When starting to talk about the structure of the organ instrument, we should start with the most obvious.

The organ console refers to the controls, which include all the numerous keys, register change levers and pedals.

So to gaming devices include manuals and pedals.

TO timbre– register switches. In addition to them, the organ console consists of: dynamic switches - channels, a variety of foot switches and copula switch keys, which transfer the registers of one manual to another.

Most organs are equipped with copulas for switching registers to the main manual. Also, using special levers, the organist can switch various combinations from the bank of register combinations.

In addition, a bench is installed in front of the console, on which the musician sits, and next to it is the organ switch.

But first things first:

• Copula. A mechanism that can transfer the registers of one manual to another manual, or a pedal keyboard. This is relevant when you need to transfer the sound registers of weaker manuals to stronger ones, or transfer the sound registers to the main manual. The copulas are activated using special foot levers with locks or using special buttons.
• Channel. This is a device with which you can adjust the volume of each individual manual. At the same time, the shutters of the blinds are adjusted in the box through which the pipes of this particular manual pass.
• Memory bank of register combinations. Such a device is available only in electric organs, that is, in organs with an electrical circuit. Here we would make the assumption that an organ with an electric structure is somehow related to antediluvian synthesizers, but the wind organ itself is too ambiguous an instrument for such an oversight to be easily made.
• Ready-made register combinations. Unlike the memory bank of register combinations, which vaguely resemble the presets of modern digital audio processors, ready-made register combinations refer to organs with a pneumatic register structure. But the essence is the same: they make it possible to use ready-made settings.
• Tutti. But this device includes manuals and all registers. Here's the switch.

Manual

The keyboard, in other words. It’s just that the organ has keys for playing with your feet – pedals, so it’s more correct to say it’s a manual.

Usually there are from two to four manuals in an organ, but sometimes there are specimens with one manual, and even such monsters that have as many as seven manuals. The name of the manual depends on the location of the pipes it controls. In addition, each manual is assigned its own set of registers.

IN the main thing The loudest registers are usually located in the manual. It is also called Hauptwerk. It can be located either closest to the performer or in the second row.

• Oberwerk – a little quieter. Its pipes are located under the pipes of the main manual.
• The Rückpositiv is a completely unique keyboard. It controls those pipes that are located separately from all the others. So, for example, if the organist is sitting facing the instrument, then they will be located at the back.
• Hinterwerk - This manual controls the pipes that are located at the back of the organ.
• Brustwerk. But the pipes of this manual are located either directly above the remote control itself, or on both sides.
• Solowerk. As can be judged from the name itself, the pipes of this manual are equipped with big amount solo registers.

In addition, there may be other manuals, but those listed above are used most often.

In the seventeenth century, organs had a kind of volume control - a box through which pipes with shutters passed. The manual that controlled these pipes was called Schwellwerk and was located at a higher level.

Pedals

Originally, organs did not have pedal keyboards. It appeared around the sixteenth century. There is a version that it was invented by a Brabant organist named Louis Van Walbeke.

Nowadays there are a variety of pedal keyboards depending on the design of the organ. There are both five and thirty-two pedals, there are organs without a pedal keyboard at all. They are called portables.

Usually the pedals control the bassiest trumpets, for which a separate staff is written, under the double score, which is written for the manuals. Their range is two or even three octaves lower than other notes, so a large organ can have a range of nine and a half octaves.

Registers

Registers are a series of pipes of the same timbre, which are, in fact, a separate instrument. To switch registers, there are handles or switches (for electrically controlled organs), which are located on the organ console either above the manual or next to it on the sides.

The essence of register control is this: if all registers are turned off, the organ will not sound when you press a key.

The name of the register corresponds to the name of its largest pipe, and each handle refers to its own register.

There are both labial, so reed registers. The first relate to the control of pipes without reeds, these are the registers of open flutes, there are also registers of closed flutes, principals, registers of overtones, which, in fact, form the color of the sound (potions and aliquots). In them, each note has several weaker overtones.

