Musical Instrument: Organ

The world of musical instruments is rich and diverse, so traveling through it is very educational and at the same time exciting activity. Instruments differ from each other in shape, size, structure and method of sound production and, as a result, are divided into different families: strings, winds, percussion and keyboards. Each of these families, in turn, breaks down into different types, for example, violin, cello and double bass, belong to the category of strings - bowed instruments, and the guitar, mandolin and balalaika are plucked strings. The horn, trumpet and trombone are classified as brass instruments, and the bassoon, clarinet and oboe are classified as woodwind instruments. Every musical instrument is unique and occupies its specific place in musical culture, for example, the organ is a symbol of beauty and mystery. It does not belong to the category of very popular instruments, since not everyone can even learn to play it. professional musician but deserves special attention. Anyone who hears an organ “live” at least once in a concert hall will receive an impression of a lifetime; its sound is mesmerizing and leaves no one indifferent. One gets the feeling that music is pouring out from heaven and that this is the creation of someone from above. Even appearance An instrument that is unique evokes a feeling of uncontrollable delight, which is why it is not without reason that the organ is called the “king of musical instruments.”

Sound

The sound of an organ is a powerful, emotionally affecting polyphonic texture that evokes delight and inspiration. It amazes, captivates the imagination and can bring you to ecstasy. The sound capabilities of the instrument are very great; in the vocal palette of the organ you can find very diverse colors, because the organ is able to imitate not only the sounds of many musical instruments, but also the singing of birds, the noise of trees, the roar of rockfalls, even the ringing of Christmas bells.

The organ has extraordinary dynamic flexibility: it can perform both the most delicate pianissimo and deafening fortissimo. In addition, the audio frequency range of the instrument is within the range of infra and ultrasound.

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Interesting Facts

• The organ is the only musical instrument that has a permanent registration.
• Organist is the name given to a musician who plays the organ.

• The concert hall in Atlantic City (USA) is famous for the fact that its main organ is considered the largest in the world (455 registers, 7 manuals, 33,112 pipes).
• Second place belongs to the Wanamaker organ (Philadelphia USA). It weighs about 300 tons, has 451 registers, 6 manuals and 30,067 pipes.
• The next largest is the organ of St. Stephen's Cathedral, which is located in the German city of Passau (229 registers, 5 manuals, 17,774 pipes).
• The instrument, the predecessor of the modern organ, was already popular in the first century AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero. His image is found on coins of that time.
• During the Second World War German soldiers The Soviet BM-13 multiple launch rocket systems, popularly known as “Katyusha”, were called “Stalin’s organ” because of their terrifying sound.
• One of the oldest partially preserved examples is an organ, the production of which dates back to the 14th century. Tool in given time is an exhibit of the National historical museum Stockholm (Sweden).
• In the 13th century, small organs called positive were actively used in field conditions. The outstanding director S. Eisenstein in his film “Alexander Nevsky”, for a more realistic depiction of the enemy camp - the camp of the Livonian knights, used a similar instrument in the scene during the bishop’s celebration of the mass.
• The only organ of its kind, which used pipes made of bamboo, was installed in 1822 in the Philippines, in the city of Las Piñas in the Church of St. Joseph.
• The most prestigious International competitions organists currently are: M. Ciurlionis Competition, (Vilnius, Lithuania); competition named after A. Gedicke (Moscow, Russia); name competition

The largest, most majestic musical instrument has an ancient history, with many stages of improvement.

The most distant ancestor of the organ from us in time is considered to be the Babylonian bagpipe, widespread in Asia in XIX-XVIII centuries BC. Air was pumped into the bellows of this instrument through a tube, and on the other side there was a body with pipes having holes and reeds.

The history of the organ’s origins also remembers “traces ancient greek gods": the deity of forests and groves Pan, according to legend, came up with the idea of ​​​​combining reed sticks of different lengths, and since then Pan's flute has become inseparable from musical culture Ancient Greece.

However, the musicians understood: it’s easy to play one pipe, but there’s not enough breath to play several pipes. The search for a replacement for human breathing for playing musical instruments bore the first fruits already in the 2nd-3rd centuries BC: in music scene Hydraulos came out for several centuries.

