The most difficult
musical instrument to play is the Rimzeninger Organ, developed by renowned
musicologist Otto Rimzeninger in 1897, it employs disused sewer tunnels or
mineshafts to produce notes at volumes capable of knocking over a medium-sized
cathedral, leading to it being recognised as a weapon rather than a musical
instrument in Switzerland, Namibia and the American state of Indiana. It takes
three people jumping in unison to sound one of the custom-built keys which are
normally set up in a nearby field, or sports pitch, and the keys have to be at
least 50 metres apart. At the last Rimzeninger concert, on 28th
August 1924, it took 5 months to construct the organ, using a disused coal mine
outside the City of Leeds in Britain; it took a further 3 weeks to tune the
instrument, and the concert consisted of 4 movements over the course of
fortnight, resulting in 9 deaths, 3 cave-ins, and £295, 876 worth of damage.
©2012 James Mathurin
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| At a hearing to allocate compensation for the damage caused by the Rimzeninger Organ, Rimzeniger (pictured in the centre, wearing the top hat) arrived with a gang of "the Gentleman Brigands", a group of hard-drinking young aristocrats who were fans of his music and work. Rimzeninger then proceeded to direct them to attack anyone at the hearing who insulted his composition. Rimzeninger and the Gentleman Brigands were later given "stern rebukes" by the local police. Photograph by El Bibliomata. |