But reed registers, as their name suggests, control pipes with reeds. They can be combined in sound with labial pipes.

The choice of register is provided in the musical stave; it is written above the place where one or another register should be used. But matters are complicated by the fact that different times and even just in different countries organ registers differed sharply from each other. Therefore, the registration of an organ part is rarely specified in detail. Usually, only the manual, the size of the pipes and the presence or absence of reeds are accurately indicated. All other nuances of sound are left to the performer’s consideration.

Pipes

As you might expect, the sound of pipes is strictly dependent on their size. Moreover, the only trumpets that sound exactly as written on the musical staff are eight-foot trumpets. Smaller pipes sound correspondingly higher, and larger ones – lower than written in the musical stave.

The largest pipes, which are not found in all, but only in the largest organs in the world, measure 64 feet. They sound three octaves lower than what is written on the musical staff. Therefore, when the organist uses the pedals when playing in this register, infrasound is emitted.

To tune small labials (that is, those without a tongue), use a steamhorn. This is a rod, at one end of which there is a cone, and at the other - a cup, with the help of which the bell of the pipes of the organ is expanded or narrowed, thereby achieving a change in the pitch of the sound.

But to change the pitch of large pipes, additional pieces of metal are usually cut out, which bend like reeds and thus change the tone of the organ.

Additionally, some pipes may be purely decorative. In this case, they are called “blind”. They do not sound, but have purely aesthetic significance.

The piano also has texture. There, this is a mechanism for transmitting the force of finger strikes from the surface of the key directly to the string. The organ plays the same role and is the main mechanism for controlling the organ.

In addition to the fact that the organ has a structure that controls the valves of the pipes (it is also called a playing structure), it also has a register structure that allows you to turn entire registers on and off.

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, the violin, cello and double bass are classified as string instruments, while the guitar, mandolin and balalaika are plucked string instruments. The horn, trumpet and trombone are classified as brass instruments, and the bassoon, clarinet and oboe are classified as woodwind instruments. Every musical instrument unique in musical culture occupies its specific place, for example, an 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 the appearance of the instrument, which 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 World War II, German soldiers called the Soviet BM-13 multiple launch rocket systems, popularly known as “Katyusha”, “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. The instrument is currently 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 I.S. Bach (Leipzig, Germany); performing competition in Geneva (Switzerland); competition named after M. Tariverdiev (Kaliningrad, Russia).
• The largest organ in Russia is located in Cathedral Kaliningrad (90 registers, 4 manuals, 6.5 thousand pipes).

Design

An organ is a musical instrument that includes a huge number of various parts, That's why detailed description its design is quite complex. The organ is always made individually, as it is necessarily determined by the size of the building in which it is installed. The height of the instrument can reach 15 meters, the width varies within 10 meters, and the depth is about 4 meters. The weight of such a huge structure is measured in tons.

It is not only very large in size, but also has a complex structure, including pipes, a machine and a complex control system.

There are a lot of pipes in the organ - several thousand. The length of the largest pipe is more than 10 meters, the smallest is a few centimeters. The diameter of large pipes is measured in decimeters, and small ones in millimeters. Two materials are used to make pipes - wood and metal (a complex alloy of lead, tin and other metals). The shapes of pipes are very diverse - they are cone, cylinder, double cone and others. The pipes are arranged in rows, not only vertically, but also horizontally. Each row has the voice of an instrument and is called a register. The registers in the organ number in tens and hundreds.

The organ control system is a performance console, which is otherwise called an organ pulpit. Here there are manuals - hand keyboards, a pedal - keyboard for the feet, as well as a large number of buttons, levers, and various indicator lights.

Levers located on the right and left, as well as above the keyboards, turn the instrument registers on and off. The number of levers corresponds to the number of instrument registers. A warning light is installed above each lever: it lights up if the register is turned on. The functions of some levers are duplicated by buttons located above the foot keyboard.

Also above the manuals there are buttons that have a very important purpose - this is the memory of organ control. With its help, the organist can program the order of switching registers before a performance. When you press the buttons of the memory mechanism, the registers of the instrument are turned on in a certain order automatically.

