Virginal

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Virginal
engl .:  virginal , it .:  virginale
Gabriel Townsend, London, 1641 - virginal - IMG 3908.JPG
Virginal, Gabriel Townsend, London 1641, Brussels Musical Instrument Museum.
classification Chordophone
keyboard
instrument keel instrument
range 2½ octaves (late Middle Ages)
over 4 octaves (16th & 17th centuries)
to 5 octaves (late period)
Template: Infobox musical instrument / maintenance / sound sample parameters missing Related instruments

Spinet , harpsichord , clavichord

Musician
Category: Harpsichordist , List of Harpsichordists

The virginal is a small design of the harpsichord , i.e. a keel instrument . Its strings are plucked by keels ( picks ) via a mechanism operated by the keyboard. In the virginal, the strings run parallel to the keyboard , thus across the keys. Virginals are typically single-manual as well as single-choir and have a polygonal or rectangular shape. They come in table form (fixed legs) and in box form (no mounted legs).

etymology

The virginal was first mentioned by Paulus Paulirinus of Prague in his Liber viginti artium (Book of 20 Arts; 1459–63). He traced the name back to the Latin virgo = 'virgin': "... Virginale dictum, quod uti virgo dulcorat mitibus et suavissimis vocibus." - "... It is called virginal because it sings like a virgin (= virgo ) with a soft and sweet voice."

Curt Sachs, on the other hand, postulated the origin of the name virga 'Dorn, Stab, Rute', which can still be found in current editions of music in the past and present .

The current designation "virginal" only partially corresponds to the historical nomenclature . In Italy, polygonal virginals were usually referred to as " arpicordo " or " clavicordio " , but especially in the 17th century as " spinetta " . In other European countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands, these instruments were also called "spinet" or " épinette ". In England, the term " virginalls " was always used in the plural, sometimes also as " a pair of virginalls " , and in the 16th and early 17th centuries meant any form of keel instrument, including harpsichord, and by no means just the instrument that one today referred to as virginal. The music of the composers William Byrd , John Bull , Giles Farnaby , Thomas Morley , Peter Philips and others known today as the English “virginalists” . a. is therefore by no means completely specifically intended for the virginal, although it was certainly often played on the "real" virginal that was widespread at the time.

history

Virginal (and lute) in an inlay in the Studiolo of Isabella d'Este , Palazzo Ducale, Mantua

The virginal, like the harpsichord and the clavichord , can be traced back to the polychord with a keyboard and the psaltery , which emerged in the 13th century . In 1440, Henri Arnaut de Zwolle described in one of his treatises the construction of a " clavisimbalum " and a " clavicordum ", and indicates the possibility of turning a square clavichord into a " clavisimbalum " if one installs springers with keels instead of a tangent mechanism. It is possible that Arnaut meant a virginal by such a square " clavisimbalum " - but without mentioning this name.

The first images of the Virginal are a woodcut in Sebastian Virdung's Musica Tutscht from 1511, and elegant inlays from the beginning of the 16th century on a door of the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican and in the Isabella d'Este studios in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua . The first surviving instrument is a virginal by Francesco de Portalupi from Verona from 1523; it is now in the Musée de la Musique in Paris.

Virginals were particularly common in Italy, England and the southern Netherlands (now Belgium) from the 16th to 18th centuries. The main centers of virginal and harpsichord construction were in Italy, and from around 1580 to around 1650 in Antwerp. Its popularity peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries, with more than 100 virginals from Italy dating back to before 1600 alone, compared to "only" about 50 harpsichords.

Italian and early virginals mostly had a polygonal shape (five-, six-, or rarely heptagonal), while Flemish instruments from around 1580 and English instruments of the 17th century preferred the rectangular shape; also Neapolitan instruments, e.g. B. by Honofrio Guarracino (1628-after 1698), are usually rectangular. Most historical virginals, especially in Italy and Flanders, had a short octave with C / E in the bass . Italian instruments of the 16th century very often had a relatively large size up to f '' '(e.g. the virginals by Portalupi 1523, and by A. Patavinus). In traditional music, however, there are only a few works by Venetian dance masters such as Giovanni Picchi or by Neapolitan composers such as Ascanio Mayone that at least go up to d '' '.

