Organetto
Encyclopedia
Organetto refers to two distinct instruments. The medieval organetto was a portable pipe instrument, while the modern organetto is a popular Italian folk instrument allied to the accordion.
The medieval Organetto was a portable pipe instrument, allied to the later classical pipe organ, and pumped with the hand. It is referenced in the Roman de la Rose:
"There are easily manageable organs which are portable and are pumped and played by the same person, who also sings either the soprano or tenor part."
It was among the most popular instruments in Europe from the 13th to the 16th century.
The organetto was relatively lightweight and could be carried with a sling to use in religious processions or other occasions. Bellows
provide the wind supply, and a button-type keyboard could be used across approximately two octave
s. The organetto could only play one note at a time, and was used for a single part in a polyphonic piece, motet
or chanson
, and for monophonic dance music.
The modern organetto is a popular folk instrument used in Italian folk music
. In other countries it is called by other names, though many times is not the same instrument. It is a free reed instrument, allied to the accordion
.
The medieval Organetto was a portable pipe instrument, allied to the later classical pipe organ, and pumped with the hand. It is referenced in the Roman de la Rose:
"There are easily manageable organs which are portable and are pumped and played by the same person, who also sings either the soprano or tenor part."
It was among the most popular instruments in Europe from the 13th to the 16th century.
The organetto was relatively lightweight and could be carried with a sling to use in religious processions or other occasions. Bellows
Bellows
A bellows is a device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location.Basically, a bellows is a deformable container which has an outlet nozzle. When the volume of the bellows is decreased, the air escapes through the outlet...
provide the wind supply, and a button-type keyboard could be used across approximately two octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s. The organetto could only play one note at a time, and was used for a single part in a polyphonic piece, motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
or chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
, and for monophonic dance music.
The modern organetto is a popular folk instrument used in Italian folk music
Italian folk music
Italian folk music has a deep and complex history. National unification came quite late to the Italian peninsula, so its many hundreds of separate cultures remained un-homogenized until quite recently compared to many other European countries...
. In other countries it is called by other names, though many times is not the same instrument. It is a free reed instrument, allied to the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
.