The number of manual keyboards on an organ varies from two to six, and they are located one above the other. The number of keys on each manual is 61, which corresponds to a range of five octaves. Each manual is associated with a specific group of pipes and also has its own name: Hauptwerk. Oberwerk, Rückpositiv, Hinterwerk, Brustwerk, Solowerk, Choir.

The foot keyboard, which produces very low sounds, has 32 widely spaced pedal keys.

A very important component of the tool is the bellows, into which air is pumped using powerful electric fans.

Application

The organ today, as in former times, is used very actively. It is also used for accompaniment in Catholic and Protestant services. Quite often, churches with an organ serve as a kind of “decorated” concert halls, which host concerts not only of the organ, but also chamber And symphonic music. In addition, nowadays organs are installed in large concert halls, where they are used not only as solo instruments, but also as accompanying instruments. The organ sounds beautiful with a chamber ensemble, vocalists, choir and symphony orchestra, For example, organ parts are included in the scores of such wonderful works as “Poem of Ecstasy” and “Prometheus” A. Scriabina, symphony no. 3 C. Saint-Saens. The organ also sounds program symphony"Manfred." P.I. Tchaikovsky. It is worth noting that, although not often, the organ is used in opera performances such as “Faust” by Charles Gounod, “ Sadko"N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, " Othello» D. Verdi, “The Maid of Orleans” by P. I. Tchaikovsky.

It is important to note that organ music is the fruit of the creations of very talented composers, including in the 16th century: A. Gabrieli, A. Cabezon, M. Claudio; in the 17th century: J. S. Bach, N. Grigny, D. Buxtehude, I. Pachelbel, D. Frescobaldi, G. Purcell, I. Froberger, I. Reincken, M. Weckmann; in the 18th century, W. A. ​​Mozart, D. Zipoli, G. F. Handel, W. Lübeck, I. Krebs; in the 19th century M. Bossi, L. Boelman, A. Bruckner, A. Guilman, J. Lemmens, G. Merkel, F. Moretti, Z. Neukom, C. Saint-Saens, G. Foret, M. Ciurlionis. M. Reger, Z. Karg-Ehlert, S. Frank, F. List, R. Schumann, F. Mendelssohn, I. Brams, L. Vierne; in the 20th century P. Hindemith, O. Messiaen, B. Britten, A. Honegger, D. Shostakovich, B. Tishchenko, S. Slonimsky, R. Shchedrin, A. Goedicke, C. Widor, M. Dupre, F. Nowoveysky , O. Yanchenko.

Famous artists

From the very beginning of its appearance, the organ attracted great attention. Playing music on an instrument has always been a difficult task, and therefore only truly talented musicians could become real virtuosos, and many of them composed music for the organ. Among the performers of past times, special mention should be made of such famous musicians as A. Gabrieli, A. Cabezon, M. Claudio, J. S. Bach, N. Grigny, D. Buxtehude, I. Pachelbel, D. Frescobaldi, I. Froberger, I. Reincken, M. Weckmann, W. Lübeck , I. Krebs, M. Bossi, L. Boelmann, Anton Bruckner, L. Vierne, A. Guilmant, J. Lemmens, G. Merkel, F. Moretti, Z. Neukom, C. Saint-Saëns, G. Faure M Reger, Z. Karg-Ehlert, S. Frank, A. Goedicke, O. Yanchenko. There are quite a lot of talented organists nowadays, it is impossible to list them all, but here are the names of some of them: T. Trotter (Great Britain), G. Martin (Canada), H. Inoue (Japan), L. Rogg (Switzerland), F. Lefebvre , (France), A. Fiseysky (Russia), D. Briggs, (USA), W. Marshall, (Great Britain), P. Planyavsky, (Austria), W. Benig, (Germany), D. Goettsche, (Vatican ), A. Uibo, (Estonia), G. Idenstam, (Sweden).

