Portative organ

Portative organ

A portative organ (portatif organ, portativ organ, or simply portative, portatif, or portativ) (from the Latin verb "portare", "to carry") is a small pipe organ that consists of one rank of flue pipes and played while strapped to the performer at a right angle. The performer manipulates the bellows with one hand and fingers the keys with the other. The portative organ lacks a reservoir to retain a supply of wind, thus it will only produce sound while the bellows are being operated. The instrument was commonly used in secular music from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. ["Portative organ." "Encyclopaedia Britannica" (2007). Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, accessed December 23, 2007. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9060959.]

The portative is constructed simply in order to make it as portable as possible. The pipes are arranged on a small rectangular windchest and supplied with wind by one or two bellows placed at the back, in front or at the right side of the instrument. The row of pipes is supported by posts at either end and an oblique bar. The simplest style of keyboard on the portative consists of one slider for each pipe. When a slider is pushed in, the corresponding pipe sounds. The slider is restored to its normal position by a horn spring. Some instruments use the reverse of this action, with keys featuring knobs or handles.

The portative is a smaller instrument than the positive organ, which features more ranks of pipes and a larger keyboard. The portative also should not be confused with the regal, a small keyboard instrument that contains a rank of short-length reed pipes instead of flue pipes.

Towards the middle of the thirteenth century, miniatures of illuminated manuscripts depict portatives with modern, balanced-action keyboards. An example can be seen in the Spanish manuscript known as the Cantigas de Santa Maria, [For a reproduction see J. F. Riaño, "Studies of Early Spanish Music", pp. 119–127 (London, 1887).] , which contains fifty-one miniatures of instrumentalists. It is evident from the position of the organist's thumb in these miniatures that the keys are pressed down to make the notes sound. There are nine pipes and nine keys, which is sufficient for a C-major diatonic scale of one octave with an added B-flat.

One of the most well-known modern proponents of the portative organ is Dolly Collins, who accompanied her vocalist sister Shirley on many albums of traditional English folk songs.

References

External links

* [http://www.portativ.net/ Modern portative organs]
* [http://thescholarsgarret.com/portative/ How to build a portative organ]


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  • portative organ — ▪ musical instrument       small musical instrument played from the 12th through the 16th century, popular for secular music. It had one rank of flue pipes (producing a flutelike sound), sometimes arranged in rows to save space, and was slung… …   Universalium

  • portative organ — portatif фр. [портати/ф] Portativ нем. [портати/в] portativo ит. [портати/во] portative organ англ. [потэти/в о/гэн] переносный орган …   Словарь иностранных музыкальных терминов

  • portative organ — noun chiefly historical a small portable pipe organ. Origin C16: portative from OFr. portatif, ive, appar. an alt. of portatil, based on L. portare carry …   English new terms dictionary

  • portative organ — noun : a small portable pipe organ formerly used in processions …   Useful english dictionary

  • Organ (music) — Organ 1741 Pipe organ in Église Saint Thomas, Strasbourg, France. Classification Keyboard instrument (Aerophone) Playing r …   Wikipedia

  • portative — /pawr teuh tiv, pohr /, adj. 1. capable of being carried; portable. 2. having or pertaining to the power or function of carrying. n. 3. Also called portative organ. a small portable pipe organ used esp. during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance …   Universalium

  • portative — /ˈpɔtətɪv/ (say pawtuhtiv) adjective 1. portable. 2. having or relating to the power or function of carrying. –noun Also, portative organ. 3. (in medieval times) a small, portable organ. {Middle English portatif, from Old French, from porter… …  

  • Portative —    Easily portable pipe organ. The bellows is operated by the left hand and the keyboard by the right. Its depiction in medieval art suggests a role in sacred music, but there is no other documentary proof …   Historical dictionary of sacred music

  • portative — adj. 1 serving to carry or support. 2 Mus. hist. (esp. of a small pipe organ) portable. Etymology: ME f. OF portatif, app. alt. of portatil f. med.L portatilis f. L portare carry …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pipe organ — This article is about organs that produce sound by driving wind through pipes. For an overview of related instruments, see Organ (music). The pipe organ in Saint Germain l Auxerrois, Paris[1] The pipe organ is a musical instrument …   Wikipedia

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