Hydraulos is the first step to organ greatness

Around the 3rd century BC. Greek inventor, mathematician, “father of pneumatics” Ctesibius of Alexandria created a device consisting of two piston pumps, a water tank and tubes for making sounds. One pump supplied air inside, the second supplied it to the pipes, and a reservoir of water equalized the pressure and ensured a smoother sound of the instrument.

Two centuries later, Heron of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician and engineer, improved the hydraulics by adding a miniature windmill and a metal spherical chamber immersed in water. The improved water organ received 3-4 registers, each of which contained 7-18 pipes of diatonic tuning.

The water organ has become widespread in the countries of the Mediterranean region. Hydraulos sounded at gladiator competitions, weddings and feasts, in theaters, circuses and hippodromes, during religious ceremonies. The organ became the favorite instrument of Emperor Nero; its sound could be heard throughout the Roman Empire.

In the service of Christianity

Despite the general cultural decline observed in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, the organ was not forgotten. By the middle of the 5th century, improved wind organs were being built in churches in Italy, Spain and Byzantium. Countries with the greatest religious influence became centers of organ music, and from there the instrument spread throughout Europe.

The medieval organ differed significantly from its modern “brother” in having fewer pipes and large size keys (up to 33 cm long and 8-9 cm wide), which were struck with a fist to produce sound. The "portable" - a small portable organ, and the "positive" - ​​a miniature stationary organ were invented.

The 17th-18th centuries are considered the “golden age” of organ music. The reduction in the size of the keys, the acquisition of beauty and variety of sound by the organ, crystal timbre clarity and the birth of a whole galaxy predetermined the splendor and grandeur of the organ. The solemn music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and many other composers sounded under the high arches of all Catholic cathedrals in Europe, and almost all the best musicians served as church organists.

With all the inextricable connection with Catholic Church, quite a lot of “secular” works have been written for the organ, including by Russian composers.

Organ music in Russia

The development of organ music in Russia followed an exclusively “secular” path: Orthodoxy categorically rejected the use of the organ in worship.

The first mention of an organ in Rus' is found on the frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv: “stone chronicle” Kievan Rus, dating from the 10th-11th centuries, preserved the image of a musician playing the “positive” and two calcantes (people pumping air into bellows).

Moscow sovereigns of different ages showed a keen interest in the organ and organ music. historical periods: Ivan III, Boris Godunov, Mikhail and Alexey Romanov “extracted” organists and organ builders from Europe. During the reign of Mikhail Romanov, not only foreign but also Russian organists became famous in Moscow, such as Tomila Mikhailov (Besov), Boris Ovsonov, Melenty Stepanov and Andrei Andreev.

Peter I, who devoted his life to introducing Russian society achievements of Western civilization, back in 1691 he ordered the German specialist Arp Schnittger to build an organ with 16 registers for Moscow. Six years later, in 1697, Schnitger sent another 8-register instrument to Moscow. During the life of Peter in the Lutheran and Catholic churches Dozens of organs were built on Russian territory, including gigantic projects with 98 and 114 registers.

Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine II also contributed to the development of organ music in Russia - during their reign, dozens of instruments were received in St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga, Narva, Jelgava and other cities in the northwestern region of the empire.

Many Russian composers used the organ in their work; just remember “ Maid of Orleans"Tchaikovsky, "Sadko" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Prometheus" by Scriabin, . Russian organ music combined classical Western European musical forms and traditional national expressiveness and charm, had a strong influence on the listener.

Modern organ

Having passed historical path two millennia long, the organ of the 20th-21st centuries looks like this: several thousand pipes located on different tiers and made of wood and metal. Wooden pipes square section produce bassy, ​​low-pitched sounds, while the tin-lead alloy metal tubes have a circular cross-section and are designed for a thinner, high-pitched sound.

The record-breaking organs are registered overseas, in the United States of America. Organ located in Philadelphia mall Macy's Lord & Taylor, weighs 287 tons and has six manuals. The instrument, located in Atlantic City's Concord Hall, is the loudest organ in the world and has more than 33,000 pipes.

The largest and most majestic organs in Russia are located in the Moscow House of Music, as well as in the Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky.

The development of new directions and styles has significantly increased the number of types and varieties of modern organs, with their own differences in operating principle and specific features. Today's classification of organs is as follows:

• wind organ;
• symphony organ;
• theater organ;
• electric organ;
• Hammond organ;
• Typhon organ;
• steam organ;
• street organ;
• orchestrion;
• organola;
• pyrophone;
• sea ​​organ;
• chamber organ;
• church organ;
• home organ;
• organum;
• digital organ;
• rock organ;
• pop organ;
• virtual organ;
• melodium.