History of the organ

The unique history of the organ begins in very ancient times and goes back several thousand years. Art historians suggest that the predecessors of the organ are three ancient instruments. Initially, it is a multi-barreled Pan flute, consisting of several reed tubes of various lengths attached to each other, each of which produces only one sound. The second instrument was the Babylonian bagpipe, which used a bellows chamber to create the sound. And the third progenitor of the organ is considered to be the Chinese sheng - a wind instrument with vibrating reeds inserted into bamboo tubes attached to a resonator body.

The musicians who played the Pan flute dreamed that it would have a wider range; for this they added a number of sound tubes. The instrument turned out to be very large, and it was quite inconvenient to play it. One day, the famous ancient Greek mechanic Ctesibius, who lived in the second century BC, saw and took pity on an unfortunate flutist who was having difficulty handling a cumbersome instrument. The inventor figured out how to make it easier for a musician to play the instrument and first adapted one piston pump, and then two, to the flute to supply air. Subsequently, Ctesibius, for a uniform supply of air flow and, accordingly, smoother sound production, improved his invention by attaching a reservoir to the structure, which was located in a large container with water. This hydraulic press made the musician's work easier, as it freed him from blowing air into the instrument, but required two more people to pump the pumps. And so that the air does not go to all the pipes, but precisely to the one that should sound in this moment, the inventor adapted special dampers to the pipes. The musician's task was to open and close them in right time and in a certain sequence. Ctesibius called his invention hydraulics, that is, “water flute,” but people began to call it simply “organ,” which translated from Greek means “instrument.” What the musician dreamed of has come true; the range of the hydraulics has expanded greatly: a large number of pipes of different sizes have been added to it. In addition, the organ acquired the function of polyphony, that is, it could, unlike its predecessor Pan's flute, simultaneously produce several sounds. The organ of that time had a sharp and loud sound, so it was effectively used at public spectacles: gladiator fights, chariot competitions and other similar performances.

Meanwhile, musical masters continued to work on improving the instrument, which was becoming increasingly popular. During early Christianity, the hydraulic design of Ctesibius was replaced by bellows, and then by a whole system of bellows, which significantly improved the sound quality of the instrument. The size and number of pipes increased significantly. In the 4th century AD, the organs had already reached large sizes. The countries in which they received the most intensive development were France, Italy, Germany and Spain. However, for example, in the 5th century, the instruments installed in most Spanish churches were used only during large services. Changes occurred in the 6th century, namely in 666, when, by special order of Pope Vitaly, the sound of organs became an integral part of Catholic church services. In addition, the instrument was a mandatory attribute of various imperial ceremonies.

Improvement of the organ continued at all times. The size of the instrument and its acoustic capabilities grew very rapidly. The number of pipes, which were made of both metal and wood for a variety of timbre colors, already reached several hundred. The organs acquired enormous size and began to be built into the walls of temples. The best instruments of that time were considered organs made by masters from Byzantium; in the 9th century, the center of their production moved to Italy, and somewhat later German craftsmen mastered this complex art. The 11th century characterizes the next stage in the development of the instrument. Organs were built that differed in shape and size - real works of art. The craftsmen continued to work on modernizing the instrument, for example, a special table with keyboards was designed, called manuals. However, performing on such an instrument was not easy. The keys were huge, their length could reach 30 cm and width -10 cm. The musician touched the keyboard not with his fingers, but with his fists or elbows.

The 13th century is a new stage in the development of the instrument. Small portable organs appeared, called portable and positive. They quickly gained popularity, as they were adapted for marching conditions and were mandatory participants in military operations. These were compact instruments with a small number of pipes, one row of keys and a bellows chamber for blowing air.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the organ became even more in demand and developed accordingly. A keyboard for the feet appears and a large number of levers that switch timbres and registers. The capabilities of the organ increased: it could imitate the sound of various musical instruments and even the singing of birds. But most importantly, the size of the keys was reduced, which led to an expansion of the performing capabilities of organists.

