Organ eggs

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The organ egg, also known as Lira Organizzata , or in French vielle organée , is a musical instrument that combines a hurdy-gurdy with a small organ . The hurdy-gurdy keyboard also controls the mechanics of the organ valves and the wind system of the organ is operated with the crank.

The organ egg is part of the instrument making tradition of "organized" instruments, in which different instruments are combined into a new one, for example an organ and fortepiano or harpsichord (see also claviorganum ). (Bröcker, 1977, page 163) These instruments were mostly very valuable and therefore rare. Only 19 examples of the organ egg have survived in European museums and collections. The first instruments were built before the middle of the 18th century. (Bröcker, 1977, page 165)

Organ egg by César Pons, Grenoble, ca.1770 (Musée des instruments de musique de Bruxelles)

The instrument

Organ eggs consist of a complete hurdy-gurdy, so besides the melody string or strings they also have a string with a snare bridge and at least one drone string . (Bröcker, 1977, page 164) In addition, there are organ registers mostly with clogged pipes made of wood, mostly two- and four-foot registers. The valves of the organ pipes are connected to the sliding rods of the hurdy-gurdy mechanism via a mechanical action , so that pressing the button also opens the corresponding pipe valves. The organ bellows are connected to the axis of the hurdy-gurdy wheel via a gear. In most of the preserved instruments, the bellows of the magazine bellows and the wind chest are located within the body of the hurdy-gurdy, the organ pipes are above the ceiling of the body of the hurdy-gurdy.

The instrument, which is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London , has a four- and eight-foot register and the organ is housed in a box below the hurdy-gurdy, with the bellows and valves moving over the axis of the hurdy-gurdy played on the hurdy-gurdy keyboard. This keyboard is extended downwards by a fifth , but diatonic . This increases the organ's tonal range accordingly. This makes this instrument the only surviving instrument whose range corresponds to that which Joseph Haydn demands for the instrument in his works.

repertoire

In the eighteenth century, Adalbert Gyrowetz , Joseph Haydn , Vincenzo Orgitano , Ignaz Pleyel and Franz Xaver Sterkel , among others , composed for it. The works of all these composers were commissioned by Ferdinand IV in Naples through the mediation of the Austrian diplomat and musician Norbert Hadrawa, who played this instrument himself and taught it to the king.

Technical features

In terms of playing technique, the organ lier differs significantly from the hurdy-gurdy, with which it shares the keyboard and mechanics. It is possible to play the organ registers with several voices, whereby the melody string of the hurdy-gurdy is shortened and sounds at the highest note of a fingered multi-sound. This makes it impossible to play trills and arpeggios without leaving the lower notes, as is often done on the hurdy-gurdy: the remaining note sounds in the organ register.

The pitch of the melody string can be influenced by pressing the key, whereby vibrato is possible in this register, and neighboring notes can also be blended. Dynamic play of the strings is also possible.

Since the organ register is still supplied with air for a few seconds from the magazine bellows, if the crank is not turned, it is possible to continue playing while the hurdy-gurdy strings are not bowed. This frees the right hand to register in such passages, i.e. to switch the organ register on and off and to hang and unhook the hurdy-gurdy strings. Technically, it is also possible to grasp short passages with two hands.

present

With the first printing of the Haydn Concerts by HC Robbins Landon in 1959, a long series of attempts began to recreate the organ eggs necessary for their faithful performance. Some instrument makers have tried it, including Yves Donnier , Harald Elofsson , Robert Moore , Kurt Reichmann , Theo Scharpach and Wolfgang Weichselbaumer . In 1978 Reichmann from Frankfurt am Main presented his replica at the Frankfurt Music Fair . Scharpach built such an instrument for Eric Fisser in 2000. From 2004, Weichselbaumer built four organ eggs in Vienna, which have been used regularly at concerts with the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges since the beginning of 2005, concerts in the Cité de la musique in Paris and the Musikverein in Vienna. Organ lier soloists at these performances are Matthias Loibner , Tobie Miller and Thierry Nouat .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Marianne Bröcker: The hurdy-gurdy. 2nd Edition. Publishing house for systematic musicology, Bonn - Bad Godesberg 1977
  2. ^ Joseph Haydn: Five Concerts for Two Organ Eggs. Hoboken II: No. 1 in C / No. 2 in G / No. 3 in G / No. 4 in F / No. 5, Eight notturni for two organ eggs. Hoboken II: No. 25 in C / No. 26 in F / No. 27 in G / No. 28 in F / No. 29 in C / No. 30 in G / No. 31 in C / No. 32 in C
  3. ↑ Orgitano, Vincenzo: 3 symphonies harpsichord. Symphony, Fatte p SAR Maria Teresa Borbone. Con: VV Lire, Obue Clarinetti Viole, Bassoon, Trombe da Caccia e Basso, 1786. Austrian National Library, shelfmark: Mus.Hs.11045. Mus
  4. ^ HC Robins Landon: Joseph Haydn 5 Lirenkonzerte, Concerto No. 1 in C, Hob.VII h: 1 first printing, Vienna, 1959, foreword
  5. ↑ Hans Lang: Description of the organ eggs. Bordun eV, archived from the original on November 23, 2014 ; Retrieved May 14, 2009 .

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