Sounds Filling Reinanzaka Church... Harmonium and Piano

The moment the first sound rang out that day,
I felt, "Yes, this is a resonance I am hearing for the first time."

The sound of the harmonium, as if it contained soft air.
And the sound of the piano, supporting the entire piece with its calm resonance.

In mid-March, a soundscape I had never heard before was spreading through Reinanzaka Church in Akasaka, Tokyo.

On this day, a concert was held with a somewhat rare ensemble of harmonium and piano.

The instrument called the harmonium

A harmonium is a type of organ that uses a mechanism called a free reed, where sound is produced by pumping air with both feet.

Reinanzaka Church has a harmonium imported from France.
It was installed when the church was built in 1920, and after surviving the rough waves of history such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Great Tokyo Air Raid, its sound continues to ring out even now, 105 years later.

It is a precious French-made harmonium, said to be one of only two remaining in the country.

At Reinanzaka Church, opportunities to play the harmonium decreased after a pipe organ was installed in 1986, but between 2022 and 2023, it underwent thorough restoration work at a workshop in the Netherlands, and it is said to have regained the resonance it had at the time of its manufacture.

Incidentally, an ensemble like the "harmonium and piano" featured in this concert was also popular in 19th-century Europe for musical gatherings held in aristocratic mansions.

▼ The video below shows the restoration work in the Netherlands. You can also see how air is slowly pushed in with both feet.

A world of soft resonance

The first piece on the program was
César Franck's (1822–1890)
"Prelude, Fugue and Variation," Op. 18.

This piece began with the unique, soft sound of the harmonium.
Actually, this was my first time hearing a harmonium live, so
I had no idea what kind of sound it would make,
but in reality, it had a resonance completely different from, for example, a pipe organ,
as if a large accordion were playing,
that was the kind of sound it was.

By pumping air with both feet, the dynamics and fluctuations of the sound were expressed. The sensation of air flowing through the instrument was conveyed very clearly.

And when it reached the high notes, a sound with a different expression appeared.

That sound, which seemed to descend into the space inside the church,
if I were to compare it, felt like a shimmering resonance similar to the sound of the sho, an instrument used in Gagaku.
(It was a strange experience to be reminded of Gagaku in a Western church.)

Meanwhile, the piano supported in the low register, giving depth to the entire piece.

In the space with its very high ceiling, these two sounds melted together softly,
and a world that could be called fantastical unfolded.

▼ As a reference for the music, the following is the organ version.
In this concert, the arrangement assigned the right hand to the harmonium, and the left hand and pedalboard to the piano.

The second half features a program with a sense of splendor

And the program for the second half was performed with the following instrumentation:
・Piano solo
・Pipe organ
・Piano & pipe organ

Unlike the first half, perhaps because the program included pieces by Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Ravel, it felt more splendid. Overall, it was such a delightful time, as if a sense of brightness had returned to my heart.

By the way, during the intermission, I had the opportunity to watch the pipe organ being tuned. The back of the pipes was illuminated, and fine adjustments were being made. There were two people working, and since they were far apart, they would call out to each other from behind the pipes. Using that as a signal, they proceeded with the tuning while playing the organ note by note.

A splendid finale

The end of the program was
Alexandre Guilmant's (1837–1911)
"Finale," Op. 40, No. 4.

The concert concluded with bright and splendid sounds from the piano and pipe organ.

▼ As a reference, the video below is the organ version.

Introduction of the performers

The performance that day was by a duo living in Germany,
Ryoko Morooka and Christian Pikes.
The two are also very popular for their duo concerts in Germany.

Christian's piano playing had an expressive and warm tone.
In Robert Schumann's "Waldszenen" (Forest Scenes), Op. 82, No. 7, "The Prophet Bird," I felt as if the resonance was like being in the middle of a forest.

Morooka's harmonium performance had a sound overflowing with transparency.
The flow of air changes with every movement of the feet, and the tone and breath change significantly... I clearly understood that the harmonium is a very delicate instrument that demands high performance technique.

Rich sounds spreading throughout the space

The harmonium, which creates sound while pumping air,
is an instrument with a unique "breath" different from both the pipe organ and the piano.

The resonance that slowly spread throughout the church space
felt as if it were gently unraveling the flow of time itself,
and it provided a truly wonderful musical experience.

Reinanzaka Church holds regular harmonium and pipe organ concerts, so if you have the chance, why not experience these gentle sounds for yourself?
https://reinanzaka.jp/concert/

<Program>

César Franck (1822-1890)
<Prelude, Fugue and Variation> Op. 18

Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
From <Impressions> Op. 102, "What the Boatman Said"

Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
<Pastel> Op. 26 No. 7

Christian Pikes (1977-)
<Elegy for Fukushima> *Commissioned by Reinanzaka Church

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)
<Allegro Cantabile> Op. 42 No. 1, 2nd movement

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
From <Waldszenen> Op. 82, No. 7 "Prophetic Bird"

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
<Six Studies for Pedal Piano>
Op. 56 No. 2 "Canon in A Minor" / No. 4 "Canon in A-flat Major"

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
Symphony-Cantata No. 2 <Lobgesang> in B-flat Major, Op. 52, 2nd movement "Introduction"

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
From <Le Tombeau de Couperin>, "Menuet"

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
<Adagio> Op. 53 No. 3 / <Finale> Op. 40 No. 4

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