CITOLES

DANS LES MINIATURES DES CANTIGAS DE S.MARIA

Giuseppe Severini et Salvatore Scandura

Parmi les instruments à cordes pincées représentés dans les miniatures des Cantigas de Santa Maria, trois semblent avoir une certaine parenté : la guitarra morisca (si on peut l'appeler ainsi) et deux modèles différents de citole.

Le premier est représenté quatre fois entre les mains de musiciens aux traits européens et une fois entre les mains d'un Maure. Il a un long manche, une table d'harmonie ovoïde, probablement en cuir, comme on pourrait le penser en observant les très petites perforations.

Parmi les différentes représentations, il existe des variations dans les dimensions, dans la forme du cheviller et dans le nombre de cordes.

 Les citoles sont exclusivement entre les mains de musiciens aux traits européens, et semblent être de deux types : l'une à bord pointillé et l'autre à bord simple. Dans les deux cas, les rosaces ont des perforations  larges et le manche, les chevilles et le nombre de cordes sont également les mêmes.

Notre idée est que entre la guitarra morisca avec table d'harmonie en peau et la citole avec table d'harmonie en bois, il y avait un moment de transition dans lequel la citole avait une table d'harmonie en peau.

-          La table d'harmonie. Dans les instruments arabes tels que les rebabs et les luths du genre Guimbri, la table d'harmonie en cuir est collée au corps de l'instrument en fixant latéralement les bords de la peau avec des épingles en bois.

Nous avons essayé une autre technique.

 Nous avons conçu un cadre en bois de cyprès de 6 mm d'épaisseur, sur lequel nous avons collé et fixé la peau à l'aide de colle forte et de 100 petites épingles en bois. La rosette fonctionne comme un élément de résistance.   Lorsque la colle a complètement séché, nous avons découpé les bords extérieurs du cadre et finalement collé le cadre à la caisse.    

 -     La touche repose sur deux supports qui lui donnent l'angle just.

 -    Le silletEn observant attentivement les figures des Cantigas, nous avons observé que la touche se termine en pointe et dans l'espace derrière le sillet, il y a quatre trous pour faire passer les cordes.   

 -    Le cheviller.  Nous avons reproduit le cheviller tel qu'il se présente, avec une section triangulaire, dans les côtés du quel s'insèrent les quatre chevilles, deux de chaque côté. 

-       La division de la touche et l'accord.

Cinq frettes sont observées dans les peintures. S'ils suivaient un arrangement chromatique, ils  arriveraient à la quarte. Nous avons choisi une disposition diatonique suivant la gamme pytagoricienne (touche modale). Si l’on utilise l’ accord suivant: G2 C3 F3 C4 on aura ces séries sur la touche : do re mi fa sol la (hexacorde  naturel) et fa sol la sib do re (hexacorde mol). La deuxième corde (corde mobile) peut être haussée jusqu’à G3, créant la série sol la si do re mi (hexacorde dur) dejà presente sur la corde plus grave. Ainsi  on peut jouer les differentes melodies des Cantigas et les accompagner aussi avec des « power chords »  puissants et faciles à exécuter.  

-  Le chevalet est en peuplier avec des pieds arrondis de 10 mm d'épaisseur. 

-  Le cordierIl n'y a pas de cordier. Les cordes s'accrochent à des chevilles en bois fixées dans le bord inférieur de la caisse. 

-  Diapason, cordes et frettesLe diapason de l'instrument mesure cm. 60.Les cordes et les frettes sont en boyau naturel, de notre propre fabrication. 

Diametres

Frettes :  mm. 0.95

Cordes :

C4          mm. 0.58

F3                   0.68

C3                   0.80

G2                   1.20

La préférence est pour les basses tensions.

Conclusions

Nous avons beaucoup appris de cette expérience: les qualités sonores de la peau, surtout, et, après, l’inutilité de la touche chromatique pour jouer la musique des Cantigas.  Nous voudrons essayer de faire des Citoles similaires mais de taille plus petite, par exemple, diapason cm.48 ou 52.

