Baltimore Recorders.org

bout the Portative Organ

Most wind instruments use air that is expelled from the player's lungs. Organs differ from such instruments in that they use bellows or similar mechanisms to supply a stream of air. They also differ from most wind instruments in that they have a pipe for each pitch they can produce rather than having a single pipe produce several pitches by uncovering holes to effectively shorten the length of the pipe. Organs are characterized by their use of keyboards, or slides to activate the flow of air to a given pipe. Thus, we can see that organs are atypical wind instruments. Even their closest relative, the bagpipe, still has more in common with a flute than with an organ. It is also evident that the organ is far more complex in design than other wind instruments.

Despite their relative complexity, organs are fairly old. They were described by the first century writer Hero of Alexandria, and predate him by several centuries. Such early organs were not powered directly by the pressure generated by the bellow or piston. Instead, the bellows blew air into an inverted bowl, called a pnigeus, that was submerged in water in a sealed cistern. The air would displace the water, raising the level of water in the cistern. The pressure of the water on the air would power the instrument. By the Medieval era, water organs had fallen out of use.

Historically organs were made in a variety of sizes. The largest ones filled large rooms, and had hundreds of pipes. There were many fairly small organs, that measured approximately three feet wide, by three feet tall, by two feet deep. Such organs are portable, and have at times been referred to as portative organs. However, in almost all cases, portative organs refer to a still smaller instrument that can be carried by a single person. In fact, they can be played while they are being carried. In the thirteenth century they were called organetto, meaning small organ. In German they are known as portativ orgel, in French they are called orgue portatif.

Portative organs are typically less than two feet long, less than a foot deep, and approximately two and a half feet tall. There is a keyboard on one side of the instrument, and a bellow on the other. The player uses his right hand to operate the keys, and his left hand to pump the bellow. The pipes emanate from the top of the instrument, and were typically arranged in one or two rows. They differ in length and give it a sloped appearance.

The keyboards of early portative organs consisted of buttons rather than keys. In some instruments these looked very much like checker pieces. In others, the buttons looked like small rounded squares, very much like a piece of Chicklet gum. Somewhat more traditional keys came into use in the fifteenth century. Even these keys were much shorter than the keys on a piano, measuring only approximately two inches in length.

Organ pipes were traditionally made from metal. Very early pipes were made of copper. By the middle ages lead was one of the metals used in the alloys used in organ pipes. It continues to be used in this fashion to this day. When resources were lacking, the pipes were fashioned from wood. Such occurrences did not seem to occur until the sixteenth century.

Unlike larger organs, portatives have a single set of pipes. It simply would not have been practical to include several sets of pipes on such a small instrument. The pipes on portative organs were generally at two foot pitch. Some instruments had pipes at one foot pitch.

Portative organs can play polyphonic music, unlike most wind instruments, as they have a pipe for each pitch they can produce. However, they do not have the capability of producing polyphonic music that is possessed by a larger organ. Unlike larger organs, the bellows on portative organs allow the player very precise control of the flow of air, and allow for a great deal of expression. This expression is not quite as great as that on a mouth blown instrument. Thus we see that portative organs reside in the space between fully polyphonic instruments and expressive wind instruments.

We were recently contacted for advice in purchasing a portative organ. There are many different types available, and thus there are many things to consider when buying one. The type of music you intend to play on the instrument is one of the most important factors in choosing an instrument. Is the music diatonic, or are chromatic notes necessary? It is possible to purchase a diatonic instrument and change the pitch of the pipes between pieces by adding extensions to account for musica ficta. However, if you envisage playing music with any number of accidentals, then a chromatic instrument is all but necessary. How large a compass or range is needed, and specifically which pitches are needed? Will an octave and a third suffice? Do you need two octaves and a leading tone? Should the range begin on a C? The larger the range, the heavier and larger the instrument, which negatively effects it portability. If it is very heavy, it is tiresome to have it rest on your leg for long periods of time. Do you need to carry the instrument on an airplane? What type of material do you want the pipes made from? Metal pipes have a brighter sound than wood. Some makers offer copper pipes, as may have been used in the early middle ages. What types of pipes do you want? Most instruments have flutes. Some offer regals or other types of stops. What type of keys are desired? Traditional keys, button keys, or slides. The latter is not terribly practical. How wide do you want the keys to be? Narrow keys allow you to span a larger range. However, it is important to choose keys that suit the size of your fingers. What pitch do you want the instrument? This is usually governed by the other instruments that you will be playing with. A=440 is the standard choice, although many makers offer instruments in A=415 and A=466. Do you need a transposing keyboard? What temperament should be used on the pipes? Phythagorean temperament is commonly offered. It was used in the Middle Ages and has pure fifths and fourths. What scaling do you want on the pipes? Most makers scale their pipes based on their pitch. However, early in the Middle Ages, the pipes had a constant scaling. It was described as the size of a pigeon egg. The uniform scaling causes the timbre of the instrument to change based on the pitch. Do you need levers to hold down keys to produce a drone? There is also the matter of the choice of wood for the case and keyboard. This is largely a matter of visual aesthetics.

The organ shown in the images on this page was made from a kit from Cornetto Verlag. Being a kit, it is somewhat less expensive than a completed instrument, but of course requires skill and work to assemble into a playable instrument. Another source of kits is the Renaissance Workshop Company.

There are many makers, which is a blessing. Wolkenstayn is notable amongst them. They produce many different models to suit your needs, and will also build an instrument to your specifications. They are very dedicated to portative organs and offer a meeting once per year for players to gather, play in ensembles, and take part in masterclasses. Marcus Stahl offers some very nice portatives. Some are modeled after illustrations, while others are of his own design. He has made a large instrument with both a flute stop and a regal stop. He is very aware of the ergonomics of the instrument. Winfried Goerge has many years of experience making portative organs. He makes very nice portatives in addition to other instruments. Sean Koreski makes portatives with wooden pipes. He is based in the USA, which is notable, as most of the other makers are from Europe. (He also makes panpipes.) Pipe Organ Services in the UK makes a range of portative organs at various pitches and sizes.

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