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.

Please read my article on-line: https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/archeologiesperimentali/article/view/8489

see also:  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 symbolic 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 this video:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2mqa5iZYFA

 

Best source:

https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/archeologiesperimentali/article/view/8489

 

 

 

 

My reconstruction of the instrument is mainly based on my own interpretation of its possible musical function. Since I want to consider it  as a genuine polyphonic instrument I  invented  a  special  keyboard, fit for 12th century two voices polyphonies, suggesting also a different managing of the wheel.

Keyboard

By tuning the strings  either:  A – d – a   or:  A – e – a    we get an overall extension of two chromatic octaves (minus the last semitone). Before lifting each key, the performer  can choose which string he is going to touch, simply by turning the key to the proper position: the first one allows him to operate on the bass string, the second on the middle one, the third on the higher string.

Thus it is possible to play two different melodic lines simultaneously. In Santiago sculpture the hands of the musician on the right are on the third and on the fifth key. This means he is playing  -c, g -  rather than  -d, f -  bichord on bass and middle strings,  or  - g, c’  rather than  - f, d’- bichord on middle and higher strings (first tuning).

 

First string                              a..       a#      b     c’     c’#     d’

Middle string                         d..       d#      e      f      f#      g    

Bass string                            A..       A#      B     c     c#      d

Keys                                      0          1       2     3       4      5

 

 In position 4 the key is provided with two tangents so as to act on  second and  third strings (tuned either in Fifth or Fourth)  at the same time to perform  Organum parallelum, leaving the bass string as a drone. 

How they calculated the semitones progression

Known medieval texts neither describe  nor discuss about the possibility of a chromatic scale. But, reading Boethius's De institutione musica, easy to be found in monastic libraries since 9th century on, the monks could learn a lot about semitones both from pythagorean tradition and from Aristoxen's. There are only few lines, but enough, dedicated to the description of Aristoxen's practical method to divide the monochord. From this source the medieval scholar could learn a practical method in order to draw a correct chromatic scale of 12  tempered semitones. We discuss about this in this article:

 

 

connecting astronomical and musical  knowledges through 10th and 12th centuries. Anyway, this idea comes from very early roman sources: Plinius and Boethius. In case the author of Santiago instrument intended to describe a revolutionary full chromatic/polyphonic keyboard we can suppose he was aware of that very ancient tradition.

 

Wheel

On the other side, the musician who is in charge of turning the crank, by a smooth, even movement of his right hand,  can also lift one or even two of the strings from the edge of the wheel with his left hand in order to stop them vibrating. This way you can either avoid conflicts between the voices or stop  undesired drone effects.  

 

LISTEN TO POLYPHONIC SYMPHONIA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpZP62BPVGY

 

BOOKS:

http://www.tipheret.org/product/organistrum/?fbclid=IwAR1pCpvrZoeboCslNiv2n2ZuWeoTJfQwI34C2Kuo8Px8J-QJn_AiPS9KH8A 

                                                                                      

 

 

BUILDING A REPLICA OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA INSTRUMENT

I chose one big  Red Willow (Salix purpurea) planck, seasoned in nature, from which I  carved the sound box and the base of the keyboard in one piece, average thickness  8-10 mm. Flat back, flat sides as in the original. 

GENERAL MEASURES:                      

 Total length    940mm                                                                                                           

Max width      230mm                                                                                                              

 Depth              80mm                                                                                                                

 Diapason        720mm

 

In the bottom of sound box I drilled a 10mm hole for the wooden axis, made of Beech (Fagus silvestris). Axis ends into another hole of 10mm drilled directly with no axle box in a wooden bar (Spruce) 15mm thick, glued between the two lobes of sound box which has been carved out of one piece of Spruce (Picea  abies) 8mm thick with no other bars glued underneath. Keyboard  box is independent from the body of the instrument and can be easily removed to modify  general level of the bars, changing their angle with the strings or making reparations. The 11 bars of the keys, diameter 10mm, are of Pine (Pinus nigra) and the 55 pivoting tangents of Beech. The problem of the distances among the bars is discussed in the present article. To avoid noise made by the bars returning to their previous position, after being pulled up to play, a stripe of cloth has been glued at the bottom of the keyboard. The carved lid has been made of Spruce, 8mm thick and is simply interlocked with the body of the keyboard without any hinge or other device.