In the 16th-17th centuries, the organ became an even more complex instrument. His keyboard on different instruments could vary from two to seven manuals, each of which could accommodate a range of up to five octaves, and a special remote control was designed to control the musical giant. At this time, such wonderful composers as D. Frescobaldi, J. Sweelinck, D. Buxtehude, I. Pachelbel created for the instrument.

The 18th century is considered the “Golden Age of the Organ.” Organ construction and performance on the instrument reached an unprecedented peak. Organs built during this period had excellent sound and transparency of timbre. And the greatness of this instrument was immortalized in the work of the genius I.S. Bach.

The 19th century was also marked by innovative research in organ building. The talented French master Aristide Cavaillé-Col, as a result of constructive improvements, modeled an instrument that was more powerful in sound and scale, and also had new timbres. Such organs later became known as symphonic organs.

IN late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century, organs began to be equipped with various electrical and then electronic devices.

It is no coincidence that the organ is called the “king of music”; it has always been the most grandiose and mysterious musical instrument. Its majestic sound, which has great persuasive power, leaves no one indifferent, and emotional impact The impact of this instrument on the listener is immeasurable, since it is subject to music of a very wide range: from cosmic thoughts to subtle spiritual human experiences.

Video: listen to the organ

The organ is the embodiment of grandeur and greatness; it is rightly called the “king” in the world of music. This is the only instrument whose resonator is often the room itself, and not a wooden body. Its closest relatives are not the piano and grand piano, as it might seem, but the flute and button accordion.

This stunning instrument is magnificent in everything: a powerful sound that does not leave the listener indifferent, an inspiring appearance that amazes with its scale, unusualness and a certain antique charm, as well as the complexity and intricacy of its design.

Organ structure

The instrument has a rather complex structure, consisting of a huge number of different elements: pipes, manuals, pedal keyboard, bellows, filters and electric compressors (in the old days they were replaced by people - up to 10 people), registers with switches and much more.

The console, or pulpit, is the place from which the musician controls the instrument, contains manuals, a pedal keyboard, various switches, etc.

Manual – manual keyboard. One organ can have up to seven such manuals.

Register - a certain number of pipes belonging to the same “family”; they are united by timbre similarity. Register combinations are called “copulas” (from Latin - “bundles”, “connections”). At the request of customers, craftsmen can add separate registers to the organ that imitate the sound of a specific instrument.

The pedal keyboard is a foot keyboard and looks the same as a manual one. With its help, the performer controls the bass pipes. To play the pedal keyboard, organists wear specially made “sensitive” and tight shoes with very thin soles.

Organ pipes are metal, wooden and wood-metal hollow pipes of different lengths, diameters and shapes. Based on the method of sound production, they are divided into “reed” and “lobial”. The instrument can contain up to 10 thousand such pipes, the largest of them are bass ones, their height can reach up to 10 meters, and their weight can reach up to 500 kg. Sometimes the lowest sounds of the instrument are given a name, such as “whale voice.”

The organ also contains a foot roller that connects and disconnects the registers, so you can play a crescendo or diminuendo, since the organ manuals themselves are not sensitive - the volume of the sound does not depend on the force of pressing the key, as in a piano, for example.

The front side of the organ, visible to the audience, is only a small part of it; the rest of the “contents” are located behind the wall. Despite the external strength of organ pipes, they are still quite easy to bend, so strangers are rarely allowed “inside” the instrument. Abstracts are special thin wooden slats that connect the keys to the pipe valves. Some of them can reach a height of 13 meters.

The largest organ in the world is located in the American city of Atlantic City in the Boardwalk Hall concert hall. The instrument has thirty-three thousand pipes and one thousand two hundred keys. Air is forced into the pipes by fans that rotate electric motors with a power of 600 hp. With. The organ is currently not in working condition. In 1944, it was damaged during a hurricane, and in 2001, workers negligently destroyed part of the main pipes. The organ is subject to restoration, but this will take several years.

Etymology of the name of the instrument

Translated from ancient Greek, “organum” means “weapon” or “instrument”. And in medieval Rus', “every sounding vessel” was called an “organ.”

