Hurdy-gurdy
Unique chordophones
News
1st July 2008
Change of the gallery
Contact
Jaroslav Netušil
ICQ 170-657-496
Hurdy-gurdy is ...
A hurdy-gurdy is primarily a cordophone, therefore it is a musical instrument which sounds by vibration of one or more strings. Of course the principle of vibration doesn´t have any analogy. Strings are clanged by the wheel which is coated by leather (or painted by rosin) instead of bow. And it´s initiated by handle. A wheel´s function is similar to the violin´s bow.
The tone heights of melodic strings which are hidden within the corpus can be attained due to the keyboard mechanics. Besides that the musical instrument has some supporting strings which sound the same tone, one of them used to be equipped with a vibrating bridge which supplies the hurdy-gurdy with a characteristic jarring sound.
I offer
The production is focused on the period of Gothic and Renaissance. Besides a hurdy-gurdy you will hear a saraceinian lute and singing too. A historic costume of that period is self-evident.
Lectures are focused on historical development, aesthetic demands on music from various periods but influence of migration, wars and other factors as well.
Copyright © 2008 Jaroslav Netušil