A pyrophone, also known as a "fire/explosion organ" or "fire/explosion calliope" is a musical instrument in which notes are sounded by explosions, or similar forms of rapid combustion, rapid heating, or the like, such as burners in cylindricalglass tubes, creating light and sound. It was invented by physicist and musician Georges Frédéric Eugène Kastner (born 1852 in Strasbourg, France – died 1882 in Bonn, Germany), son of composer Jean-Georges Kastner, around 1870.
One of the pyrophones constructed by Kastner, as seen in 2013 in the Musée historique de StrasbourgDurant's diagram of the sound-creating gas burners,[1] the, "mechanisms that allowed two flames to unite or diverge to produce a musical note"[2]Kastner
It is well known that if a flame of hydrogen gas be introduced within a glass or other tube, and if it be so placed as to be capable of vibrating, there is formed around this flame—that is to say, upon the whole of its enveloping surface—an atmosphere of hydrogen gas, which, in uniting with the oxygen in the air of the tube, burns in small portions, each composed of two parts of hydrogen to one of oxygen, the combustion of this mixture of gases producing a series of slight explosions or detonations.
If such a gaseous mixture, exploding in small portions at a time, be introduced at a point about one-third of the length of the tube from the bottom, and if the number of these detonations be equal to the number of vibrations necessary to produced a sound in the tube, all the acoustic conditions requisite to produce a musical tone are fulfilled.
This sound may be caused to cease either, first, by increasing or reducing the height of the flame, and consequently increasing or diminishing its enveloping surface, so as to make the number of detonations no longer correspond with the number of vibrations necessary to produce a musical sound in the tube, or, secondly, by placing the flame at such a height in the tube as to prevent the vibration of the enveloping film.
The pyrophone is similar to the steam calliope, but the difference is that in the calliope the combustion is external to the resonant cavity, whereas the pyrophone is an internal combustion instrument. The difference initially seems insignificant, but external combustion is what gives the calliope its staccato. Operating under the constant pressures of an external combustion chamber, the calliope merely directs exhaust (HB# 421.22: internal fipple flutes). By controlling the combustion specific to each resonant chamber, the pyrophone has, for better or worse, a greater range of variables in play when producing tones. In a purely mechanical (non-solenoid) calliope, the resulting pressures of external combustion result in between one and five pounds-force (4 and 22 N) of trigger pressure. In a mechanical pyrophone, trigger weight per key is related to comparatively lower backpressure of combustible gas. Again, the force of combustion happens in the resonance chamber; rather than controlling the exhaust of an explosion that has already happened in order to produce tones, the pyrophone controls the explosion to produce the tone.
Pyrophones originated in the 19th century. Byron Higgins, using hydrogen burning within the bottom of an open glass tube,[3] first pointed out that if flame is placed in a glass tube sound may be produced in 1777 and in 1818 Michael Faraday attributed the tones to very rapid explosions.[4] Physicist John Tyndall demonstrated that flame(s) in a tube may be made to sound if they are placed close to one third the length of the tube, the explosion occurs at a rate which matches the fundamental or one of the harmonics of the tube, and the volume of the flame is not too great.[1]Brewer, Moigno, and de Parville describe Kastner as having invented the instrument about twenty years before 1890,[5] and he filed a patent on Christmas Eve of 1874.[2][6]Charles Gounod attempted to include the organ in his opera Jeanne d'Arc (1873) and the instrument was shown in the Paris Exhibition (1878).[3]Henry Dunant was a proponent, and Wendelin Weißheimer composed Five Sacred Sonnets for Voice, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Pyrophone and Piano (1880).[7]
Pyrophone fuel sourcesedit
Pyrophones are usually powered by propane, but gasoline powered mobile units have been built, to connect to automobile fuel intake manifolds and use the spark plugs and wiring, etc., to detonate one or more of the chambers. Hydrogen pyrophones are often made using upside-down glass test tubes as the combustion chambers. Different colors were probably not achieved in Kastner's time, but would be possible with the addition of salts to the flames.[7]
^ abDunant, Henri (August 1875). "The Pyrophone" . Popular Science Monthly. Vol. 7. p. 447 – via Wikisource. Also published with a following discussion in (February 19, 1875). "Description of M. Kastner's New Musical Instrument, the Pyrophone", Journal of the Society of Arts, Volume 23, p.293-7. The Society of Arts. [ISBN unspecified].
