All about the musical instrument carillon

One of the unusual musical instruments, about which many of us know nothing at all, is the carillon. Basically, they are installed in churches and on bell towers to give the divine services a solemn significance. The history of the appearance of this instrument, a description, as well as the places where you can hear carillon music in Russia, we will consider in this article.

Carillon is a special musical instrument that consists of a certain number of bells of different sizes. They are tuned in a special chromatic order ranging from 2 to 6 octaves. The sound of an instrument depends not only on the size of the bell, but also on the material of its manufacture, on how it is cast, as well as on the acoustics of the bell tower. An orchestra of such bells plays due to the fact that all elements are permanently fixed, and the inner tongues are connected with a wire with a special design, which has control keys.

Each bell emits its own note according to the tuning.

Carillons can be controlled in 3 ways.

• In mechanical control, it is carried out with the help of large drums with holes, from which sharp tips are visible.
• In electronic control, everything is controlled only through a computer.
• In the hand - thanks to punches and kicks, as well as pressing the legs on the levers. Thanks to them, you can change the sonority of the note and the power of the sound.

Thanks to archaeological excavations in China, we can say that the first carillons were back in the 5th century BC. After studying the instrument, it turned out that it has a wide range of sound, and each bell can make a sound in 2 tones if you hit it from different sides.

In Europe, carillons appeared in the XIV-XV centuries, the first mention of them dates back to 1478. In France and the Netherlands, they were used during divine services in Catholic churches. They were installed on a tower clock, and then used as a musical instrument.

Carillons installed in Catholic churches were supposed to have 23 bells, which were placed in chromatic order. In the Orthodox, everything was different. Each next bell must be 2 times larger or smaller than the previous one. This proves that the instruments appeared independently of each other.

In the city of Dunkirk, the first performance of this instrument with the performance of new musical compositions was held, and Jan van Bevere invented a special keyboard for it. In 1481, an unknown master played it in Aalst, and in 1487 a certain Eliseus made his debut in Antwerp. In 1510, a carillon with a musical shaft and 9 bells was assembled in Oudenaard. Already half a century later, the mobile version was invented.

The popularity and development of the instrument did not stand still, every year the number of devices only increased. In 1652, a well-oiled carillon of 51 bells with a harmonious sound appeared. Although it was quite expensive, it was in high demand until the battle between Holland and England began. Then, at the end of the 17th century, the war for the Spanish lands began, an economic recession began, so the production of carillons dropped sharply.

The revival of the instrument began in Belgium, in the city of Mechelen, only in the 19th century. It has been recognized as the center of carillon music. Now the most famous international carillon competition called "Queen Fabiola" is held there. All problems and new developments concerning the art of the game are discussed there.

Currently, 4 large carillons are playing in the city, the largest of which consists of 197 bells. One of them is mobile and is used for ceremonial events. He stands on a wooden cart, which is being rolled out onto the square. The oldest bell of the city is installed in this instrument, which was cast back in 1480.

In Munich, there is a specialized school for the study of this skill, founded in 1922. Ee is attended by students from all over the world. Training takes place separately with each student for 6 years.

As is known from history, during the entire existence of this instrument, about 6,000 copies were made. Most of them were lost during the battles. Currently, in all countries, about 900 carillons can be counted (13 of them are mobile), the heaviest weighs 102 tons and is cast in bronze. It is located in the Riverside Church in the USA, assembled from 700 bells, the most massive weighs 20.5 tons and has a circumference of 3.5 m.

In Russia, the carillon gained its popularity thanks to Emperor Peter I. The instrument was brought from Holland and is equipped with 35 bells. For 25 years, it was not used, and then it was installed in St. Petersburg in the belfry of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. In 1756, a fire broke out and the instrument burned down along with the cathedral.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ordered an analogue of it, but only of 38 bells. It was installed in 1776. Over time, he became upset, and was dismantled, and after the revolution, completely destroyed. There are several such instruments in Russia now.

The carillon appeared again in St. Petersburg in honor of the city's 300th anniversary. The instrument was installed again on the belfry of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. In a three-tiered bell tower, bells are found in each row. V one - 11 Flemish, in the other - 22 Orthodox bells, in the third - 18 historical bells, which are left from the original Dutch instrument.

Quite recently, a four-ton instrument was brought from Holland, it is located in Belgorod. It was installed in honor of the anniversary of the Prokhorov battle. The first acquaintance of listeners with the sound of the instrument happened on July 12, 2019. The modern carillon is unique, it consists of 51 bells, it can work in 2 modes: mechanical and manual. In addition, it is mobile, it can be installed in a special truck and carried around the city, delighting its fans with music. The structure is disassembled into 3 parts, so it is easy to transport it even in a car.

In 2001, thanks to the patrons in the city of Kondopoga, which is located in Karelia, 2 carillons of 18 and 23 bells were installed. They are brought from the Netherlands and are custom made.

A large instrument was installed in the form of an arched structure near the Ice Palace. This steel arch-belfry is 14 m high and hung with bells on both sides. Their total weight is 500 kg.

A small carillon was installed in the city center opposite the museum of the Kondopoga region. The instrument is an interesting structure, the lower part of which is equipped with a clock, and the upper part is in the form of 3 staircases equipped with bells. Carillon music is played every hour in 40 performance variations.