The wheel, 11cm  wide and 20mm thick is of Walnut (Juglans regia) and forced on  wooden axis without any screw, nail, or wedge. No axle box at the end. The Beech crank , stuck in the square end of the axis, can be easily removed. The soundboard is glued to the body of the instrument , no sound pole in it. The bridge is of Poplar (Populus nigra) reinforced with a Beech edge. The tailpiece  of Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is linked to the bottom of sound box by a leather lace. Tuning pegs are of Beech, no need for a tuning key. Two light  layers of pure almond oil have  been used as  finishing . Gut strings: 0.80, 1.10, 1.40mm.

 

 Read more:

https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/archeologiesperimentali/article/view/8489

 

 

 

Dans le portail Sud de la Cathédrale de Chartres, dit Royal, il y a quatre représentations de Psaltérions.

Le premier instrument, très abimé, présente 5 cordes sur deux chevalets presque parallèles.

Le deuxième psaltérion a dix cordes, les angles entre les chevalets et les cordes de 72°

Les deux psaltérions les plus en évidence, celui du premier Vieillard de l’Apocalypse et celui de l'allegorie de la  Musique, partagent la même structure :  neuf chœurs forment avec les chevalets un trapèze régulier, les angles à la base sont de 72° [1].

Le premier psaltérion a un dixième chœur, bien caché sous le manteau du Vieillard, invisible  par le bas. 

L’autre  à neuf chœurs, bien qu’il y aurait toute la place pour y mettre un dixième. 

(Photos des instruments : www.instrumentariumdechartres.fr )

Dans la littérature médiévale on trouve fréquemment la dénomination Psalterium decachordum, tirée de l’Ancien Testament, Psaume 32. Saint Jerome (Epistula ad Dardanum) affirme que l’adjectif decachordum fait allusion à la loi morale : le Decalogue. On se demande pourquoi représenter avec neuf cordes des instruments qui habituellement en avaient dix en les mettant en plus en grande évidence dans les mains du premier Vieillard de l’Apocalypse et dans l’allégorie de la Musique représentée parmi les Arts Liberaux.  Pour répondre à cette question on doit essayer d'imaginer les différentes points de vue du public médiéval.

Les visiteurs illettrés voient les instruments et pensent à la suavité des choeurs angeliques.

Les musiciens illettrés reconnaissent les instruments et comptent les cordes : ils pensent à un erreur ou à une nouveauté dans la musique.

Les visiteurs cultivés dans les Arts Libéraux savent que le Neuf peut avoir différentes significations. 

A' ce propos, la pensée catholique orthodoxe, suivant Isidore de Séville, considérait le Neuf comme un nombre imparfait comparé au Dix (Liber numerorum qui in sanctis scripturis occurrunt 10.52.PL 83 : 190). Pythagore, qui dans le Portail Royal de Chartres siège tout près la statue de la Musique, avait consacré la perfection du Dix dans la Tetraktys. En ce cas le neuf cordes feraient allusion à l’imperfection de notre connaissance (musicale), soulignée par Musica enchiriadis (XIX,10-12) et Micrologus (XIV, 16-19).

En suivant plutôt la tradition musicale ancienne, le Neuf, dans le rapport fondamentale 9/8 est considéré  « omnium musicorum sonorum mensura communis » (Boethius, De arithmetica 2,54, CCL 94 A :224) Le rapport 9/8 est associé à la cosmologie mathématique du Timée, transmise par Cicero, Macrobius et Calcidius.  Marcianus Capella affirme que le Neuf « harmoniae ultima pars est » (De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii 7.741).

Du point de vue purement arithmétique, au XII siècle Magister Johannes de Séville dans son  Liber Alchorismi de pratica aritmetice, traduction du livre perdu de Muhammad ibn Musa al-Kwarizmi, présente la numération indienne. Il explique que « constat ergo unumquemque limitem 9 numeros continere », il rappelle que neuf sont les sphères célestes et neuf les chœurs angéliques [2].

Guillaume de Conches dans son œuvre  Philosophia ne donne aucune importance au Dix, alors que neuf sont les cercles invisibles du ciel (Liber II, V, 13) et neuf les mois de la gestation humaine (Liber IV, XIV,22-23).

Enfin, le luthier pourrait observer que le rapport entre la première et la dixième corde (cachée ou virtuelle) est de 3/2, la Quinte juste, le rapport  harmonique fondamental dans la théorie musicale pythagoricienne.

Ainsi, l’homme savant pouvait interpréter les neuf chœurs des psaltérions comme symbole du fondement de la divine science harmonique et en même temps de l’imperfection de notre connaissance.

