Piri

Piri is a woodwind instrument with a double reed which is played in the Korean music.

The Piri consists of a ( cylindrical ) bamboo ( Kwantae ) with seven finger holes in front and one thumb hole at the back. As a mouthpiece about seven inches long double reed (So) is attached. The Oboe instrument belongs to the Asian widespread one-piece straight type with large reed. It is related to the Chinese Guan, Japanese Hichiriki, which mainly played in Armenia, the duduk and the Turkish Mey. In contrast, the Piri has little in common with the two other Asian oboes types: the one-piece, easy bulbous in the middle instruments with small -reed (this includes the Thai pi nai and the Cambodian Sralai ) and the tapered cone oboes from surnāī type with attached bell. The latter include the Korean oboe Taepyeongso that is played because of its penetrating sound outdoors only.

According to the size and use four types can be distinguished:

• The Hyang piri ( hangul: 향피리, hanja:鄕 觱 篥, Korean Piri ) is 27 inches long, has a loud and nasal sound. She plays the main melody in the court music, shamanic ritual music, the secular folk music and is used for the solo instrumental pieces Sanjo. The lowest note is ace, the tonal range of a tenth.
• The Se piri ( hangul: 세피리, hanja:细 觱 篥, small oboe) is smaller, softer and sounds for lyrical styles of music (chamber music) played to accompany singing or together with string instruments.
• The Tang piri ( hangul: 당피리, hanja:唐 觱 篥, Chinese Piri ) is thicker and shorter than the most common Hyang Piri, it is only used for Chinese music. The lowest note is c '. The highest note a'' is achieved by over-blowing.
• The rare Tae piri ( hangul: 대 피리 ) is thicker, longer and sounds an octave lower than the Hyang piri.

The Korean-German composer Yun I- sang has called a solo composition from 1971 for Oboe Piri. His goal was to bring the traditional way of playing the Piri and the spiritual content of the music, which is rooted in Daoism, with the western oboe expressed. He processed the Korean conception according to which the Piri is considered an instrument of the soul.