TRADUCTION

Tra gli strumenti a corde pizzicate ritratti nelle miniature delle Cantigas de S.Maria,  tre ci sembrano avere una qualche relazione: la guitarra morisca (se così possiamo chiamarla) e due diversi modelli di citola.

La prima è raffigurata quattro volte nelle mani di musicisti con tratti europei e una nelle mani di un Moro. Ha un lungo manico, la tavola armonica ovoidale, probabilmente in pelle, come si può pensare osservando le traforature molto piccole.

Tra le diverse raffigurazioni si osservano varianti nelle dimensioni, nella forma del cavigliere e nel numero delle corde.

Le citole sono esclusivamente nelle mani di musicisti dai tratti europei, e sembrano essere di due tipi:  uno con il bordo della tavola armonica puntinato e l’altro con il bordo semplice. In entrambi i casi le rosette hanno traforature abbastanza grandi e anche manico, cavigliere e numero di corde sono gli stessi.

La nostra idea è che nel confronto tra  guitarra morisca con tavola armonica in pelle e citola con tavola armonica in legno, vi sia stato un momento di transizione in cui la citola avesse la tavola armonica in pelle.

• La tavola armonica.

Negli strumenti arabi come Rebab e Liuti del genere Guimbri, la tavola armonica in pelle è incollata al corpo dello strumento fermando i bordi della pelle lateralmente con spine di legno.

Noi abbiamo provato una tecnica diversa. Abbiamo disegnato un telaio di legno di cipresso dello spessore di mm.6, sul quale abbiamo incollato e fissato la pelle utilizzando colla forte e 100 piccole spine di legno. La rosetta funziona come elemento di resistenza. Quando la colla si è completamente asciugata abbiamo ritagliato i bordi esterni del telaio e infine abbiamo incollato il telaio alla cassa.

• La tastiera

La tastiera è appogiata a due supporti che le conferiscono la giusta inclinazione.

• Il capotasto

Osservando attentamente le figure delle Cantigas si nota che le tastiere terminano a punta e nello spazio dietro il capotasto ci sono quattro buchi per il passaggio delle corde.

• Il cavigliere

Abbiamo  riprodotto il cavigliere così come appare, con una sezione triangolare, nei lati del quale sono infissi i qattro piroli, due per lato.

• La divisione della tastiera e l’accoradura.

Nei dipinti si osservano sempre cinque tasti. Se seguissero una disposizione cromatica sarebbero veramente pochi. Abbiamo scelto una disposizione diatonica seguendo la scala pitagorica (tastiera modale). Se usiamo questa accoradatura: G2 C3 F3 C4 avremo sulla tastiera queste serie : do re mi fa sol la (esacordo naturale) e  fa sol la  si do re, (esacordo molle). La seconda corda (corda mobile) può essere portata a G3, realizzando la serie sol la si do re mi (esacordo duro).  Si possono così eseguire con facilità diverse melodie delle Cantigas e accompagnarle con « power chords » efficaci e facili da eseguire.

• Il ponticello

Il ponticello è in pioppo con piedi arrotondati, dello spessore di mm.10.

• La cordiera

La cordierà non c’è. Le corde si agganciano a dei pioli di legno infissi nel bordo inferiore della cassa.

• Diapason, corde e tasti

Il diapason dello strumento è cm. 60.

Le corde e i tasti sono in budello naturale, di nostra fabbricazione.

ORGANISTRUM : ITS TUNING AND KEYBOARD.

The aim of the present article is to present the ultimate result of my research on the possibility of rebuilding the Organistrum (Giuseppe Antonio Severini, Organistrum. Un caso di archeologia sperimentale. Tipheret, 2020). Italian text only.

1.Sources and features

The information we have on the instrument comes from a dozen images in books and works of art of the 12th century.

