dell'Europa, se non dell'intera umanità. Sinceramente, temevo che dopo la pandemia sarebbe arrivata una crisi economica tale da scatenare un conflitto armato, ma credevo (o speravo) che sarebbero passati anni, come nel secolo scorso. Invece no, in questa società che vive tutto in fretta, che si nutre di video di pochi secondi e che non ha più l'attenzione di leggere un libro, anche gli eventi storici si susseguono accelerati, come i cambiamenti climatici. Abbiamo fretta di arrivare alla fine?

Dove porta questa strada? Camminare nella nebbia. 
Se prima si era divisi tra pro e contro vaccino, ora si è uniti nel trovare un nemico comune: il russo. Allora via i compositori russi dai programmi di concerto, via Dostoevsky dalle lezioni universitarie, via musicisti ed artisti russi che lavorano in Occidente e non si schierano apertamente contro quel complessato folle tiranno che regge il paese col terrore. Mi domando come mai, quasi un secolo fa, non si sia boicottata la musica e la cultura austriaca allo stesso modo, visto che Adolfo, un altro dittatore assetato di sangue, nacque sulla sponda orientale dell'Inn. Posso comprendere il rifiuto di lavorare con aperti sostenitori del matto al Cremlino, ma da qui a cancellare secoli di storia, compresa quella di oppositori politici del tempo come proprio Dostoevsky o Shostakovich passa un tir!

Questa sete di andare avanti porta pure a giudizi affrettati, a verità comode cui credere, senza porsi degli interrogativi. Ah no, quelli che prima non volevano il vaccino perché "chissà cosa c'è dentro" ora invece dubitano delle notizie al TG. In certi casi... hanno ragione. In Italia si punta alla spettacolarizzazione del dolore per avere audience, senza pensare agli effetti che questo possa avere sul pubblico più sensibile e già usurato dal bollettino quotidiano di morti e contagi causa pandemia. Senza contare che l'indigestioni di immagini drammatiche porta alla desensibilizzazione, per cui poi non ci farà più effetto nulla. A mio modesto parere ci dobbiamo rassegnare anche in questo caso che la "verità" non si saprà mai e anche se si sapesse, non avremmo gli strumenti per valutarla, come concluderanno gli storici tra cento anni, analizzando le vicende attuali. Sempre sperando che tra cento anni ci sia ancora qualcuno sulla Terra e sia in grado di farlo.

Ora, invece di accanirsi con il nemico di turno (identificato a tratti anche col parente o l'ex-amico che la pensa in modo diverso), rimbocchiamoci le maniche e diamoci da fare, affinché questa voglia di mandare avanti il film a velocità quadrupla ci porti pure ad un lieto fine quanto prima.

1. Aiutiamo come possiamo chi ha bisogno, sempre, non solo adesso, dai profughi ai discriminati.

2. Promuoviamo la pace ed il dialogo. Non con le armi o alimentando il fuoco delle discussioni e delle accuse reciproche. A partire dal posto di lavoro. Discutere è salutare, litigare o al contrario mettere la testa nella sabbia no.

3. Pensiamo anche al nostro benessere psicologico. Proteggiamoci dal flusso di brutte notizie, magari passando alla radio, ove non ci sono immagini se non nella nostra testa. Godiamoci l'imminente arrivo della primavera come possiamo. Investiamo del tempo in progetti a lungo termine. Fate musica!

Passerà anche questa? Non possiamo saperlo. Da due anni viviamo lo stress di non poter sapere cosa accadrà l'indomani. Non lo abbiamo mai saputo, ma ci eravamo illusi di poterlo prevedere. L'unica verità che dobbiamo accettare è proprio questa.