In contact with

The organ is the largest musical instrument, a unique human creation. There are no two identical organs in the world.

The giant organ has many different timbres. This is achieved by using hundreds of metal pipes of varying sizes, through which air is blown, causing the pipes to hum, or “sing.” Moreover, the organ allows you to continue the sound for as long as you like at a constant volume.

The pipes are located horizontally and vertically, some are suspended on hooks. In modern organs their number reaches 30 thousand! The largest pipes are over 10 m high, and the smallest are 1 cm.

The organ management system is called the department. This is a complex mechanism controlled by an organist. The organ has several (from 2 to 7) manual keyboards (manuals), consisting of keys, like on a piano. Previously, the organ was played not with fingers, but with fists. There is also a foot keyboard or just a pedal with up to 32 keys.

Usually the performer is assisted by one or two assistants. They switch registers, the combination of which gives rise to a new timbre, not similar to the original one. The organ can replace an entire orchestra because its range exceeds the range of all the instruments in the orchestra.

The organ has been known since ancient times. The creator of the organ is considered to be the Greek mechanic Ctesibius, who lived in Alexandria in 296–228. BC e. He invented a water organ - the hydraulos.

Nowadays, the organ is most often used in religious services. Some churches and cathedrals hold concerts or organ services. In addition, there are bodies installed in concert halls. Most large organ in the world is located in the American city of Philadelphia, in the McCays department store. Its weight is 287 tons.

Many composers wrote music for the organ, but it was the genius composer Johann Sebastian Bach who revealed its capabilities as a virtuoso performer and created works of unsurpassed depth in its depth.

In Russia, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka paid significant attention to organ art.

It is almost impossible to master playing the organ on your own. This requires a lot of musical experience. Learning to play the organ begins in schools, if you have the skills to play the piano. But it is possible to master playing this instrument well by continuing your studies at the conservatory.

MYSTERY

The tool has been around for a long time

Decorated the cathedral.

Decorates and plays

The entire orchestra replaces

This keyboard wind instrument, according to the figurative characteristics of V.V. Stasov, “... the embodiment in musical images and the forms of aspirations of our spirit towards the colossal and infinitely majestic; He alone has those stunning sounds, those thunders, that majestic voice speaking as if from eternity, the expression of which is impossible for any other instrument, for any orchestra.”

On the stage of the concert hall you see the facade of an organ with part of the pipes. Hundreds of them are located behind its façade, arranged in tiers up and down, right and left, and extending in rows into the depths of the vast room. Some pipes are positioned horizontally, others vertically, and some are even suspended on hooks. In modern organs, the number of pipes reaches 30,000. The largest are more than 10 m high, the smallest are 10 mm. In addition, the organ has an air injection mechanism - bellows and air ducts; the pulpit where the organist sits and where the instrument control system is concentrated.

The sound of the organ makes a huge impression. The giant instrument has many different tones. It's like a whole orchestra. In fact, the range of the organ exceeds that of all instruments in the orchestra. This or that color of the sound depends on the structure of the pipes. A set of pipes of a single timbre is called a register. Their number in large instruments reaches 200. But the main thing is that the combination of several registers gives rise to a new color of sound, a new timbre, not similar to the original one. The organ has several (from 2 to 7) manual keyboards - manuals, arranged in a terrace-like manner. They differ from each other in timbre coloring and register composition. A special keyboard is a foot pedal. It has 32 keys for toe and heel playing. Traditionally, the pedal is used as the lowest voice, the bass, but sometimes it also serves as one of the middle voices. There are also register switching levers on the lectern. Usually the performer is assisted by one or two assistants; they switch registers. The newest instruments use a “memory” device, thanks to which you can select a certain combination of registers in advance and at the right moment, by pressing a button, make them sound.

Organs have always been built for a specific location. The masters provided for all its features, acoustics, dimensions, etc. Therefore, there are no two identical instruments in the world, each - unique creation masters One of the best is the organ of the Dome Cathedral in Riga.