Historical information

The organ is one of the most ancient instruments. The exact date its occurrence cannot be determined. In the II century. BC. The Greek master Ctesebius invented an organ that plays using hydraulics - forcing air through a water press. And in the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Nero (1st century), the instrument was depicted on coins.

The most ancient predecessor of the organ is considered to be the Pan flute, which has a similar structure - connected tubes of various lengths, each of which produces a sound of a certain pitch. Then, having decided to improve the system, they added bellows that pump air and a keyboard in which the number of keys coincided with the number of pipes.

These were hand organs that musicians wore on a shoulder strap, pumping air into the bellows with one hand and playing a melody with the other; nearby, on a special stand, there were pipes into which air was supplied under pressure.

Medieval organs were not distinguished by the fineness of their manufacture - the size of the keys reached 5-7 cm, and the distance between them was sometimes 1.5 - 2 cm.

Therefore, they played on such a keyboard not with their fingers, as on a modern instrument, but with their fists and elbows, exerting considerable effort. The organ became a widespread instrument after its introduction in the 7th century. Catholic liturgical practice. During this same period, organs evolved from small transport instruments carried on carts to large stationary musical “instruments” installed in churches.

In subsequent eras, the organ was gradually improved (Italian and German masters made a special contribution to its development), which continues to this day - new developments are being introduced in order to make the instrument even more convenient to perform and increase its functionality.

Varieties

Depending on the principle of operation, the following types of organs are distinguished:

• Brass;
• Strings;
• Theatrical;
• Mechanical;
• Electronic;
• Steam;
• Hydraulic;
• Digital

The role of the “king” of instruments in musical art

Since the time of its origin, the organ has occupied a certain place in cultural life humanity, having various degrees popularity and importance depending on the historical era. The heyday, or “golden age of the organ,” is considered to be the Baroque era - XVII-XVIII centuries. During this period, such great composers as Bach, Buxtehude, Frescobaldi and others worked.

Also, the organ plays a different role in Eastern and Western Europe, or, to be more precise, in Orthodox and Catholic countries.

If in Western European Catholic countries, in each city there can be up to several hundred organs located in churches, then in Orthodox countries it is a concert instrument, which is not available in every city. But here, during organ performances, the halls are crowded with people who want to enjoy the luxurious organ sound.

It is impossible to find two identical organs, so this instrument is literally unique. The pipes of some specimens are capable of emitting ultra and infrasounds that cannot be detected by human hearing.

The organ is an instrument that has such unique and inimitable capabilities for simulating and combining different timbres that even the simplest melody “performed by it” turns into a gorgeous musical composition, the brightness of perception of which is enhanced by the power of sound and bewitching appearance tool.

Video

Watch the video below to listen and enjoy the sound of the instrument.

On June 17, 1981, its keys were first touched by the hand of a musician - the outstanding organist Harry Grodberg, who performed Bach's toccatas, preludes, fantasies and fugues for Tomsk residents.

Since then, dozens famous organists gave concerts in Tomsk, and German organ builders never ceased to be amazed how in a city where the temperature difference between winter and summer is 80 degrees, the instrument still plays.

Child of the GDR

The organ of the Tomsk Philharmonic was born in 1981 in the East German city of Frankfurt an der Oder, at the organ-building company W.Sauer Orgelbau.

At a normal working pace, building an organ takes about a year, and the process involves several stages. First, the craftsmen inspect the concert hall, determine its acoustic characteristics and draw up a design for the future instrument. Then the specialists return to their home factory, make individual elements of the organ and assemble them into a whole instrument. In the assembly shop of the factory, it is tested for the first time and the shortcomings are corrected. If the organ sounds as it should, it is again disassembled in parts and sent to the customer.

In Tomsk, all installation procedures took only six months - due to the fact that the process took place without any hiccups, shortcomings or other inhibitory factors. In January 1981, Sauer specialists came to Tomsk for the first time, and in June of the same year the organ was already giving concerts.