^ abcWade, John (2016). The Ingenious Victorians: Weird and Wonderful Ideas from the Age of Innovation, p.136. Pen and Sword. ISBN9781473849044.
^ ab"Frederic Kastner obituary", Nature Volume 26, 27 July 1882.
^E. Cobham Brewer, François-Napoléon-Marie Moigno, and Henri de Parville (1890). "Pyrophone". Hvarför? och Huru? Nyckel till naturvetenskaperna [Swedish: Why? and How?: Key to the natural sciences] – via Project Runeberg.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) [ISBN unspecified]. Trans. from French (in Swedish)
^G.E.F. Kastner, Improvement in Pyrophones, U.S. patent 164,458, granted June 15, 1875
^ abGrunenberg, Christoph and Harris, Jonathan; eds. (2005). Summer of Love: Psychedelic Art, Social Crisis and Counterculture in the 1960s, p.186. Liverpool University. ISBN9780853239291.
Further readingedit
Kastner, Georges Frédéric Eugène (1875/1876). "Les Flammes Chantantes". E. Dentu, éditeur... [et] Eug. Lacroix, éditeur ... 2008-01-14.. 3rd edition. Paris: E. Dentu. (in French) Publication date 1876
pyrophone, pyrophone, also, known, fire, explosion, organ, fire, explosion, calliope, musical, instrument, which, notes, sounded, explosions, similar, forms, rapid, combustion, rapid, heating, like, such, burners, cylindrical, glass, tubes, creating, light, so. A pyrophone also known as a fire explosion organ or fire explosion calliope is a musical instrument in which notes are sounded by explosions or similar forms of rapid combustion rapid heating or the like such as burners in cylindrical glass tubes creating light and sound It was invented by physicist and musician Georges Frederic Eugene Kastner born 1852 in Strasbourg France died 1882 in Bonn Germany son of composer Jean Georges Kastner around 1870 One of the pyrophones constructed by Kastner as seen in 2013 in the Musee historique de StrasbourgDurant s diagram of the sound creating gas burners 1 the mechanisms that allowed two flames to unite or diverge to produce a musical note 2 Kastner Contents 1 Design 2 Related musical instruments 3 Pyrophone history 4 Pyrophone fuel sources 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External links 8 1 Audio 8 2 Video 8 3 CinemaDesign editIt is well known that if a flame of hydrogen gas be introduced within a glass or other tube and if it be so placed as to be capable of vibrating there is formed around this flame that is to say upon the whole of its enveloping surface an atmosphere of hydrogen gas which in uniting with the oxygen in the air of the tube burns in small portions each composed of two parts of hydrogen to one of oxygen the combustion of this mixture of gases producing a series of slight explosions or detonations If such a gaseous mixture exploding in small portions at a time be introduced at a point about one third of the length of the tube from the bottom and if the number of these detonations be equal to the number of vibrations necessary to produced a sound in the tube all the acoustic conditions requisite to produce a musical tone are fulfilled This sound may be caused to cease either first by increasing or reducing the height of the flame and consequently increasing or diminishing its enveloping surface so as to make the number of detonations no longer correspond with the number of vibrations necessary to produce a musical sound in the tube or secondly by placing the flame at such a height in the tube as to prevent the vibration of the enveloping film Kastner s patent 2 Related musical instruments editThe pyrophone is similar to the steam calliope but the difference is that in the calliope the combustion is external to the resonant cavity whereas the pyrophone is an internal combustion instrument The difference initially seems insignificant but external combustion is what gives the calliope its staccato Operating under the constant pressures of an external combustion chamber the calliope merely directs exhaust HB 421 22 internal fipple flutes By controlling the combustion specific to each resonant chamber the pyrophone has for better