First built in Paris by Charles Marenghi in 1905, the organ above quickly found a home in a Belgian restaurant. And there it remained for many years … until 1967, when it traveled abroad, to a Texas fairground. Imagine the culture shock it must have felt. But that’s not where it ends.
Nowadays, you can watch the 81-key organ play Queen’s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” quite different than whatever it was playing in Antwerp a century ago. Alexey Rom wrote the arrangement for the song, and programmed it using the strip of cards being fed through the instrument. Hopefully this isn’t the last stop on this organ’s grand journey.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Related Content:
Guitarist Brian May Explains the Making of Queen’s Classic Song, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Queen Documentary Pays Tribute to the Rock Band That Conquered the World
The Music of Queen Re-Imagined by “Extraordinary” Classical Pianist, Natalia Posnova
WOW! Not only is the instrument a work of art, programming the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was quite a feat. Thanks for sharing this stunning piece.
What a beautiful instrument! I listened to the music all the way to the end…lovely!