CARILLION (French and English - carillon, German - Glockenspiel, Dutch - beiaard) is a percussion musical instrument, which is a set of bells tuned to a diatonic or chromatic scale and connected using a system of levers and rods with a special keyboard. Carillons, which became widespread in Western Europe from the end of the 15th century, were usually installed on city halls and church bell towers, which were therefore often called “singing towers”.
The birthplace of the carillon is considered to be Flanders - now the northern part of Belgium, which was previously part of the Netherlands. The “golden age” of this instrument began in the mid-17th century, when Dutch craftsmen created bells with an extremely clear tone. From Flanders, carillons spread to other countries and by the beginning of the 18th century. gained enormous popularity in Europe. However, the French Revolution dealt a big blow to carillon art: many churches and bell towers were destroyed, hundreds of bells were lost. The number of playing carillons decreased even further after the First World War. Carillon art received a second life in the 20th century. thanks to the work of the famous Belgian musician Geoff Denain (1862 - 1941), who made significant improvements to the design of the carillon, made it a real concert instrument and founded the world's first Royal Carillon School in Mechelen in 1922. Since that time, carillons have again quickly spread throughout the world.
Modern carillons generally have a range of about 4 octaves and have 48-49 bells. The performer controls them using two keyboards - manual (manual) and foot (pedal). The manual is played with your fists, and the pedal is played with your toes.
The most famous carillon in Europe is undoubtedly the carillon of St. Rombald's Cathedral in the Belgian city of Mechelen. According to legend, the definition of “raspberry ringing”, which has entered the Russian language, comes from the French name of the city of Mechelen - Malin. This is what the delighted Peter I once called the roll call of Mechelen bells. Later, he brought at least 5 carillons from the Netherlands to Russia. Of these, only the carillon of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg has survived to this day.
In 1991, the director of the Royal Carillon School of Mechelen, Jo Hazen, took the initiative to revive the tradition of playing the carillon in Russia. After a series of discussions, it was decided to leave the old carillon of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in the form in which it was preserved (its bells are connected to the chimes and are used only for automatically ringing simple melodies) and give St. Petersburg a new concert instrument that meets all modern requirements.
On September 15, 2001, the grand opening of the new “Flemish carillon” took place in the Peter and Paul Fortress. This instrument includes 51 bells. The largest of its bells has a diameter of 1.7 meters and weighs over 3 tons (3075 kg), while the smallest has a diameter of only 19 cm but weighs 10.3 kg. The bells were made by the Royal Bell Foundry "Petit and Fritsen" from Arle-Rixtel in the Netherlands. The total weight of the entire bell set is 15,160 kg, and the instrument as a whole is 25 tons. The implementation of this unique international project was made possible thanks to the support of 353 sponsors from different countries, whose total contribution to the creation of the instrument amounted to almost 300 thousand dollars.
Marina Nevskaya 2002 XXX
A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of a set of bells (at least 23 in number) tuned chromatically in a range from two to six octaves. The bells of the carillon are fixed motionless and are struck by tongues suspended inside. The bell tongues are connected to a keyboard via a wire transmission, from which the bells are controlled. Typically, carillons were and are placed on church or city towers. The art of playing the carillon was considered very prestigious and responsible and was traditionally passed down from father to son. In the old days, the election of the city bell-ringer turned into a real celebration. Nowadays, there are several schools teaching how to play the carillon.
A modern instrument can to some extent be compared to an organ: the musician sits in a special booth at a table with pedals and a double row of keys in the form of handles. The carillonneur plays by striking the keyboard with his fists or the pedals with his feet.
The carillon is not a church instrument, but a secular instrument. On him “You can perform different melodies: original baroque music, romantic music of the 19th century and modern rhythms, music of the 20th century, even folklore motifs” (Jo Haasen, director of the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium). The carillon became widespread in Western Europe and North America. The World Carillon Federation has existed since 1978.
A Brief History of the Carillon
The first carillons, which date back to around the 5th century BC, were discovered by archaeologists in China (In 1978, during excavations in Hubei province, a set of 65 bells with a range of 5 octaves was found, dating back to the 5th century BC.).
In Europe (Northern France and the Netherlands), carillons have been known since the 15th century. At first, sets of bells appeared on tower clocks (at the end of the 14th century), but then they acquired independent significance as a musical instrument. In old chronicles, the first mention of the performance of “melodies on bells” dates back to 1478. It was then that a set of bells was tested in the city of Dunkirk, on which Jan van Bevere, to the surprise and pleasure of the audience present, even reproduced musical chords. Jan van Bevere is also called the inventor of the bell keyboard. From the same chronicles it is known that in 1481 a certain Dwaas played the bells in Aalst, and in 1487 - Eliseus in Antwerp. However, it is not known what composition of bells the musicians controlled; most likely, these were the so-called glockenspiel (literally: bell playing) with a small set of bells. An instrument with a musical roller and nine bells from Oudenaarde is mentioned in 1510. And 50 years later, even a mobile carillon appeared. Further development of the instrument went towards increasing the number of bells. The same bells on the towers were practically used for playing through a keyboard (like a carillon) and for mechanical ringing (like chimes).
