Calliope (music)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A calliope is a musical instrument that produces sound by sending steam through whistles, originally locomotive whistles. Joshua C. Stoddard of Worcester, Massachusetts "invented" the calliope, patented October 9, 1855, although it is based on previously known concepts (e.g. earlier, in 1832, a musical instrument designer made a "steam trumpet" later to be known as a train whistle). The calliope is also known as a "steam organ" or "steam piano." It was often played on riverboats and in circuses, where it was sometimes mounted on a carved, painted and gilded horse-drawn wagon in a circus parade (above right).
Stoddard's original calliope was attached to a metal roller set with pins in the manner familiar to Stoddard from the contemporary clockwork music box. The pins on the roller opened valves and blew the whistles. Later, Stoddard replaced the cylinder with a keyboard, so that the calliope could be played like an organ.
Starting in the 1900s, calliopes began using music rolls instead of a live musician. The music roll operated in a similar manner to a piano roll in a player piano, mechanically operating the keys. Many of these mechanical calliopes retained keyboards, allowing a live musician to play them if needed. During this period, compressed air began to replace steam as the vehicle of producing sound.
Most calliopes disappeared in the mid-20th century, as steam power was replaced. Without the demand for technicians that mines and railroads supplied, no support was available to keep boilers running. Only a few calliopes have survived, and these are rarely played.
Even small calliopes produce sound that can travel for miles.
While Stoddard had originally intended the calliope to replace bells at churches, it found its way to riverboats during the paddlewheel era. While only a small number of working steamboats still exist, each one has a steam calliope. All the surviving calliopes were built by Thomas J. Nichol, Cincinnati, Ohio, who built calliopes from 1890 until 1932. These boats include the American Queen, Belle of Louisville, Delta Queen, Julia Belle Swain, Mississippi Queen, and Natchez. Their calliopes are played regularly on river excursions.
Tom Waits' 2002 release Blood Money features a track written for trumpet and calliope.
[edit] Related instruments
The calliope is similar to the pyrophone; the difference between the two is that the calliope is an external combustion instrument and the pyrophone is an internal combustion instrument.
At 1998's Burning Man, a pyrophone referred to as "Satan's Calliope" was powered by detonating propane inside resonant cavities. Thus this device was incorrectly referred to as a "calliope", since a calliope is an external combustion instrument. See Metro Santa Cruz article Image