or worse a greater range of variables in play when producing tones In a purely mechanical non solenoid calliope the resulting pressures of external combustion result in between one and five pounds force 4 and 22 N of trigger pressure In a mechanical pyrophone trigger weight per key is related to comparatively lower backpressure of combustible gas Again the force of combustion happens in the resonance chamber rather than controlling the exhaust of an explosion that has already happened in order to produce tones the pyrophone controls the explosion to produce the tone Pyrophone history edit nbsp The German composer Wendelin Weissheimer playing a pyrophonePyrophones originated in the 19th century Byron Higgins using hydrogen burning within the bottom of an open glass tube 3 first pointed out that if flame is placed in a glass tube sound may be produced in 1777 and in 1818 Michael Faraday attributed the tones to very rapid explosions 4 Physicist John Tyndall demonstrated that flame s in a tube may be made to sound if they are placed close to one third the length of the tube the explosion occurs at a rate which matches the fundamental or one of the harmonics of the tube and the volume of the flame is not too great 1 Brewer Moigno and de Parville describe Kastner as having invented the instrument about twenty years before 1890 5 and he filed a patent on Christmas Eve of 1874 2 6 Charles Gounod attempted to include the organ in his opera Jeanne d Arc 1873 and the instrument was shown in the Paris Exhibition 1878 3 Henry Dunant was a proponent and Wendelin Weissheimer composed Five Sacred Sonnets for Voice Flute Oboe Clarinet Pyrophone and Piano 1880 7 Pyrophone fuel sources editPyrophones are usually powered by propane but gasoline powered mobile units have been built to connect to automobile fuel intake manifolds and use the spark plugs and wiring etc to detonate one or more of the chambers Hydrogen pyrophones are often made using upside down glass test tubes as the combustion chambers Different colors were probably not achieved in Kastner s time but would be possible with the addition of salts to the flames 7 See also editPulsation reactor Rijke tube ThermoacousticsReferences edit a b Dunant Henri August 1875 The Pyrophone Popular Science Monthly Vol 7 p 447 via Wikisource Also published with a following discussion in February 19 1875 Description of M Kastner s New Musical Instrument the Pyrophone Journal of the Society of Arts Volume 23 p 293 7 The Society of Arts ISBN unspecified a b c Wade John 2016 The Ingenious Victorians Weird and Wonderful Ideas from the Age of Innovation p 136 Pen and Sword ISBN 9781473849044 a b Frederic Kastner obituary Nature Volume 26 27 July 1882 November 4 1882 Scientific American Supplement Vol 14 No 357 p 5687 New York ISBN unspecified E Cobham Brewer Francois Napoleon Marie Moigno and Henri de Parville 1890 Pyrophone Hvarfor och Huru Nyckel till naturvetenskaperna Swedish Why and How Key to the natural sciences via Project Runeberg a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link ISBN unspecified Trans from French in Swedish G E F Kastner Improvement in Pyrophones U S patent 164 458 granted June 15 1875 a b Grunenberg Christoph and Harris Jonathan eds 2005 Summer of Love Psychedelic Art Social Crisis and Counterculture in the 1960s p 186 Liverpool University ISBN 9780853239291 Further reading editKastner Georges Frederic Eugene 1875 1876 Les Flammes Chantantes E Dentu editeur et Eug Lacroix editeur 2008 01 14 3rd edition Paris E Dentu in French Publication date 1876External links editAudio edit Audio samples from Experiment1 Arts Collective at the Wayback Machine archived 31 January 2012 Video edit Pyrophone video from Experiment1 Arts Collective at the Wayback Machine archived 31 January 2012 Cinema edit Movie Nothing Like Dreaming Directed by Nora Jacobson at the Wayback Machine archived 31 January 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pyrophone amp oldid 1205624591, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