 NOTES

[1] Les psaltérions postérieures, par exemple celui sculpté sur le portail sud, XIII siècle,  de la même cathédrale sont essentiellement des triangles isocèles avec les angles à la base de 45°, ce que permet à 15 cordes de se rapprocher au plus près des mesures théoriques de la gamme diatonique. Voir :  OLIVIER FERAUD (2015), Lecture croisée du monochorde et du psaltérion à travers leur reconstitution. En : L’Instrumentarium du Moyen Age. La restitution du son. Sous la direction de Welleda Muller. Paris, l’Harmattan.

[2] KURT LAMPE (2006), A twefth-century text on the number nine and divine creation : a new interpretation of boethian cosmology? en : PIMS, gen.2006.

 

 

 

Nel 2012 iniziai a studiare la possibilità di ricostruire una Viella - un antenato medievale del nostro Violino - basandomi su iconografia siciliana. Ricordavo di aver notato alcune raffigurazioni di strumenti musicali durante una visita alla cattedrale di Nicosia (EN), così, anche approfittando del desiderio di due registi acesi, Daniele Greco e Mauro Maugeri, di girare un documentario sulla mia attività di liutaio, mi recai con loro sul luogo, dove potemmo verificare che i miei ricordi erano esatti. Sul capitello del primo pilastrino sul lato sinistro del portale centrale della cattedrale dedicata a S.Nicola si vedono scolpiti due musici. Uno di essi, acefalo e molto rovinato, imbraccia una Citola, strumento a corde pizzicate simile a una piccola chitarra, di cui si intuisce ormai solo un vago contorno, e l’altro, alla sua sinistra, pure acefalo, suona una Viella ancora perfettamente visibile. I miei due ottimi amici, entusiasti quanto me per la scoperta, decisero di incoraggiarmi e di aiutarmi a continuare le mie ricerche documentandole con fotografie e video professionali. Proseguimmo così alla volta di Messina e di Palermo, dove potemmo raccogliere altre testimonianze sulle Vielle: due sculture nelle rispettive cattedrali delle due città e un dipinto sul soffitto ligneo del palazzo dello Steri. Mentre i registi iniziavano a confezionare un vero e proprio documentario con le riprese effettuate, che vide la luce l’anno successivo col titolo di “SUONI D’OC”, io mi diedi da fare per iniziare lo studio e la ricostruzione della mia Viella.

