Barrel organ

A barrel organ, or hurdy-gurdy, is a mechanical musical instrument. The player is a barrel-organ, popularly known in North Germany Leierkastenmann in Austria Werkelmann, actuates a crank that sets a control system inside the instrument in motion.

Similar to the barrel organ is the fairground organ.

History

Proven since the beginning of the 18th century, the barrel organ in all European countries as an instrument of street musicians and jugglers, but also - especially in England and France - as churches and salon instrument known. But minstrels used a barrel organ. Many Drehorgelspieler place today a stuffed monkey at their instrument. This is reminiscent of the time, were often accompanied as itinerant musicians of a Capuchin monkey. The monkey was an added attraction - especially for the children - and usually had the task of collecting coins at the bystanders.

Technology

The structure of the barrel organ in principle corresponds to a stationary pipe organ. It consists of a housing into which the pipe work, the Balgwerk, wind load and the game device are housed. By means of a crank or a flywheel is actuated via a connecting rod of the leather covered Schöpfbalg generating the wind. The wind is stored in a magazine bellows, brought to a constant pressure soothes and with spring force.

About the wind chest that contains a plurality of valves, is the pipe work. Each valve is assigned a tone ( a pipe or several pipes of different types ). The number of tones may be different for barrel organs (about 12-45 ). These valves are controlled by the game device. This can be pneumatically, mechanically or electromagnetically happen. The pipes are similar to those of a church organ. By the rotation of the crank and the program carrier is moved in mechanical / pneumatic control.

Unlike a manually playable organ the control of the tones is taken over by a program support, which is located in the gaming establishment. The oldest form of program support is the pin roller. This has been known since ancient times. Beginning of the 20th century has replaced the pin roll the hole band and the hole board. A roll pin (usually removable) can be up to twelve songs ( six to eight are common ) included. The run length of the piece is limited by the roller periphery. By perforated strips or perforated boxes (both replaceable), the playing time is almost unlimited; also by electronic control of the pipework. Since the early 1980s, the microchip is used as a digital storage medium for music in rotation organ building. By changing the speed of rotation, acting on the wind pressure and the use of various tone colors ( registers) in larger instruments (see also register ( organ) ), an interpretive representing the music on pneumatically controlled barrel organs is possible.

In some models, the electronic control allows no influence on the music. Whether the crank forward or backward, move slowly or quickly: the music always sounds the same. Other building types, however, respond to a change in the rotational speed with a corresponding effect on the playback speed of the track. Electronically controlled barrel organs can be synchronized via wireless or wired. It all organs either play the same notes of the tune, or they take over any part of a kind of orchestral score. Here the art of the arranger or programmer is required. Playback requires no musical skills of the organ rotator.

In contrast, the synchronous game sets with two or more tape loch controlled barrel organs of the same type of construction requires practice and skill combined with musicality and sense of rhythm. For this purpose, the same or corresponding made ​​perforated tapes on the market are available.

Appearances

Across Europe, barrel organ players compete ( in Austria also called Werkelmann ) - especially during special " Street Organ Days" - publicly. Many organ players can also engage in private performances. The Frenchman Pierre Charial has shown in recent decades that the instrument is used in jazz and even in contemporary music.