Constant elements

1. The Organistrum has an « 8 » shape, with a rectangular extension.
2. The dimensions are such as to occupy the knees of two men seated side by side.
3. The wheel and the crank are a characteristic element, as are the three strings, in one case two, in one other perhaps one.
4. The row of keys ends within the middle of the string.

Variable elements

 The number of keys can change: 6 to 11 (or 12).

Unknown elements

 I. There is no information about the tuning and the musical scale but from a plate in Martin Gerbert, De cantu et musica sacra, 1774. The same drawing gives an idea of the possible mechanism of the keys.

II. We know nothing more about the inner structure of the keyboard.

From these premises it follows that the replicas of the Organistrum so far attempted are at least partly hypothetical.

This obviously concerns the Variable elements  and the Unknown Elements.

Almost all the replicas take as a model the Organistrum of the Portico de la Gloria of Santiago de Compostela because, compared to all the other representations it is the richest in details, it has the maximum number of keys, it occupies the most important location.

There are 12 keys within the octave, the first of which should be the nut : they are definetly too many, unless you want to conclude that this is a chromatic keyboard.

Another arbitrary element lies in the choice of the generally adopted fifth and octave tuning, inspired by the organum parallelum polyphonic technique, described in texts that precede any known depiction of the Organistrum by at least a century or two. Instruments made following these hypotheses have little use in the performance of medieval music.

2. A different solution

In search of a different solution, I found myself reconsidering two objects that are certainly of the first level.

A.) The only drawing of the keyboard that we have left, complete with indications on the scale and on the structure of the keys, is the one copied by Martin Gerbert from a 12th c. manuscript, now lost, in Saint Blaise monastery.

Gerbert's keys have been interpreted as revolving bars with a long "spatula" tangent placed under the strings. The tangent would be brought into contact with all three strings simultaneously through a rotation. This system does not work in practice.

I prefer another interpretation of this drawing: the eight keys would be rotatable or lever acting from above the strings, pressing them against fixed frets, and it works.

Gerbert provides a scale for the instrument: from C to the next C with a single accidental, Bb. The fact that the intonations of the other two strings are not indicated leads to the conclusion that :

1. they all had the same frequency;
2. were in C with different octaves;
3. Gerbert has forgotten to copy them.

The indicated scale is the canonical one and logically must be respected. The indication for the tuning being incomplete, this does not mean that it should be overridden. It is preferable to stick to hypotheses 1. and 2.

So we are faced with a diatonic instrument capable of producing all the intervals of the diatonic scale with a continuous sound. As several authors have observed, it seems to be an evolution of the Monochord. What could this instrument be used for? To provide a certain reference of the notes (a tuner), to play pedals in polyphony helping the singers in intonation.

B.) The musical repertoire coeval with the representations of the Organistrum, all of the 12th century, gives us more suggestions.

The manuscripts of Limoges, Winchester, Santiago de Compostela and Paris (Notre Dame), show an interesting two parts polyphonic repertoire. The scales are strictly diatonic. The only alteration used is Bb. These compositions were sung and intended for the liturgy. Many of these, called organum floridum or melismaticum, consisted of a bass vox principalis, and a higher vox organalis. Each note of the vox principalis corresponds to groups of many notes of the vox organalis. The extension of the vox principalis in the Magnus Liber organi of Notre Dame is mostly from C3 to D4, rarely up to F4. The compositions in the F key start at A2 and jump to C3, never requiring B2 and Bb2.

It is possible that the Organistrum as described by Gerbert effectively entered into the performance of these parts.

3.More than eight keys.

How should we consider keyboards with more than eight keys?

They are actually only two:

• organistrum from Collegiata de Toro (Spain) : the nut + 9 keys ;
• the one from Santiago de Compostela : the nut + 11 keys.

I think the most realistic keyboard is that of Toro, which only adds one tone (D) to the octave.