Organ music is written on three staves. Two of them fix a batch of manuals, one for the pedal. The notes do not indicate the registration of the work: the performer himself looks for the most expressive techniques to reveal artistic image essays. Thus, the organist becomes, as it were, a co-author of the composer in the instrumentation (registration) of the work. The organ allows you to stretch out a sound or a chord for as long as you like at a constant volume. This feature of his acquired its artistic expression in the emergence of the organ point technique: with a constant sound in the bass, melody and harmony develop. Musicians on any instrument create dynamic nuance within each musical phrase. The color of the organ sound remains unchanged regardless of how hard the key is struck, so performers use special moves to depict the beginning and end of phrases, the logic of structure within the phrase itself. The ability to combine different timbres at the same time led to the composition of works for the organ of a predominantly polyphonic nature (see Polyphony).

The organ has been known since ancient times. The manufacture of the first organ is attributed to the mechanic from Alexandria Ctesibius, who lived in the 3rd century. BC e. It was a water organ - hydraulos. The pressure of the water column ensured the uniformity of air pressure entering the sounding pipes. Later, an organ was invented in which air was supplied into the pipes using bellows. Before the advent of the electric drive, air was pumped into the pipes by special workers - calcantes. In the Middle Ages, along with large organs, there were also small ones - regalis and portables (from the Latin “porto” - “carry”). Gradually the instrument was improved and by the 16th century. acquired an almost modern appearance.

Many composers wrote music for the organ. Organ art reached its highest peak at the end of the 17th - 1st half of the 18th century. in the works of such composers as I. Pachelbel, D. Buxtehude, D. Frescobaldi, G. F. Handel, J. S. Bach. Bach created works unsurpassed in depth and perfection. In Russia, M. I. Glinka paid significant attention to the organ. He played this instrument beautifully and made transcriptions of various works for it.

In our country, the organ can be heard in concert halls of Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Riga, Tallinn, Gorky, Vilnius and many other cities. Soviet and foreign organists perform works not only by ancient masters, but also by Soviet composers.

Electric organs are also being built now. However, the principle of operation of these instruments is different: the sound arises due to electric generators of various designs (see Electric musical instruments).

“King of Tools” - that’s what they call it huge size, amazing sound range and unique richness of timbres of a wind organ. A musical instrument with a centuries-old history, which has survived periods of enormous popularity and oblivion, it served both for religious services and social entertainment. The organ is also unique in that it belongs to the class of wind instruments, but is equipped with keys. A special feature of this majestic instrument is that to play it, the performer must masterfully control not only his hands, but also his feet.

A little history

The organ is a musical instrument with a rich and ancient history. According to experts, the ancestors of this giant can be considered the syrinx - the simplest reed flute of Pan, the ancient oriental organ made of sheng reeds and the Babylonian bagpipe. What all these dissimilar instruments have in common is that to extract sound from them, a more powerful air flow is needed than human lungs can create. Already in ancient times, a mechanism was found that could replace human breathing - bellows, similar to those used to fan the fire in a blacksmith's forge.

Ancient history

Already in the 2nd century BC. e. The Greek craftsman from Alexandria Ctesibius (Ctesebius) invented and assembled a hydraulic organ - hydraulics. Air was pumped into it by a water press, and not by bellows. Thanks to such changes, the air flow was much more uniform, and the sound of the organ became more beautiful and smooth.

In the first centuries of the spread of Christianity, air bellows replaced the water pump. Thanks to this replacement, it became possible to increase both the number and size of pipes in the organ.

The further history of the organ, a musical instrument, quite loud and little regulated, developed in such European countries oh, like Spain, Italy, France and Germany.

Middle Ages

In the middle of the 5th century AD. e. organs were built in many Spanish churches, but due to their very loud sound they were used only on major holidays. In 666, Pope Vitalian introduced this instrument into catholic worship. In the 7th-8th centuries the organ underwent several changes and improvements. It was at this time that the most famous organs were created in Byzantium, but the art of their construction also developed in Europe.

In the 9th century, Italy became the center of their production, from where they were distributed even to France. Later, skilled craftsmen appeared in Germany. By the 11th century, such musical giants were being built in most European countries. However, it is worth noting that modern instrument differs significantly from what a medieval organ looks like. The instruments created in the Middle Ages were much cruder than later ones. Thus, the sizes of the keys varied from 5 to 7 cm, and the distance between them could reach 1.5 cm. To play such an organ, the performer used fists rather than fingers, hitting the keys with force.