Catharina van Hemessen, Girl at the Virginal, 1548. Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne.

Despite their modest dimensions, many of these instruments were valuable luxury items that are almost reminiscent of treasure boxes thanks to their ornate inlays made of materials such as precious wood, ivory, mother-of-pearl , gilding or paintings. One of the most valuable musical instruments of all (pure material value) is the famous virginal by Annibale dei Rossi from 1577, with ebony, ivory and 1928 precious and semi-precious stones - even on the keys.

The virginal was particularly popular with women, or was associated with women. As early as the 16th century there is a portrait of a girl at the virginal by Catharina van Hemessen (1548, Wallraf-Richartz, Cologne. See fig. Right), and self-portraits at the virginal by Sofonisba Anguissola (1555, Museo di Capodimonte, Naples; and 1561, Althorp, Northamptonshire) and Lavinia Fontana (1577, Accademia di San Luca). The subject of a lady at the virginal was particularly popular in Holland and Flanders in the 17th century; there are numerous pictures by Vermeer , Gabriel Metsu , Gerrit Dou , van der Neer and others. a. The frequently reported derivation of the word virginal from Latin "virgo" = virgin cannot be the reason for this feminine connotation, because of the much more frequent designation of the instrument as "spinetta", "espinette" or "spinetten". For the popularity in England under Elizabeth I , who played " the virginals " herself well , this association cannot be completely dismissed. There is an anecdote of how Elizabeth I James Melville, an envoy from Mary Queen of Scots, asked about their musical abilities:

“How does Maria pass the time, whether she plays the lute or the spinet well? "Quite well for a queen," replied Melville .... That evening Lord Hunsdon, ..., secretly led Melville into Elizabeth's room, where she played the spinet 'unusually well'. When she saw him and switched him off because he was here without permission, he replied quickly: "I heard a melody that delighted me and somehow lured me into this room."

- James Melville : about Elizabeth I, Queen of England

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London keeps a presumably Italian, anonymous virginal from around 1570, known as " Queen Elisabeth's virginal ". The instrument has a Morisk decoration in black, gold, red and blue, upper keys with silver, ebony and ivory inlays, and bears the coat of arms and emblems of the Tudors , which were also used by Anne Boleyn and Elisabeth I.

Construction

Mother & Child Virginal, Lodewijck Grouwels, 1600. Metropolitan Museum of Art . The "mother" is the left manual and the "child" the right.

With the virginal, the long bass strings are in front, near the keyboard and the player; the high, short strings are at the back. Due to the special construction, the key levers become longer and longer from left to right, from bass to treble. As a result, the high register, which usually requires more mobility than the bass, is relatively immobile and also generates audible knocking noises.

Virginals have two "sounding bridges" that both lie on the soundboard , which results in a relatively full, warm and singing sound character. In contrast, with the harpsichord and spinet, only one bridge is on the soundboard, the other is on the sound post .

The attachment of the keyboard to the instrument determines where the strings are plucked. Most instruments have the keyboard on the left. The strings are therefore torn near their end, similar to the harpsichord and spinet. According to Klaas Douwes (1699), these instruments were called spinettes in Dutch . Instruments with the keyboard in the middle are rarer, here the sound character is a bit darker.

The Muselaar -Virginal is an instrument with the keyboard on the right side; it was built exclusively in Flanders , especially by the Ruckers . Since the strings of a muselaar are plucked roughly in the middle, the sound is very fundamental, i.e. with only a small proportion of overtones . The sound character is dark, bell-shaped and flute. The oscillation amplitude of a string is always greatest in the middle; this makes muselaars susceptible to background noise, and fast playing is problematic (but also because of the long key levers in the treble).

Muselaare often have a so-called arpichordium register. Pulling this register brings small metal hooks close to the bass strings. When swinging, the strings hit the hooks, creating a rattling sound. The name of this register comes from the use of similar devices in historical harps (so-called snare hooks).

