Harmonium - Reed organ: Bach-Toccata jouée par Hajo Frommen 

Thank you for your kind comment. The acoustics of the church is a great help. There is also a magnificent 36 stop 3 keyboard pipe organ in this church. It's regrettable that it is in a pretty bad shape because the church hasn't been used for over ten years now and the only person to play it from time to time is me.

I would love to find one of these if that is indeed the price point for a playable condition instrument of this type. Where should I be looking, or what kind of search keywords should I use (e.g. how to find this instead of hand-pumped Indian harmoniums, etc)?

@@divslomin Use places like craigslist, facebook marketplace, letgo, etc. and search "Pump organ" or "Reed organ". Also, it's very rare that you will find a working one for under 50 bucks. You may need to work on it yourself (Fixing straps, repairing bellows, and cleaning out clogged reeds). It's very doable, you need screwdrivers, tow straps, maybe bellows tape, grease recommended. They are enjoyable to fix as they're not too difficult. Also, when moving it, DO NOT USE A DOLLY as the bottom is open, and the bellows is right at the bottom. Using a dolly may puncture the bellows.

@@divslomin , I saw a neglected one of these in a church in Tacoma WA, USA. I think in general churches would be your best bets.

I don't want to know you, neither you or your 'work', whatever it may be. By reading your nickname your work must be pumping air in the bellows of an organ. Wow !! I don't care what you think about my playing or my instrument. Maybe my way of playing is real shit, so what ? But the comment you left about 'Bach being happy not to hear this' was no critic but pure meanness. I don't want to converse with malicious people. Leave me in peace and go about your business !

To Calcant:: There must be hundreds of ways of playing Bach pieces. Your comments show pure meanness, stupidity, and lack of taste. The organ has an excellent sound. I feel qualified to say this because I play an excellent pipe organ and have two reed organs at home, one two manuals and pedal. I learned this Bach piece in 1961 and have been playing it ever since. As for the sound of the instrument, the ending of the toccata here has one of the fullest reed organ sounds I have ever heard.

16flute : Hi, I wanted to know what was this instrument, the harmonium. Thanks, a lot, your recording is great. How do you control the volume, are you using a foot pedal, or is it the registers plus how long a key is pressed ?

Hi, of course the foot pedals are used to create a more or less intense vacuum. More air is pumped out of the bellow, more air is aspired and the volume increases. But I also use the knee lever to open a small double swell box inside the instrument. On the left side there is a tutti lever but I don't use it very often.

Sehr geistreich, wirklich. Manche Leute sind eben dazu bestimmt, auf immer in der Vergangenheit zu leben und Staub anzusetzen ... C'est la vie ! Very witty indeed ! I suppose you must have been searching very long to finally come up with such an extraordinary idea. Don't tell me what Bach would have thought ! Just go on living in the past. If you don't like it, just don't listen to it.

16flute lass dich nicht ärgern. Du hast das Klasse gespielt auf dem Harmonium... :-)

Six years ago, were you happy to be such a pointless dick?