Organ - a musical instrument of the twenty-eight centuries

Organ - a musical instrument, which is called the "king of music". The grandiose nature of his sound is expressed in the emotional impact on the listener, who has no equal. In addition, the world's largest musical instrument is an organ, and it has the most perfect control system. Its height and length are equated to the size of the wall from the foundation to the roof in a large building - a temple or a concert hall.

Expressive resource of the organ allows you to create for him music of the widest scope of content: from thinking about God and the cosmos to subtle intimate reflections of the human soul.

Organ - a musical instrument with a unique in its duration history. Its age is about 28 centuries. Within the framework of one article, it is impossible to trace the great path of this instrument in art. We limited ourselves to a short outline of the genesis of the organ from the earliest times to those centuries when it acquired the appearance and properties known to this day.

The historical predecessor of the organ is the instrument of the flute of Pan that came down to us (by the name of the Greek god who created it, as mentioned in the myth). The appearance of the flute of Pan is dated to the 7th century BC, but the real age is probably much larger.

This is the name of a musical instrument consisting of vertically placed cane tubules of various lengths. Lateral surfaces they adjoin to each other, and across are united by a belt from a strong matter or a wooden lath. The artist blows the air from above through the holes of the tubes, and they sound - each at its height. A real game master can use two or even three tubes at once to extract a simultaneous sound and get a two-voice interval or, with special skill, a three-chord chord.

Pan's flute represents the man's age-old desire to invent, especially in art, and the desire to improve the expressive possibilities of music. Before this instrument appeared on the historical stage, at the disposal of the most ancient musicians there were more primitive longitudinal flutes - the simplest pipes with holes for fingers. Their technical capabilities were not great. On the longitudinal flute it is impossible to simultaneously extract two or more sounds.

In favor of a more perfect flute sound, Pan also says the following fact. The way in which air is injected into it is non-contact, the air stream is supplied by the lips from a certain distance, which creates a special timbre effect of mystical sound. All the organ precursors were wind instruments, i.e. Used controlled live breathing to create artistic images. Subsequently, these features - polyphony and a ghostly-fantastic "breathing" timbre - were inherited in the sound palette of the organ. They are the basis of the unique ability of organ sound - to introduce the listener into trance.

From the appearance of the flute of Pan to the invention of the next predecessor organ five centuries have passed. During this time, experts in wind sound extraction found a way that allows an infinite increase in the limited time of human exhalation.

In the new instrument, air supply was carried out with the help of leather furs - similar to those used by the blacksmith for air injection.

There was also the possibility to automatically maintain a two-voiced and three-voiced voice. One or two voices - the lower ones - were sounded without interruption, the height of which did not change. These sounds, called "bourdons" or "foburdons", were extracted without the participation of the voice, directly from the bellows through the openings in them and were somewhat of a background. Later they will be called the "organ point".

The first voice, thanks to the well-known method of closing holes on a separate "flute-like" insertion in the bellows, was able to play quite a variety and even virtuosic melodies. The performer blew air into his mouth with his lips. Unlike the bourdonians, the melody was extracted by contact method. Therefore, there was no plaque of mysticism in it - it was assumed by the ruffled echoes.

This tool has gained great popularity, especially in folk art, as well as among wandering musicians, and became known as bagpipes. Thanks to its invention, the future organ sound acquired almost unlimited length. While the performer pumps the air with furs, sound does not stop.

Thus, three of the four future sound properties of the "King of Instruments" appeared: polyphony, mystical uniqueness of the timbre and absolute length.

Starting from the 2nd century BC. There are designs that are increasingly approaching the image of the organ. To inject air, the Greek inventor Ktesebii creates a hydraulic drive (water pump). This allows you to increase the sound power and provide the nascent colossus instrument with rather long sounding pipes. By hearing, the hydraulic organ becomes loud and sharp. With such properties of sound it is widely used in mass representations (hippodrome jumps, circus shows, mysteries) among Greeks and Romans. With the advent of early Christianity, the idea of forcing air with furs returned: the sound from this mechanism was more alive and "human."

In fact, at this stage the main features of organ sound can be considered to be formed: a multi-voiced texture, imperiously attracting attention timbre, unprecedented length and special power, suitable for attracting a large mass of people.

The next seven centuries were for the organ determinative in the sense that his abilities became interested, and then firmly "appropriated" them and developed by the Christian church. The body was destined to become an instrument of mass preaching, as it remains to this day. To this end, his transformations moved along two channels.

First. The physical dimensions and acoustic capabilities of the instrument have reached incredible values. In accordance with the growth and development of the temple architecture, the architectural and musical aspect has progressively developed. The organ was built into the wall of the temple, and its thunderous sound subordinated and shocked the imagination of the parishioners.

The number of organ pipes, which now made of wood and metal, reached several thousand. The organ's timbre has acquired the widest emotional range - from the resemblance of the Voice of God to the quiet revelations of religious individuality.

Possibilities of sounding, previously acquired on the historical path, were needed in church usage. The polyphony of the organ allowed the more complex music to reflect the multifaceted interweaving of spiritual practice. The length and pumping of the tone exalted the aspect of living breathing, bringing the very nature of organ sound to the experiences of the destinies of human life.

From this stage the organ is a musical instrument of immense convincing power.

The second direction in the development of the instrument went along the path of strengthening his virtuoso capabilities.

To control the thousandth pipe arsenal, a fundamentally new mechanism was needed, enabling the performer to cope with this untold wealth. History itself prompted the right solution: keyboard instruments appeared . The idea of keyboard coordination of the whole array of sounds was perfectly adapted to the device of the "King of Music". From now on, the organ is a keyboard-and-wind instrument.

The management of the giant was concentrated behind a special console, combining the tremendous possibilities of the clavier technique and the ingenious inventions of organ masters. Before the organist, now located in a step-by-step order - one above the other - from two to seven keyboards. Below, at the very floor under the feet was a large pedal keyboard for extracting low tones. She was played with her feet. Thus, the technique of the organist required great skill. The artist's seating place was a long bench, placed above the pedal keyboard.

The assembly of the pipes was controlled by a register mechanism. Near the keyboards there were special buttons or handles, each of which operated simultaneously tens, hundreds and even thousands of pipes. To the organist not be distracted by switching registers, he had an assistant - usually a student, who had to understand the basics of the game on the organ.

The body begins a victorious procession in the world artistic culture. By the 17th century, he had reached a heyday and unprecedented heights in music. After the perpetuation of organ art in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatness of this instrument remains unsurpassed to the present day. Today the organ is a musical instrument of modern history.