In Flanders in the 16th and 17th centuries there was also the virginal called “mother-and-child” (Dutch: “ de moeder met het kind ”). It consisted of a rectangular virginal sounding in the normal position (8 '= eight feet), approx. 1.75 m wide, on which a small virginal (4' = four feet) could be placed, which sounds an octave higher. The 4 '"child" was usually in a drawer next to the mother, and below the soundboard; if you took it out there and installed it on the large instrument, the jumpers of the "child" could be operated from the keyboard of the "mother". So you practically had a two-manual instrument with individual 8 'and 4' registers that could also be coupled.

Small octave virals in 4 'position ( Ottavino ) were also built in other countries, especially in Italy (e.g. the anonymous Ottavino around 1620 in Geneva, or the instrument by Denis in 1667). The Ruckers also built virals in other pitches, e.g. B. Quart instruments that sounded a fourth higher than corresponded to the keys pressed.

Virginals with two 8 'registers are very rare: three instruments are in the Hamburg Museum of Art and Crafts (Rossi 1569, Celestini 1594, and Anonymus "approx. 1580").

Double virginal (8'-8 ') by Bartolomeo Cristofori, Florence, 1693. Museum for Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig (inv. No. 53).

Also Bartolomeo Cristofori built in 1690 and 1693 two "oval" double-Virginale with 8'-8 'disposition for Ferdinando de' Medici , the Grand Duke of Tuscany. One of these two extraordinary instruments (Florence 1693) is now in the Musical Instrument Museum of the University of Leipzig (inv. No. 53). A third instrument of this form has been preserved from Giuseppe Maria Goccini (Copenhagen, Musikhistorisk Museum).

Due to their small size, Virginals are particularly suitable for solo and chamber music in a small setting. The shape of the rectangular virgin is said to have been the model for the table pianos that appeared in the 18th century .

Sheet music

gallery

  • Fourth virginal by Hans Ruckers , 1583. Musée de la musique , Paris

  • Polygonal Italian virginal by A. Patavinus.

  • Polygonal Italian virginal by Portalupi 1523. Paris, Musée de la musique. This is the earliest surviving virginal.

  • Virginal (spinetta) by Annibale dei Rossi, Milan 1577. Set with ebony, ivory and 1928 semi-precious and precious stones

  • Octave virginal (Ottavino), Anonymous, around 1620. Musée d'Art et d'histoire, Geneva 21102014

  • Virginal, Anonymus Augsburg around 1600, Musikinstrumentenmuseum Berlin (Cat.-No. 2217)

  • Muselar by Andreas Ruckers, Antwerp, 1628. Brussels, Musée Instrumental, IMG 3966

  • Octave virginal by Jean II Denis 1667. Musée Municipal, Varzy

  • Virginal by Giovanni Celestini 1587. Hamburg, Museum of Arts and Crafts

  • Neapolitan virginal by Guaracino 1667, cover painting from 1669. Milan, Museo del teatro alla Scala

literature

  • Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich et al. 2000.
  • Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003. (English; with a detailed bibliography on the subject of harpsichord and other keel instruments.)
  • Edward L. Kottick, George Lucktenberg: Early Keyboard Instruments in European Museums. Indiana University Press, Bloomington / Indianapolis 1997 (English).
  • Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1990.
  • Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal. In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition. 2001, pp. 780-788.
  • John Henry van der Meer : harpsichord, clavizitherium, spinet, virginal. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG) , Sachteil, Vol. 2. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / J.-B.-Metzler-Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, pp. 487-528, here especially: p. 487 and p. 492-494.

