Meaning of Positive Organ in Music
A positive organ is a small organ used in Western music, primarily in liturgical and sometimes secular contexts, from the 10th to the 17th centuries. It is also a traditional department of a large organ, often placed behind the organist's back and roughly the size of a separate positive organ. The positive organ is larger than the portative organ but still small enough to be portable and used in a variety of settings. It is typically used for bright solos, duets, or antiphonal effects with other manuals The positive organ usually contains a small principal chorus with a bright mixture, flutes at 8 and 4, one or more mutations, and sometimes a color reed like the Krummhorn.
A small, single manual organ popular in the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
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