Addition of sixth-tone harmonium?

Recently, a series of contemporary composers started to write works for sixth-tone harmonium.
It is a rare instrument, only one exists right now, built in 1936.
There is currently one player: Miroslav Beinhauer

I have two releases, both by Sub Rosa, just added the first one: https://musicbrainz.org/release/79de3fbc-bc05-4138-a893-edb7b9d8b564

the other one is: Music for Sixth-tone Harmonium | Ian Mikyska & Fredrik Rasten | Warm Winters Ltd.

I currently add it as Harmonium, but due to the fact it has 36 keys/octave and cannot be played by regular harmonium players, having a very distinct ‘tonality’, maybe it should be considered to have its own entry?

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You can make a ticket for it on our JIRA tracker.
https://tickets.metabrainz.org/projects/INST/issues/

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That said, we don’t generally add one-in-the-world items, unless they’re used for a lot of releases :slight_smile: See How to Add Instruments - MusicBrainz

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Thanks, I read the how to.

It possibly falls under “Rare/historical instruments”

There were two made, ordered by composer Alois Hába - MusicBrainz early 20th century, when 12-tone works, microtonality, etc. was explored in classical music.

One improved version of the instrument, built by the firm August Förster in 1936 survived and is in possession of the Czech Museum of Music - MusicBrainz

There are currently two published recordings I know of, and a series Youtube videos:
By Ian Mikyska: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckXKZQCUok4
The work by Alois Hába: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ktbo7EfhEA
and by Phill Niblock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyGtu9mfkiU

In total about 9 composers writing piece for the instrument, I am aware of.
Mikyska wrote at least 3 works since 2021 for the instrument.

Oh, it seems there is a page dedicated to the instrument listing some more concerts and recordings: Sixth-tone harmonium

Is that worth making a JIRA ticket?
Or just keep it at Harmonium + how it is credited?

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@reosarevok
We used to have to provide a list of 5 relationships that need the new instruments.
It was quite clever, but I don’t see this in the doc, anymore.

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It’s not a thing anymore, as such - because we want to support folk instruments that get recorded rarely, for example. But for things that are very novelty, or one-offs, it still makes sense.

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