Web links

Commons : Virginals  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Standley Howell: Paulus Paulirinus of Prague on Musical Instruments . In: Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society . V – VI, 1979, pp. 9-36 .
  2. ↑

    “[V] IRGINALE est instrumentum habens formam in modum clavicordii, habens cordas metallinas facientes sonoritatem clavicimbali, habens choros cordarum triginta duosduas, percussione digittorum in clavos pereminentes, et in tonos et semitonia resonans suaviter. Virginale dictum, quod uti virgo dulcorat mitibus et suavissimis vocibus. "

    "The virginal has the shape of a clavichord, and metal strings which produce the sonority of a harpsichord. It has thiry-two courses of strings [voiced] by striking the fingers on projecting keys, sounding sweetly in both whole-tones and semitones. It is called a virginal because, like a virgin, it soothes with a sweet and gentle voice. "

    - Standley Howell, p. 18
  3. ^ Curt Sachs: Real-Lexikon der Musikinstrumenten, 1913, p. 416 (3rd reprint 1979, Georg Olms Verlag)
  4. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: "Virginal ". In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition, 2001, p. 780.
  5. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: "Virginal ". In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition. 2001, p. 780. Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1990, p. 35 and p. 311. (O'Brian cited: Klaas Douwes, Grondig Ondersoek van de Toonen der Musijk , Franeker, 1699; facs. Amsterdam, 1970. p. 104f)
  6. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal , in: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition, 2001, p. 780.
  7. ↑ According to van der Meer, the English term "virginalls" was only used specifically for virginals from around 1650; Originally English virginals are also only received from this time. John Henry van der Meer : harpsichord, clavizitherium, spinet, virginal. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG) , Sachteil, vol. 2. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / J.-B.-Metzler-Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, p. 487.
  8. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 18-22, here: pp. 21-22.
  9. ↑ This thesis represents u. a. Kottick, in: Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 21.
  10. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 18-22, here: pp. 21-23 (Virdung), and p. 69 (Vatican).
  11. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 76.
  12. ↑ Edwin M. Ripin, Denzil Wraight, Darryl Martin: Virginal. In: Stanley Sadie (Ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , Vol. 26, 2nd edition. 2001, p. 780. John Henry van der Meer : Harpsichord, Klavizitherium, Spinett, Virginal. In: Ludwig Finscher (Ed.): Music in Past and Present (MGG) , Sachteil, Vol. 2. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / J.-B.-Metzler-Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, pp. 487-528; here in particular: p. 487 and p. 492–494.
  13. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 67. The number of 50 surviving Italian harpsichords from before 1600 is in fact impressive compared to other countries. Only one harpsichord from this period has survived from Germany and England.
  14. ↑ John Henry van der Meer : harpsichord, clavizitherium, spinet, virginal. In: Ludwig Finscher (Ed.): Music in Past and Present (MGG) , Sachteil, Vol. 2. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel / J.-B.-Metzler-Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, pp. 492–494.
  15. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 76.
  16. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 200.
  17. ^ John E. Neale: "Elisabeth I, Queen of England", Diederichs, Munich 1994, p. 145.
  18. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 94 & 95 (Fig. In bw), and p. 200.See also: Edward L. Kottick, George Lucktenberg: Early Keyboard Instruments in European Museums. Indiana University Press, Bloomington / Indianapolis 1997, p. 244 (more detailed description + illustration in bw).
  19. ↑ Edward L. Kottick, George Lucktenberg: Early Keyboard Instruments in European museum. Indiana University Press, Bloomington / Indianapolis 1997, p. 244.
  20. ↑ Here after: Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1990, p. 35 and p. 311. O'Brian cited from: Klaas Douwes, Grondig Ondersoek van de Toonen der Musijk , Franeker, 1699; facs. Amsterdam, 1970, pp. 104f.
  21. ^ Grant O'Brian: Ruckers - A harpsichord and virginal building tradition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1990, p. 35
  22. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, p. 94 (Rossi & Celestini). Detailed description of the anonymous Italian 8'-8'-Virginal "approx. 1580", in: Andreas Beurmann: Historical keyboard instruments - The Andreas and Heikedine Beurmann collection in the Museum of Art and Industry Hamburg. Prestel, Munich et al. 2000, pp. 27–31, and p. 35.
  23. ↑ Edward L. Kottick: A History of the Harpsichord. Indiana University Press, Bloomington (Indiana) 2003, pp. 212-213.