Iniziai ad esaminare attentamente tutte le testimonianze trovate: tre del periodo compreso fra 1350 e 1380 e una, quella di Messina, del secolo successivo. Alla fine mi resi conto che la testimonianza più attendibile era proprio la prima da cui ero partito, ossia la piccola scultura della Cattedrale di Nicosia. Vi si vedono perfettamente raffigurati tutti gli elementi decisivi: il contorno “a otto” della cassa, i fori di risonanza, la cordiera, il ponticello, il manico e le corde. Unica pecca, la mancanza del cavigliere, andato distrutto nel tempo. Decisi che per questo particolare sarei ricorso al modello visibile nelle pitture dello Steri, coeve al portico di Nicosia, anche se la Viella colà raffigurata era ovale e non “a otto”. Superato questo scoglio dovetti stabilire le dimensioni da dare allo strumento e ricorsi al solito calcolo delle proporzioni tra esso e il corpo del suonatore. Arrivai a definire un oggetto del tutto simile a un Violino attuale per lunghezza e per diapason, ma con la cassa un po’ più larga e profonda. A questo punto bisognava scegliere il legno, anzi i legni e mi decisi per una bella tavola di Abete bianco spessa 4 cm. da cui intagliare il blocco Manico/Tavola armonica/Fasce laterali e una tavoletta da 1 cm. di Cipresso per il fondo. Qui urge una sosta per spiegare una particolarità che contraddistingue l’arte liutaria medievale da quella attuale. Nel Medioevo si usava scolpire lo strumento da un unico pezzo di legno quasi per intero. Negli strumenti a fondo curvo si usava scavare in un unico blocco la cassa e il manico, aggiungendo poi la tavola armonica. Negli strumenti a fondo piatto o lievemente incurvato si poteva procedere anche al contrario, scavando in un solo pezzo manico e tavola armonica e applicando poi il fondo. Entrambi i procedimenti sono accertati in sede storica, ma su tipi diversi di strumenti. Io propendo per applicare il secondo procedimento ogniqualvolta sia possibile e anche questa Viella è stata fatta così. Diversamente, nella liuteria classica e moderna, il Violino viene assemblato incollando le varie parti lavorate separatamente: tavola e fondo scavati, manico con cavigliere e riccio, fasce piegate a caldo ciascuna in tre pezzi giuntati con rinforzi interni in Abete. Così dopo un po’ di giorni di intenso lavoro ottenni la mia ricostruzione della “Viella di Nicosia”, non ancora verniciata ma pronta per comparire nelle ultime scene del documentario. Montai le corde in budello: doppio cantino, altre due corde a distanza di quinta e ottava dalla prima e infine una corda fuori dalla tastiera come si vede chiaramente nella scultura. Questo particolare è interessante: la corda esterna serviva per accompagnare l’esecuzione con un pizzicato o, suonata con l’arco, fungeva da bordone, visto che, per il suo spessore, difficilmente poteva essere tastata. Altra particolarità: lo strumento è sprovvisto di “anima”, quel cilindretto di legno che, in tutti gli strumenti ad arco dal 1500 ad oggi collega internamente la tavola col fondo, raddoppiando quasi l’intensità delle vibrazioni, poiché per i secoli del medioevo non è in alcun modo documentata. Il suono dunque risulta più diffuso e smorzato, adattissimo per accompagnare il canto, cosa molto apprezzata all’epoca dai Trovatori. Lo strumento era pronto ma senza vernice appariva rustico e non finito, però il suono era già bello. Nel corso del Duecento e del Trecento la verniciatura e la colorazione dei legni in liuteria non erano ancora pratiche affermate, spesso una mano di olio di mandorle veniva considerata sufficiente. Mi incoraggiai a suonare la Viella per la scena finale del documentario e così si concluse la prima parte del lavoro. L’anno seguente il film partecipò a diverse rassegne e ricevette un riconoscimento europeo in Slovenia. Io portai lo strumento in Francia al festival TROBAREA di musica medievale a Grasse (Nizza) e alle Journées de musiques anciennes di Venves, Parigi, dove lo strumento fu apprezzato e si dimostrò all’altezza dei suoi simili d’oltralpe, anzi brillò per il suo suono vivace e limpido. A un certo punto mi decisi a dare alla Viella una colorazione noce scuro e tre mani di gommalacca a spirito, con cui oggi si mostra al pubblico. Abbiamo avuto la gioia di presentare il documentario a Nicosia in una riunione pubblica presso il Municipio e ho suonato con la Viella alcuni brani tratti dal Laudario di Cortona proprio sotto la scultura del portale in un momento pieno di emozione e di suggestione. Oggi il nostro strumento si può vedere e ascoltare presso la Casa della Musica e della Liuteria di Randazzo, (www.secolibui.com) aperta tutti i giorni dalle 11 alle 17. Per prenotare le visite tel.349 4001357. Contatti: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Oppure direttamente guarda il VIDEO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0hmHv9loQ&t=2s

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA SYMPHONIA CAELESTIS

An astronomical approach

published in:

Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, vol. 18, n° 4 (2018), pp.345-352.

 

1 : Gate of Glory:

Gate of Glory extrados in Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is crowded by statues bearing different kinds of stringed instruments. At the very top of the gate two of them are playing a beautifully carved and decorated instrument, the so calledOrganistrum.

2 : The top instrument:

This curious object has been largely studied and several reconstructions have been proposed and carried out by scholars and luthiers during the past 40 years, nevertheless some aspects are still uncertain, such as its symbolic significance and its peculiar musical role.

3 :: Symphonia::

Let’s start considering its special location.The statues of the extrados represent the 24 elders of Apocalypse. They can be symbols of Time (24), Music (musical instruments) and Divine symphony (they are heavenly creatures) too.

4 :: Two Performers::

The two performers at the top are very close to Christ’s head, position as usual occupied by angels. If we compare them to the other musicians we observe they look to be the only two actually playing and they are playing the most complex instrument of all. The idea that it could be given a deeper symbolic significance is strengthened by closer observation of its features. A revolving object, the wheel, creates the sound from strings stretched over a sound box made of two equal circles, to which an unusual keyboard is added, equipped with 11 keys, so that the octave is divided into 12 parts.

All this is strange enough and absolutely unique, in XII century atleast !, and we need referring to any kind of theological, philosophical, mathematical and musical theory of the age to give a reasonable interpretation of it. Medieval Latin Platonism, for example, mainly related to Chartres cathedral school, well connected with Paris and Santiago, brings to us interesting suggestions.

