The “harmonium” is a reed organ invented in France by Alexandre Debain in 1840. It is known for its expressive sound and tonal qualities that are similar to a pipe organ. The sound is produced by pumping bellows with two foot pedals that release pressurized air through free reeds.
The Harmonium: Its History and How it Works by Jonathan Scott
In 1902, Lemare commissioned a harmonium from Victor Mustel’s Paris store at 16 Avenue de Wagram. It was shipped to Metzler & Co., the representative of Mustel in London. The value of the instrument was 4500 francs and the transaction at Metzler was for 117 pounds. The instrument is dated 1901 and may have come out of stock to be modified with English custom stopknobs requested by Lemare.
Serial #: 1142-866
Date made: May 25, 1901
Builder: Victor Mustel; Official signature is grandson “Alfonse”
Cabinet: Veneer, Madagascar Rosewood, French polish
Keyboard Keys: African Elephant Ivory
Pitch: 440 Hz; (452 Hz is normal for England)
6 sets of reeds bass side, 10 sets of reeds treble side
Metaphone, expression, double expression, prolongement and grandjeu heellever
Original instrument with special English stopknobs ordered by Lemare. (Only a few Mustel harmoniums are known to have these knobs.)
Chair is not original
Family owned: Jeannine Lemare Calaba (granddaughter), Los Angeles, California
Restored to concert quality by James Tyler, San Francisco, CA 2019-2020.
| French Bass | Edwin Lemare Bass |
|---|---|
| 0 Forte Expressif | 0 Forte Expression |
| 1 Percussion du Cor Anglais | 1 Percussion (on Diapason) |
| 1 Cor Anglais 8 | 1 8 Diapason |
| 2 Bourdon 16 | 2 16 Double Diapason |
| 3 Clairon 4 | 3 4 Viola |
| 4 Basson 8 | 4 8 Basson |
| 5 Harpe Eolienne 2 | 5 2 Harpe Aeolienne |
Nelson Barden & Associates, Waltham, Massachusetts
| French Treble | Edwin Lemare Treble |
|---|---|
| 0 Forte Expressif | 0 Forte Expression |
| 1 Percussion du Flute | 1 Percussion (on Diapason) |
| 1 Flute 8 | 1 8 Diapason |
| 2 Clarinette 16 | 2 16 Double Diapason |
| 3 Fifre 4 | 3 4 Flute |
| 4 Hautbois 8 | 4 8 Hautbois |
| 5 Musette 16 | 5 16 Musette |
| 6 Voix Celeste 16 | 6a 16 Muted Strings 6b 8 Violins |
| 7 Baryton 32 | 7 32 Barytone Full Organ |
Nelson Barden & Associates, Waltham, Massachusetts
Lemare’s daughter, Betty, recalled that her father would play the Mustel for hours in order to develop his musical ideas.
Lemare stated: “For improvising, nothing can excel the French Mustel reed organ. For many years I have used it in conjunction with an early Edison phonograph which recorded on wax cylinders. The music was then copied onto sheets of music paper—e.g., Romance in Db, Arcadian Idyll, Symphony in D Minor.” (OIHM p. 84)
In 2019, the Lemare Mustel harmonium was restored to concert quality as a historical gift by benefactor James Tyler in San Francisco, California. He was assisted in the restoration by George Lipp. The Mustel is now back in the Lemare family home in Los Angeles waiting to be played by visiting organists.
Michael Hendron, organist
Trying Out Restored Mustel in James Tyler’s Workshop