piano éolien

The piano éolien was an attempt at a keyboard version of the Aeolian harp, invented by M. Isouard in 1837. The Aeolian harp itself is a stringed instrument that produces sound through the movement of wind over its strings. It typically consists of a wooden sound box with 10 to 12 strings of varying thickness, all tuned to the same pitch. When wind passes over them, the strings vibrate and produce natural overtones, creating a harmonic sound. The principle of wind-activated strings has been recognized for centuries, with legends and historical accounts of similar instruments. While the Aeolian harp was popular during the Romantic movement, the piano éolien was one of several efforts to mechanize its sound production using a keyboard and bellows.1