5 :: Ordering the Heavens::

Platonists thought that at the beginning of creation, making the World Soul, Demiurgos was dealing with three abstract elements: Being, Sameness and Difference. Establishing the right proportions among sameness and difference, he gave the World Soul the shape of two circles one inside the other and put them into the material World, thus creating both the Sphere of fixed stars and the plane of planetary orbits. Circular motions of planets and stars were thus connected in perfect harmony, like the strings of a well tuned Lyre or the pipes of a well cut Pan flute[1].This set-up is reflected in our instrument.

6 :: Symphonia Coelistis::

A circular sound box, theCircle of Sameness, contains the wheel , that represents planetary motion: the Circle of Difference. This is the origin: the invisible World Soul. Thenanother circle is added, the visible world, Cosmos, with its charming beauty. At lastwe find the keyboard, with 11 keys dividing the octave in parts, the symbol of human mind, which divides and measures in order to understand Natural phenomena. Therefore, the widespread philosophical principle “Veritas est adaequatio intellectus et rei “ (translation: truth is an adjustement between intellect and things) is well represented here, as we can observe that the vibrating string-length (rectilinear thought) is equal to the circumference of each circle of the sound box (Nature and abstract world).

Further suggestions come fromthe analysis of instrument decorations.

1. A long line of DOTS runs all around the outline of the instrument. They are symbols of the stars. From left to right: first circle, the idea of the stars in the abstract world; second circle, the visible stars; keyboard, our knowledge of the stars (straightened).
2. The large ROSETTE in the middle represents the Visible World, a circular figure divided in four equal sections by two perpendicular axes. Each section is occupied by a five lobes leaf and twigs (these leaves are similar to those sculpted all around the 24 Elders). The division in four sections may refer to the four elements of material world.

7 :: Diagram of the Seasons

This figure recalls diagrams of the seasons frequently drawn in glosses of IX-XII century astronomical manuscripts or even more elaborated drawings.The main goal of any scholar was to calculate accurately the length of each season in order to obtain an exact and affordable calendar to establish with great accuracy both the dates of Christian feasts and the right hours for prayer in monasteries[2].

8 :: IX-XII centuries decoration patterns ::

Finally, KEYBOARD LID decoration, unique among all other decorations sculpted in the Gate, shows a rare pattern, which had been popular in some areas around the Alps and in Ireland between IX and XI centuries, rather neglected in the XII[3].

9 :: Keyboard ::

Each knot of the interlace corresponds precisely to one key of the 11keys protruding out of the rectangular box. This division in fact is the most puzzling feature of all, as nobody could justify the introduction of a chromatic scale in XII century, when only strict diatonism was allowed. But we discovered that, curiously enough, both the unusual decoration and the division of the octave in 12 semitones can be referred to diagrams of planetary latitudes, related to musical scales as well, in astronomical manuscripts of the age.

10 :: Planetary latitudes diagrams ::

Such diagrams were intended to represent planetary latitudes across the zodiacal band, divided vertically in 12 degrees. As usual the horizontal line of these grids was divided in 30 parts, but since XI century we often find 12 in order to signify the 12 zodiacal signs. The Sun and Saturn were given a serpentine path within the two middle degrees of the zodiac, Jupiter had three degrees, Mars four, Mercury eight, the Moon covered the zodiacal band with its 12 degrees of latitude. Venus was assigned a latitude of 14 degrees, one degree beyond the zodiac on each side.

11 :: Planetary latitudes diagrams ::

Then, in a manuscript by Abbo de Fleury (c 940-1004) we find a horizontal column list of the Plinian intervals between planetary orbits attached to planetary latitudes grid[4]. Whether 14 semitones can be counted in total, the musical octave spanning from Moon to tha Stars is divided into 12 semitones (semitone being the unit of measurement of the scale, clearly enough).Thus, our XII century chromatic scale shouldn’t be considered as a scandal any longer! Besides, experimenting with our special keyboard with keys ranging about two full chromatic octaves demonstrates that this arrangement fits quite well XII century two voices polyphonic music.

12 :: The name

For these reasons we feel the name of Symphonia or Symphonia magna or Symphonia caelestis would be more appropriate for this instrument than the usual, uncertain and rather mocking name of Organistrum.

Its representationin Santiago could have been an exclusive message for a restricted group of scholars capable of understanding the cosmological and musical implications of a non-traditional object that had been invented of course by monks  trained in the liberal arts of Quadrivium.