In the 14th century, the organ became a popular and widespread instrument. This was also facilitated by the improvement of this instrument: the organ keys replaced large and inconvenient plates, a bass keyboard for the feet appeared, equipped with a pedal, the registers became noticeably more diverse, and the range was wider.

Renaissance

In the 15th century, the number of tubes was increased and the size of the keys was reduced. During the same period, a small portable (organetto) and a small stationary (positive) organ became popular and widespread.

Musical instrument XVI century becomes more and more complex: the keyboard becomes five-manual, and the range of each manual could reach up to five octaves. Register switches appeared, which made it possible to significantly increase the timbre capabilities. Each of the keys could be connected to dozens and sometimes hundreds of pipes, which produced sounds that were the same in pitch but differed in color.

Baroque

Many researchers call the 17th-18th centuries the golden period of organ performance and organ building. The instruments built at this time not only sounded great and could imitate the sound of any one instrument, but also entire orchestral groups and even choirs. In addition, they were distinguished by their transparency and clarity of timbre sound, most suitable for the performance of polyphonic works. It should be noted that most of the great organ composers, such as Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Pachelbel, Bach, wrote their works specifically for the “baroque organ”.

"Romantic" period

Romanticism of the 19th century, according to many researchers, with its desire to give this musical instrument a rich and powerful sound inherent symphony orchestra, had a positive impact both on the construction of organs and on organ music dubious, and even bad influence. Masters, and primarily the Frenchman Aristide Cavaillé-Cohl, sought to create instruments capable of becoming an orchestra for one performer. Instruments appeared in which the sound of the organ became unusually powerful and large-scale, new timbres appeared, and various design improvements were made.

New time

The 20th century, especially at its beginning, was characterized by a desire for gigantism, which was reflected in organs and their scale. However, such trends quickly passed, and a movement arose among performers and specialists in the construction of organs, promoting a return to comfortable and simple tools Baroque type, with a genuine organ sound.

Appearance

What we see from the hall is outer side, and it is called the façade of the organ. Looking at it, it’s difficult to decide what it is: a wonderful mechanism, a unique musical instrument, or a work of art? The description of the organ, a musical instrument of truly impressive size, could fill several volumes. We will try to make general sketches in a few lines. First of all, the facade of the organ is unique and inimitable in each of the halls or temples. The only thing in common is that it consists of pipes assembled into several groups. In each of these groups, the pipes are arranged in height. Behind the austere or richly decorated facade of the organ lies a complex structure, thanks to which the performer can imitate the voices of birds or the sound of the sea surf, imitate the high sound of a flute or an entire orchestral group.

How is it arranged?

Let's look at the structure of the organ. The musical instrument is very complex and can consist of three or more small organs that the performer can control simultaneously. Each of them has its own set of pipes - registers and manual (keyboard). This complex mechanism is controlled from the executive console, or as it is also called, the lectern. It is here that the keyboards (manuals) are located one above the other, on which the performer plays with his hands, and below there are huge pedals - keys for the feet, which allow you to extract the lowest bass sounds. An organ can have many thousands of pipes, lined up in a row, and located in internal chambers, closed from the viewer's eyes by a decorative facade (avenue).

Each of the small organs included in the “large” one has its own purpose and name. The most common are the following:

• main - Haupwerk;
• top - Oberwerk;
• "ruckpositive" - ​​Rückpositiv.

Haupwerk - the "main organ" contains the main registers and is the largest. Somewhat smaller and softer sounding, the Rückpositiv also contains some solo registers. “Oberwerk” - “upper” introduces a number of onomatopoeic and solo timbres into the ensemble. “Rukpositive” and “overwerk” pipes can be installed in semi-closed chamber-blinds, which open and close using a special channel. Due to this, effects such as gradual strengthening or weakening of sound can be created.

As you remember, an organ is a musical instrument that is both keyboard and wind. It consists of many pipes, each of which can produce a sound of one timbre, pitch and strength.

A group of pipes producing sounds of the same timbre are combined into registers that can be activated from the remote control. Thus, the performer can select the desired register or a combination of them.

Air is pumped into modern organs using an electric motor. From the bellows, through air ducts made of wood, the air is directed into vinladas - a special system of wooden boxes, in the top covers of which special holes are made. It is in them that the organ pipes are strengthened with their “legs”, into which air from the vinlad enters under pressure.