Internal composition

By the standards of experts, the Tomsk organ can be called average in weight and size - a ten-ton instrument holds about two thousand pipes of different lengths and shapes. Just like five hundred years ago, they are made by hand. Wooden pipes are usually made in the shape of a parallelepiped. The shapes of metal pipes can be more intricate: cylindrical, reverse-conical and even combined. Metal pipes are made from an alloy of tin and lead in different proportions, and pine is usually used for wooden pipes.

It is these characteristics - length, shape and material - that affect the timbre of the sound of an individual pipe.

The pipes inside the organ are arranged in rows: from highest to lowest. Each row of pipes can play separately, or they can be combined. On the side of the keyboard, on the vertical panels of the organ, there are buttons, by pressing which the organist controls this process. All the pipes of the Tomsk organ are sounding, and only one of them on the front side of the instrument was created for decorative purposes and does not produce any sounds.

WITH reverse side the organ looks like a three-story Gothic castle. On the ground floor of this castle there is a mechanical part of the instrument, which, through a system of rods, transmits the work of the organist’s fingers to the pipes. On the second floor there are pipes that are connected to the keys of the lower keyboard, and on the third floor there are pipes for the upper keyboard.

The Tomsk organ has a mechanical system for connecting keys and pipes, which means that pressing a key and the appearance of sound occurs almost instantly, without any lag.

Above the performing platform there are blinds, or in other words, a channel, which hide the second floor of organ pipes from the viewer. Using a special pedal, the organist controls the position of the blinds and thereby influences the strength of the sound.

The caring hand of a master

The organ, like any other musical instrument, is very dependent on the climate, and the Siberian weather creates many problems in caring for it. Special air conditioners, sensors and humidifiers are installed inside the instrument, which maintain a certain temperature and humidity. The colder and drier the air, the shorter the pipes of the organ become, and vice versa - with warm and humid air, the pipes lengthen. Therefore, the musical instrument requires constant monitoring.

The care of the Tomsk organ is provided by only two people - organist Dmitry Ushakov and his assistant Ekaterina Mastenitsa.

The main means of combating dust inside the organ is an ordinary Soviet vacuum cleaner. To find him, an organization was organized whole promotion— we were looking for one that would have a blowing system, because it is easier to blow dust from the organ, bypassing all the tubes, onto the stage and only then collect it with a vacuum cleaner.

“Dirt in the organ must be removed where it is and when it interferes,” says Dmitry Ushakov. - If now we decide to remove all the dust from the organ, we will have to completely tune it again, and this whole procedure will take about a month, and we have concerts.

Most often, façade pipes are cleaned - they are visible, so fingerprints of curious people often remain on them. Dmitry prepares the mixture for cleaning façade elements himself, using ammonia and tooth powder.

Sound reconstruction

Major cleaning and tuning of the organ is carried out once a year: usually in the summer, when relatively few concerts take place and it is not cold outside. But a little sound adjustment is required before each concert. The tuner has a special approach to each type of organ pipe. For some, it is enough to close the cap, for others, tighten the roller, and for the smallest tubes they use a special tool - a stimmhorn.

You won't be able to tune an organ alone. One person must press the keys and the other must adjust the pipes while inside the instrument. In addition, the person pressing the keys controls the setting process.

The Tomsk organ experienced its first major overhaul relatively long ago, 13 years ago, after the restoration of the organ hall and the removal of the organ from a special sarcophagus in which it spent 7 years. Specialists from the Sauer company were invited to Tomsk, who inspected the instrument. Then, in addition to internal renovation, the organ changed the color of the facade and acquired decorative grilles. And in 2012, the organ finally got “owners” - full-time organists Dmitry Ushakov and Maria Blazhevich.