 

[1]Bruce S. Eastwood.Ordering the Heavens. Roman astronomy and cosmology in the Carolingian renaissance. Brill, 2007   Reasoning about circular and rectilinear motions in: Guglielmo di Conches, Glosae super Platonem. See: Martello Concetto,Platone a Chartres. Palermo, Officina di studi Medievali, 2011, p.86.

[2]Stephen C. McCluskey.Astronomies and cultures in early medieval Europe.Cambridge University Press, 1998, p 97-113.

[3]Giulia Marrucchi e Riccardo Belcari, La grande storia dell’arte. Il Medioevo. Firenze, E-ducationS.p.A., 2005, p 146-7

[4]Bruce S. Eastwood.,Astronomy in Christian latin Europe c.500-c.1150.

in JHA, xxviii (1997) Science History Publications Ltd. p 250-3

VIDEO:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6vv4IPGgRk

BOOK:

http://www.tipheret.org/product/organistrum/?fbclid=IwAR1pCpvrZoeboCslNiv2n2ZuWeoTJfQwI34C2Kuo8Px8J-QJn_AiPS9KH8A 

ARTICLE:

https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/archeologiesperimentali/article/view/8489

 

Reconstitution d’une vièle ovale d’après une sculpture du 12ème siècle de l’Abbaye de Graville au Havre, Normandie.

La sculpture :
La petite sculpture (30x35x20cm) en pierre blanche, abîmée à gauche, a été retrouvée, après la guerre, dans les ruines de la tour centrale. On ne connaît pas sa position initiale et on pense qu'elle est de la fin du 11ème siècle.Toute la composition et même l'instrument sont inspirés par la forme ovale.La figure entière est inscrite dans un ovale, la tête, les yeux, la bouche ovale, l'instrument a une caisse ovale, l'une des ouïes est une demi-lune et l'autre a une forme presque ovale.La figure est très bien modelée, les traits fins, gracieux, on dirait qu'elle a quelque chose de féminin et de lunaire.
La reconstitution de l'instrument
Les bois :J'ai choisi deux qualités de bois qu'on pourrait aisément retrouver en Normandie au11ème siècle: sapin et hêtre.Sapin (très vieux et avec des taches pour rappeler la surface de la lune) pour le corps de l'instrument: table d'harmonie, éclisses, manche et chevilles. Hêtre pour le fond.
Un instrument creux :
Puisque les instruments au Moyen Âge n'avaient pas d'âme, la résonnance est premièrement due à la table d'harmonie, le fond ayant pour fonction de refléter le son.J'ai donc creusé l'instrument dans du sapin à partir de la table d'harmonie car c’est la partie la plus importante de la vièle, d’une épaisseur d’environ trois millimètres, sans aucun barrage.Le manche est creusé dans la même planche, même s’il est un peu plus haut que la table.Les flancs son concaves. Le fond en hêtre est creusé, arrondi à l'intérieur comme à l'extérieur, l'épaisseur est d’à peu près trois millimètres.
Les ouïes :
Dans la sculpture, on voit que les deux ouïes ne sont pas symétriques, l’une en forme de demi-lune, l'autre presque rectangulaire, creusée plus bas sur l'autre moitié de la table. On pourrait penser que l'auteur a voulu faire ce perçage bizarre pour une raison de perspective, mais j'ai pensé qu'il a reproduit un instrument réel, fait de cette façon.Y-a-t-il d’autres exemples de cette asymétrie sur les vièles médiévales ? NON.Mais il y a d'autres instruments de musique avec des perçages asymétriques, certaines harpes, des psaltérions et des monocordes.
Quelle pourrait être la motivation de cette asymétrie ?Donner au musicien une ouïe (plus petite) plus proche de son oreille ou, proposition presque hérétique, pour placer une âme au-dessous du chevalet ...Après réflexion, j'ai décidé de faire les deux ouïes exactement comme elles sont représentées sur la sculpture.
La touche, le cheviller, le cordier :
La touche est un petit morceau de buis de 2mm d'épaisseur, collé sur le manche.Le cheviller est hexagonal, comme dans les vièles de Boscherville. Le cordier est en buis.
Le vernis :
Je n’ai employé aucun vernis. On sait qu’à l'époque il n'y avait pas de gomme-laque, aussi, pour protéger le bois, j'ai employé de l'huile d'amande pure.
Les cordes :
Les cordes sont en boyau de mouton. J'ai choisi de faire un accord complexe avec deux chœurs et un bourdon. Les chœurs sont accordés à l'unisson ou en quintes.

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