Organ Music Dates Back to Ctesibius of Alexandria
May 17th, 2011
The known history of the organ dates back to ancient Greece, in Alexandria, where an engineer named Ctesibius lived during the third century BC. His goal was to develop a mechanical pipe instrument that required no blowing from the mouth. He is credited with building the earliest musical keyboard, called the “hydraulis” or “water organ”, that operated using a hydraulic system to force air through the organ pipes.
Using his knowledge of compressed air devices, Ctesibius designed a sealed reservoir system with a number of valves operated by keys. By pressing a particular key, pressurized air passed through its corresponding pipe to produce the desired note. Constant air pressure was maintained using a cone-like device, with one end immersed in water and the other inside the air reservoir.
Although none of his writings survive, Ctesibius’ invention would inspire many engineers to come. The hydraulis became widely used in the Roman Empire during circuses and amphitheater events for the loud, pleasant sound it produced. Gradually, it would give way to organs that used bellows to maintain a constant air supply. These instruments then evolved into the massive pipe organs commonly used by European churches as early as the tenth century AD.