The organ, derived from the ancient Greek word ὄργανον (órganon) meaning tool or instrument, looks back on a history spanning over 2,000 years. This keyboard instrument, belonging to the aerophone family, has evolved through many artistic periods and was particularly shaped in its form during the Baroque and Romantic eras.
The organ's origins lie in antiquity. Around 246 BC, Ctesibius, an engineer from Alexandria, constructed the first organ-like instrument called the "hydraulis" or "water aulos." In this instrument, water generated a constant wind pressure, while bronze pipes served as chanters. Wind generation using bellows was added later.
In the ancient world, the organ was primarily found in palaces and was considered a stately instrument, its sound among the most sensual pleasures. The Romans adopted the organ from the Greeks as a secular instrument and used it to provide musical accompaniment for performances in their arenas. Because of this association with the gruesome arena battles, in which Christians also lost their lives, the organ was avoided by early Christians.
The history of the organ can be seen as a history of appropriation. An originally pagan, ancient instrument, through constant development and transformation, migrated to the center of the Christian church and its liturgy. This process of appropriation spanned centuries and was not without considerable resistance. Ultimately, the organ became the quintessential liturgical instrument and the starting point for numerous works of sacred music—a development that continues to this day and underscores the inspiring power of the liturgy.
A variant of the organ is the barrel organ, also known as a hurdy-gurdy. These small, portable instruments were initially crafted in organ workshops before dedicated manufacturers emerged, specializing exclusively in these "little sisters" of the church instrument. In France, this instrument is known as the "Orgue de Barbarie," a name derived from its first known maker: the Italian Giovanni Barberi from Modena, who first presented this small, portable organ in 1702.
The basic construction of a barrel organ is similar to that of a stationary pipe organ, with a case housing the pipework, bellows, windchest, and playing mechanism. A crank or flywheel, via a connecting rod, operates the leather-covered bellows, which generates the wind. This wind is stored in a reservoir bellows, stabilized, and maintained at a constant pressure by spring force.