It must be admitted that the carillon is a very expensive instrument, so it was difficult to expect its widespread use. However, the rapid development of the North Sea region and large trading cities provided the financial basis for the development of the carillon business in the 16th - first half of the 17th centuries. Carillons were built in the cities of Adenand, Leuven, Tertonde, and Ghent. The number of bells in the carillon gradually increased, the keyboard was improved, which significantly facilitated the work of the carillonneur. Mechelen and Amsterdam acquired carillons (and more than one!), then Delft. In the second half of the 17th century, carillons made by the brothers Franz and Peter Hemony were especially famous in Holland. There is information in the literature that the first well-tuned carillon with a keyboard and the harmonious sound of 51 bells was built by them in 1652 in Holland. (The photographs show the keyboard and some bells of the old, now defunct, 17th-century carillon by Hemony, which can be seen in the tower of the West Church of Amsterdam.)
But as soon as trade wars began between Holland and England, and then, in the 2nd half of the 17th century, the War of the Spanish Succession, the well-being of the region fell sharply. At the beginning of the 18th century, there was an economic recession, and as a consequence of this, a decline in interest in carillons and bell casting.
A renaissance for carillons came at the end of the 19th century. Particularly popular at that time were the concerts given on summer evenings by Jef Denyn at the famous carillon of the Mechlen Cathedral. (Carillon concerts in Mechelen are now held on Saturday, Sunday and Monday; this has long been a city tradition.) America also showed interest in carillons, having learned about them... from the press. The 2nd World War prevented the further flourishing of the carillon business. But the carillons were not forgotten.
Some statistics
It is believed that about 6 thousand carillons were built over the entire period. Most of them died during the wars... Now there are about 900 carillons in the world. The largest of them (by weight: 102 tons of bronze!) is located in New York in the Riverside Church of the Rockefeller Memorial. It consists of 74 bells, the largest bell is 3.5 meters in diameter and weighs 20.5 tons. But this is only the third carillon in the world in terms of the number of bells. The instrument with the most bells - 77 - is located in Bloomfield Hills, USA; followed by the carillon of Halle, Germany, which has 76 bells.
Some more “carillon statistics” from a geographical point of view: in Holland there are more than 180 carillons (in Amsterdam alone there are 7, not counting the mobile one), in Belgium there are about 90, in France - 53, in Germany - 35, in the USA - at least 157... There are at least 13 mobile carillons in the world. (In the photographs there are two carillons of Amsterdam: on the left is the Coin Tower, on the right is the bell tower of the South Church).
Mechelen - the capital of carillon music
The recognized capital of carillon music is the Belgian city of Mechelen (Mechelen, or Malin, as it is called in French, from the French name of this city in Russia the expression “raspberry ringing” comes from). The most prestigious international competition, which bears the name of the Belgian queen - "Queen Fabiola", is held in Mechelen; the most representative festivals and concerts of bell music are held here, as well as scientific conferences devoted to the theoretical problems of this art. There are 4 large carillons in Mechelen, which include 197 bells. Three of them are located in the belfries of city cathedrals, the fourth - mobile - is installed on a wooden platform with wheels, it is rolled out onto the square during holidays. This carillon contains Mechelen's oldest bell, cast back in 1480. It is interesting that carillon tuning is still done the old fashioned way - not by a tuning fork, but by the sound of the violin.
Mechelen is home to the Royal Carillon School, which was founded in 1922 and is called "Jeff Denin" after its founder and first director. Musicians from many countries around the world learn the art of playing the carillon here. In 1992, students from Russia came here to study for the first time. Carillonneurs undergo individual training, and the full course lasts six years. Another carillon school is located in the Netherlands in Utrecht. (The two photos accompanying this paragraph are taken from the School's information brochure, see "Sources" below.)
Carillon in Russia
The first carillon appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I, who ordered two mechanical chimes and a carillon of 35 bells from Holland. But the Dutch carillon was able to sing only a quarter of a century later. This happened in St. Petersburg in the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Unfortunately, this carillon was destroyed by fire in 1756. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ordered a new instrument consisting of 38 bells. It was installed in 1776, but in 1856 the carillon was out of order, and in 1858 it was partially dismantled: the keyboard and part of the bells were removed. After the revolution, the carillon was practically destroyed.
The Royal Carillon School in Mechelen created an international project “Restoration of the Peter and Paul Carillon”, the inspiration and main “driving force” of which was Jo Haasen, the current director of the school. The project helped find more than 350 sponsors, and as a result, shortly before its 300th anniversary, St. Petersburg received a wonderful gift - a new carillon of 51 bells, the total weight of which is 15 tons. The largest bell weighs 3075 kg, the smallest - 10 kg. The casting, installation and tuning of the carillon was carried out by the Royal Foundry "Petit and Fritsen", the Netherlands. The first carillon concert on the new instrument took place in St. Petersburg on September 15, 2001.
Now the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral has three levels of ringing: a new Flemish carillon, 18 preserved bells of the old Dutch carillon of the 18th century (they will “work” as chimes) and an Orthodox belfry of 22 bells, 91 bells in total!
