Serpent (instrument)

The Serpent (also the Serpent, from Latin serpens, "snake" ) is a historic musical instrument. This is the bass instrument of the tines family, which is accordingly blown a cup-shaped mouthpiece.

When the organ is called a tongue voice Serpent, which is usually scheduled as 16' - voice in the pedal.

Type

The tube of the Serpents is wrapped in wood and serpentine. As with crooked teeth it is glued together from two halves and covered with leather. The Serpent originally had six finger holes, this came in the course of time some more holes, which were operated with flaps. It also higher moods were made to the soprano Serpent.

There was a ( French ) church and later a ( British ) military construction, which was characterized by compact construction and metal parts. Intonation and stability of the tones require great skill.

History

According to tradition, the Serpent in 1590 by a Canon Guillaume was invented in Auxerre. According to the ideas of the 16th century, the sound of the prongs of the human voice came very near, and the use of the Serpents as an accompanying instrument for choral music was a tradition last radical, which lasted until the 19th century.

The Serpent long remained the only bass instrument with sufficient volume for larger ensembles and rooms or for outdoor performances. Georg Friedrich Händel demanded the Serpent for its fireworks music and his Water Music. Due to the strong variation of the vocal ideal in the 18th century, he did not seem to fit the human voice. Hector Berlioz said in Traité d' instrumentation (1844 ) that own " his cold, hideous howl " at best for the Dies irae of the Requiem Mass. Nevertheless, the Serpent was used as the ultimate instrument of the zinc family still in the Catholic church music in orchestras and especially the French and English military music until the mid 19th century.

If the term " Serpent " shows up as the bass of the brass instruments in orchestral scores of the 19th century, the modern bass horn is often meant. It was later replaced by the Ophicleide and the tuba. In folk music, held the Serpent in some places into the 20th century.

Modern use

The film composer Bernard Herrmann used the Serpent for the soundtrack of Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 ), Jerry Goldsmith used him for Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). End of the 20th century, the Serpent of Michel Godard has been discovered for the Jazz. Today he finds again as a historical bass instrument in the orchestra use.