In the case of Compostela it is very difficult to think of an extension of the diatonic keyboard by two tones and a semitone without visibly exceeding half of the diapason. The Santiago instrument, certainly the most beautiful, has preponderant symbolic value, as amply shown in my book. The 12 keys do not want to indicate the intervals of the scale of the instrument, but those of the cosmic harmony according to Pliny, as can be seen listed next to many grids of planetary latitudes in 11th and 12th century manuscripts of astronomical content.

Plinian Harmonia besides Planetary latitudes graph from Trinity College Cambridge, ms R15.32, p.6

The setting of the instrument at the center and at the top of the Portico describing the Glory of Heaven, the decorative details and the fundamental measures of the instrument have an evident astronomical and theological inspiration. It's important to underline that this sculpture, belonging to a masterpiece of the highest level, as one of the three most important sanctuaries of Christianity, deserved great symboilic significance.

4.Acoustic results

As with all theories, a crucial aspect lies in the experimental verification.

I have listened to many instruments, others I have heard in recordings, I built four different types myself. My conclusion is that the most coherent and most convincing version, with the most pleasant sound, is the one with the three strings in C3 and a diatonic fingerboard with levers acting over the strings.

Watch the videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csI1VMcDW_E&t=2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl4LpdrD4to&t=26s

The Organistrum is always depicted in instrumental groups either related to the parade of King David (Old Testament) or to the group of the 24 elders of the Apocalypse (New Testament). The characters are in full robes, except for one of the two musicians from the Hunterian psalter (the one in charge of the crank, may be a servant). In the latter representation, in the capital of Boscherville and in the sculpture of Compostela, the musician who acts on the keys seems to have his mouth ajar, as if mid-song.

It is necessary to carefully analyze the few documents at our disposal in order to obtain as much information as possible.

Before I introduce this new phase of my research, however, let us recall the thoughts of two authors who had the same intuition about the function of Organistrum.

Francis W. Galpin in Old english instruments of music, 1910, states:  

"The Organistrum, for such was its name at first, is undoubtedly derived from the Monochord, a simple contrivance for ascertaining the intervals of the musical scale by a series of movable bridges".

Laura de Castellet in: The sound space: Thought, Music and Liturgy, in the volume: Spaces of Knowledge: Four Dimensions of Medieval Thought, Barcelona, ​​2014, writes:

“At any rate, the Organistrum was not conceived as a relative or a surrogate of the organ for the embellishment of sound within the temple. For instance, the presence of an organistrum amidst the twentyfour elders of the Apocalypse of the Gate of Glory … and at the collegiate church at Toro (Zamora), does not mean that such instrument leads any kind of concert, but that it symbolically represents the study of the language of sound, mathematical speculation, and cosmological order, and the approach to the divine essence. The elders are not making music, but rather preparing themselves - some of them are tuning their instruments- both intellectually and spiritually to face the advent of a new order of things. » p.39.  

According to both scholars, the Organistrum finds its origins from an instrument used to measure the pitch of sounds since ancient times.

However, in order to seriously consider the possibility that it played a significant role in musical practice too, it is necessary to identify its possible scope of use.

THE MUSIC

The context in which the instrument is described or depicted is always, and only, that of sacred music.

When it was still believed that the Organistrum had first appeared in the 9th century, it seemed to some to find an indirect reference within the treatise Musica enchiriadis.

The anonymous author meticulously describes a polyphonic practice called Organum parallelum. He states that the use of instruments was allowed in polyphony, so long as these strictly respected the voice pitches (Pia,2011). This encouraged some researchers to attribute to the Organistrum the role of Organum parallelum performer. They stated that two strings were tuned an octave apart and the third had to be tuned to the fourth or fifth (e.g. C3 – F3 /G3 – C4) (Rault, 1985). In other instruments one string is tuned to a fundamental pitch, the other two a fifth above (Kurt Reichmann). When operating a key all three strings are shortened.