XYLOPHONE

Ding-ding, tone-tone,
Xylo-xylo-xylo-phone.
The xylophone climbed onto the closet,
He was scared of the flamingo.
- You, flamingo, wait!
Don't knock too hard with your beak,
Better take a stick.
And you will hear a gentle ringing.
Just a miracle - the xylophone.
"Xylophone" translated from Greek means singing tree. The first xylophone may have appeared when a primitive man hit a dry tree with a stick and heard an unusual sound. Currently, similar simple xylophones are found in Africa, Asia and South America. It was brought to Europe by traveling musicians.
The xylophone consists of large quantity wooden blocks that produce sounds of different pitches when struck. The bars are made from maple, alder, walnut, and sometimes rosewood. They are placed on a braided rope made of straw, matting or rubber. The structure is usually installed on a table; sometimes resonators—hollow metal cylinders—are fixed under the blocks. The xylophone sound is abrupt, dry and clicking. It is removed using “goat legs” - wooden sticks with thickenings at the ends, similar to spoons.
Sometimes metal blocks are used instead of wooden blocks. This is a metallophone or vibraphone. All the records are located on the same level, while on the xylophone the bars corresponding to the black keys of the piano are slightly raised. The vibraphone is a complex structure. It is placed on a special three-frame table-stand, moved on four wheels. Appeared in the USA at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to its characteristic timbre and great virtuoso capabilities, the vibraphone is widely used in music. But if you attach a keyboard mechanism like a piano to a metallophone, you get a celesta instrument. It was made by master Auguste Muster in 1886. It is more convenient to play the celesta than with sticks on a metallophone. And the sound is just as gentle and sonorous. During his visit to Paris, P. I. Tchaikovsky heard the celesta and was so fascinated by its magical sound that he introduced the part of this instrument into his works: the ballad “The Voevoda” and the ballet “The Nutcracker.”
The xylophone was first used in an orchestra by Ferdinand Kauer in the mid-19th century. in the work "Seven Variations". One of the most famous works in which the xylophone is used is Saint-Saëns’ symphonic poem “Dance of Death”. The Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov in “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” assigned the xylophone the song “In the garden, in the vegetable garden” to depict a squirrel gnawing golden nuts.

ORGAN

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 organs installed in concert halls. The largest 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
(Organ)

VIOLIN

It is generally accepted that the first stringed instrument was invented by the Indian (according to another version, Ceylonese) king Ravana, who lived about five thousand years ago. This is probably why the distant ancestor of the violin was called the ravanastron. It consisted of an empty cylinder made of mulberry wood, one side of which was covered with the skin of a broad-scaled water boa constrictor. The strings were made from gazelle intestines, and the bow, curved in an arc, was made from bamboo wood. Ravanastron has been preserved to this day among wandering Buddhist monks.
The violin appeared on the professional stage at the end of the 15th century, and its “inventor” was an Italian from Bologna, Gaspar Duifopruggar. The oldest violin, made by him in 1510 for King Franz I, is kept in the Netherland collection in Aachen (Holland). The violin owes its current appearance and, of course, sound to the Italian violin makers Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri. Violins made by Magini are also highly prized. Their violins, made from well-dried and varnished maple and spruce plates, sang more beautifully than the most beautiful voices. The instruments made by these masters are still played by the best violinists in the world. Stradivarius designed a violin that is still unsurpassed, with a rich timbre and exceptional “range” - the ability to fill huge halls with sound. It had kinks and irregularities inside the body, due to which the sound was enriched due to the appearance of a large number of high overtones.
The violin is the highest timbre instrument of the bow family. It consists of two main parts - the body and the neck, between which four steel strings are stretched. The main advantage of the violin is the melodiousness of the timbre. It can be used to perform both lyrical melodies and dazzling fast passages. The violin is the most common solo instrument in the orchestra.
The Italian virtuoso and composer Niccolo Paganini greatly expanded the capabilities of the violin. Subsequently, many other violinists appeared, but no one could surpass him. Wonderful works for the violin were created by Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and others.
Oistrakh, or, as he was called, “King David,” is considered an outstanding Russian violinist.
There is an instrument that looks very similar to a violin, but is slightly larger. This is an alt.
MYSTERY
Carved in the forest, smoothly hewn,
Singing and singing, what is it called?
(Violin)