Meaning of Organistrum in Music
The organistrum is an early version of the hurdy-gurdy, a stringed instrument that is played by turning a crank and working the keys. The term "organistrum" is derived from the Latin words "instrumentum" and "organum," which refer to ancient harmonies made up of octaves accompanied by intervals of fourths and fifths. The organistrum was primarily used in monastic and church settings to accompany choral music. It is believed to have originated in the late 10th or early 11th century and was later made smaller to allow a single player to operate it.
The pitches on the organistrum were set according to Pythagorean temperament, a tuning system based on the ratios of pure intervals. This system was commonly used during the medieval period.
The construction and design of the organistrum are described in a 10th-century treatise attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, titled "Quomodo organistrum construatur" (How the Organistrum Is Made). However, the authenticity of this treatise is highly doubtful.
One of the earliest visual depictions of the organistrum is found on the twelfth-century Prtico da Gloria (Portal of Glory) on the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. The carving depicts two musicians playing an organistrum.
In summary, the organistrum is an early version of the hurdy-gurdy that was used in monastic and church settings to accompany choral music. It was played by turning a crank and working the keys, and its pitches were set according to Pythagorean temperament.
The term first used for a hurdy-gurdy. This was created in northern Spain and took two people to operate. One person would turn the crank while the second person pulled keys up to change the pitch of the strings.
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