Today, we know that the documents, correctly dated, place the lifetime of the Organistrum between the end of 11^th and the end of 12^th century. In this period, musicians were experiencing new forms of polyphony as the organum sillabicum (es. Ad organum faciendum, M.17sup., Bibl.Ambrosiana, Milan), organum melismaticum or floridum (codex of Saint Martial de Limoges and Magnus liber organi de Notre Dame), the discantus, the clausula and conductus (Codex Calixtinus and Magnus liber organi de Notre Dame).

It is impossible not to wonder whether the Organistrum had any relationship with such repertoires. If it did, we must then direct our attention to finding out how, with what tuning and using what type of scale.

The first element of judgment is the definition of the area of ​​sacred music as characteristic of all representations of the instrument.

The second is the diatonic scale indicated in the precious drawing by Gerbert.

The sacred music of the time theorizes and exclusively employs the diatonic scale - this must have been the scale of any musical instrument. The series of bells and keyboards of the Romanesque organs do not, in fact, include fictae other than the Bb.

The keyboard of the Compostela instrument, with eleven keys within the half of the diapason, and therefore apparently chromatic, could probably be organized as in fig.9.

                    A2      ---          B         C3               D                E          F                   G 

A3     ---       Bb        B        C4                  D                 E       F                 G4

                      A2       ---        B         C3               D                E          F                   G                    

0                    1        2         3*         4        5        6       7      8*       9      10        11  

fig.9  Diatonic  keyboard with 11 keys within the half of the diapason.

The nuts of the bass strings, both tuned in A2, are positioned further forward the nut of the middle string, tuned in A3, by the space of a semitone. The keys have hurdy-gurdy-like separate tangents and have vertical movement. Keys 4, 6, 9, 11 touch only the outer strings to play the notes of the lower octave. Key 1 acts on the central treble string passing under the nuts of the lateral strings. Keys 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 touch the treble string to play the notes of the highest octave. Keys 3 and 8 are the only ones enabled to act alternatively on the central string or on the side ones, after 90° rotation of the bar (fig.10).

The scale starts from A2, and not from C3 as in Gerbert, because A2 is the lowest note of the repertoire (cod. Pluteus, c.LXX r.), as can be seen from the analysis of the parts of tenor of the melismatic Organa in Magnus Liber Organi de Notre Dame. The tenor part’s highest note is generally D4, and only in very rare cases F4 (code Pluteus, c.LXVII r. And LXXXIIII, r./v.), while A4 appears only in non-melismatic compositions (code Pluteus, LXXXVIII r.).

In the first octave the Bb is missing, though this note is not foreseen in the Guidonian Gamut and consequently is not used in this repertoire. The natural B of the same octave is found, at least to my knowledge, only in one case (cod. Pluteus, c. CXXII).

To play the notes of the first octave, the player who turns the crank keeps the middle string away from the edge of the wheel. To continue on to the second octave, he moves the side strings away. All this to avoid using the Organistrum as a drone instrument, limited to only two modes at a time, in a style appropriate for secular and folk music performances.

Using the same string selection system, the compass from A2 to F4 - and up to A4 - can also be obtained with the 8 key diatonic keyboard, having the foresight to tune two strings in A2 and the third one an octave higher.  (In this case, however, the position of the sib would necessarily be at the beginning of the row and not, as in Gerbert's keyboard, at the end).

Should this system look too complicate we can imagine a shorter diatonic keyboard for Compostela Organistrum (long enough for playing most of the tenor parts of the repertoire) starting at A2 (all three strings), with no Bb in the first octave, reaching the eleventh key on D4 including Bb in the second octave. In this case the keys row would end visibly beyond the middle of the string (1/2 + 1/8 of diapason), the spacing of the keys couldn’t be regular as in the sculpture.

Nevertheless, no matter how structured, the diatonic keyboard of an Organistrum or a Romanesque organ could have been useful to the musician in order to check the right intervals while composing the vox organalis of organum melismaticum.

 (translated from Italian)

from the book:

Giuseppe Severini