On August 2, 2007, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend a concert by Jo Haazen, which he gave as part of the International Festival "Soul of the Bell", held in the Peter and Paul Fortress of St. Petersburg. We were able not only to hear an interesting program performed by a wonderful musician, but also to examine in detail the new carillon of the Peter and Paul Cathedral and the surviving bells of old instruments displayed on its bell tower. After his speech, Professor Haazen kindly signed the concert program, we met him in real life (previously we only contacted via the Internet) and had a warm conversation. It is a pity that this concert concluded the program of performances, and Jo Haasen was soon leaving St. Petersburg.
For its 300th anniversary, St. Petersburg received another carillon - on Krestovsky Island. This is a 27-meter arch-belfry, on which 23 carillon bells with automatic computer control and 18 Russian non-automatic bells are installed. The author of the project of the belfry arch is Moscow architect Igor Gunst. The carillon bells for it were also cast by Petit & Fritzen. According to the creators' plans, sacred and secular music, as well as Russian bell ringings, will be heard here.
Modern mobile carillon
Perhaps the latest achievement in carillon construction is the design of the original mobile carillon by the Dutch musician Budivision Zwart, a carillonneur in Amsterdam.
This carillon was made in 2003 and consists of 50 bells weighing from 8 to 300 kg, the total weight of which is about three tons. The bells are compactly placed on a special trailer. The trailer is small and can be moved even by a passenger car. Moreover, this carillon can be divided into three parts if necessary and is thus relatively easy to transport to any room.
B. Zwart gave one of the first concerts at this carillon during the music festival in Dresden (Germany) from May 19 to June 15, 2003. Concerts took place in open areas of the city. The concert program was very diverse, in particular, works by I.S. Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, Corelli, Schubert and Gluck, as well as improvisations on themes of Dutch folk music and melodies of Russian folk songs.
Description of the presentation by individual slides:
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Carillon (carillon) is a musical instrument consisting of a set of bells tuned chromatically, with a range from two to six octaves. Its sound depends on the shape of the bells, the alloy from which they are cast, the material and weight of the bell tongues, and the acoustics of the bell tower. What is a carillon?
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The walls of fixedly fixed bells are struck from the inside by tongues connected by a wire structure to control keyboards (as in an organ). Each bell is tuned to a specific note. When the carillon is manually controlled, the keyboard is hit with hands and feet; when it is mechanical, it is done using huge drums with holes into which pegs are inserted; when it is electronic, it is done through a computer, of course. How does this bell orchestra play?
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Archaeologists date the oldest discovered carillons to the 5th century BC, and the place of these finds is China (yes, the ancient Chinese were the first here too!). When studying them, it turned out that the instruments have a wide range of sound (for example, the Hubei carillon consists of 65 bells spanning 5 octaves), as well as the ability of each bell to sound in two different tones, depending on where it is struck. Creation
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In Europe, carillons appeared in France and the Netherlands (XIV-XV centuries) and were not at all associated with a Chinese invention. The first mention of this marvelous instrument dates back to 1478 and is associated with the name of Jan van Bevere, who brought pleasure to the public with musical chords on the Glockenspiel (literally translated - bell playing). It is believed that it was he who invented the keyboard for playing bell music. Half a century later, the first mobile carillon appeared, then bell orchestras began to increase the number of bells and modernize the keyboard. The Hemoni brothers, Franz and Peter, became famous for their skill in creating and tuning them. Being a very expensive structure, the carillon became a sign of prestige, symbolizing the high prosperity of the city. With the decline of the 17th century, the development of the bell-carillon business stopped for the same economic reasons. It’s a pity, because it was then that the Mechelen bells, called crimson bells, became famous.
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And it was Mechelen-Malyn that revived this art in the 19th century: there arose the tradition of regular concerts on the city tower near St. Rombolt's Cathedral, which is preserved to this day. History has preserved another name of the carillon master - a certain Jef Denyn gave these concerts at that time. And Mechelen is still the capital of bell art. Zhef Denin
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Let's start with how we got the very first one. We owe this event to the curiosity of the Tsar-Carpenter Peter I. He also visited Mechelen-Malyn to listen to bell music, and ordered a carillon for the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Flanders. This musical instrument arrived in St. Petersburg in 1720, but was installed only 25 years later, but was soon severely damaged in a fire (1757). The new carillon, ordered by Empress Elizabeth, was installed almost 20 years later (1776), but less than a century later it fell into disrepair and was partially dismantled. In the post-revolutionary years... well, it’s clear where the Bolsheviks got their interest and respect for bells, the heralds of religion, i.e., opium for the people. Carillon in Russia
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…St. Petersburg again found a bell orchestra (and not one, but even two) before its 300th anniversary. The Mechelen Royal School of this art, primarily in the person of its director Jo Haansen, organized the international project “Restoration of the Peter and Paul Carillon”, and on September 15, 2001 it sounded in this historical fortress, which acquired three levels of ringing: an Orthodox belfry with 22 bells , a new carillon of 51 and the remaining 18 bells from the previous, pre-revolutionary one. And the second carillon is located on Krestovsky Island (there are now 23 electronically controlled bells plus 18 Russian non-automatic ones).
