The hydraulic was invented in 300 BC by ancient Greek. We
can find a number of stories about water organs in famous books such as Ctesibius
(300 BC), Philo of Byzantium (300 BC), and Hero of Alexandria (62
AD).The remains of a hydraulis were discovered in 1931 with a writing date of
228 AD in Hungary.It was a mechanical instrument in which wind and air pressure
combination produced sound. The
Hydraulis organs were being used in churches, but these organs also used in
banquets, circuses and games. This organ was also considered as the most complex
machine. The hydraulis is a pipe organ and it converts the dynamic water energy
of water into air pressure in order to drive the organ using pipes. Its name
also referred as (water pipe) hydraulis because water (driven) pipe
(instrument). This organ was invented in 3rd Century BC by a
Hellenistic scientist and engineer Ctesibius of Alexandria. The hydraulis is
considered as the first keyboard instrument as we found its modern shape in
churches. Keyboard and piano sheet music for hymns are still available for a great collection of work. This organ was operated by hand, not by the automatic water flow. Its
keys were much balanced and could be operated with a soft touch.
The hydraulis got popular among Romans after the Greeks and
then Byzantines adopted it. The Arab and Byzantine inventors further improved
this organ. The first automatic hydraulic organ introduced in 900 AD byBnu
Musa. A long distance hydraulic organ was also developed at the palace of
Khalif Al Muqtadir (ruled 908-932). This automatic hydraulic organ could be
heard from 60 miles away (written in the Arabic book Sir-Al-Asrar, Roger Bacon
translated it into Latin in 13th Century). The automatic hydraulic
organ adopted by Italy and Western Europe at the end of 13th
Century.The most popular hydraulic organ was in Tivoli at the Villa d’Este in
16th century and it was six meter high, and it was made by
LuchaClericho in between 1569-1572, but it was finalized by Claude Venard. Luca
Biagi also made a hydraulic automatic organ in 1598. Point to be noted that
only Palazzo de Quirinale survived made in 1650.
The largest hydraulic organ was made with a number of pipes
and it was placed in Atlantic city, New Jersey at Boardwalk Hall
Auditorium. It is expected that it was
made in 1929-1932 having 33,115 pipes and its weight was estimated at 150 tons.
But now this organ is not functioning. In the beginning of 17th
century, a number of hydraulic organs were made in England. In 1651, Cornelius
Drebbel made one organ for King James. Salmon de Caus also made a number of
organs at Richmond. Salmon de Caus made a beautiful organ in the Heidelberg
Castle garden after the marriage of Princess Elizabeth with Prince Friedrich V.
this organ got popularity for its beautiful outlook and complicated waterworks.
The interest in water organs were decreased at the end of 17th
century because of their high cost. Latest organs are accompanying the
capability to play a number of different timbers. A number of organs have been
used at basketball, ice hockey and baseball games in Canada and the United
States and these organs were used during play interval in 1941.