Was any music every written specifically for the Great Stalacpipe Organ or the Telharmonium? Can’t find reference to any, but I suppose you never know…
Famous Film composer Miklós Rósza wrote a “Spellbound Concerto” that includes the theremin, but since that was based on a film score, maybe it doesn’t count?
Wikipedia lists several musicians who have written concert music that includes a theremin
Well, I’ll go the opposite way. Awhile back, I saw the LA guitar quartet after they’d done a world tour and spent some time in Indonesia. They were quite taken with the gamelan orchestra they’d seen there, and decided to try and recreate the sound. All the while they’re telling this story they’re putting paper clips and bits of junk on they’re guitars. Then they launched into they’re tribute piece. Having seen an authentic Gamelan, albeit 25 years ago, I was impressed with how credible a job they did.
The “Feuerfest” (“fireproof”) Polka by Josef Strauss also uses an anvil. Feuerfest · Josef Strauß · Kendlinger - YouTube
Some other compositions using an anvil. Anvil - Wikipedia
Wagner’s Rheingold also includes an anvil part during the descent (and later ascent) to Nibelheim.
In the last act of Rigoletto, Verdi wrote a chorus part, which is not unusual except that he actually wrote it as an orchestral part, as though they are simply another instrument.
… which reminds me of Gliere’s concerto for coloratura soprano and orchestra, in which the female voice (no words) is used like a concertante instrument.
Speaking of concertos: Tubin composed one for balalaika and orchestra. Spiviakov for mouth organ and orchestra. Piazzolla for bandoneon and orchestra. Leopold Mozart for alphorn and orchestra.
I started to learn the Jawharp from a class trip to Greenfield Village and the long bustrip home… Had the basic idea down by the time I got home. Blues on da Bus.
The second movement of Khatchaturian’s Piano Concerto features a flexatone, a small percussion instrument that sounds essentially like a musical saw. Nowadays, the flexatone is generally left out of performances of this piece, but I have a recording that includes it… and… if I didn’t know better, it would simply never occur to me that it was anything other than a P.D.Q. Bach piece.
Albrechtsberger’s concerto for jew’s harp:
Mozart’s Posthorn Serenade:
Haydn wrote a whole collection of pieces for flute clock (a kind of mechanical miniature pipe organ, similar in principle to a pianola):
Mahler’s 6th symphony features a hammer:
Johann Strauss’s polka Auf der Jagd features a hunting rifle:
And I’m amazed that no one mentioned Mozart’s Zauberflöte and its glockenspiel yet.
Jesu, Joy of Men’s Desiring played in the forest on a wooden staircase (with thanks to twickster, who posted the original link in this thread).