Musical instrument lyre. Wheel lyre: musical instrument (photo) What is a lyre when it appeared

Corpus (re-zo-na-tor) of a round or 4-gonal shape is connected with a re-cla-di-noy (in a trans-speech- Noah shtan-goy) with two hands. The strings are of the same length, between the core and the cross.

In-st-ru-men-you of the Lyra-type were ras-pro-country in most of the c-vi-li-za-tions of the Ancient world . The most ancient Lyres go back to the cult-tu-re of Shu-mera (the earliest images are from-tis-ki pe-cha-tey on the ob- breaking clay tablets, around 2650 BC). Valuable archaeological finds - in-st-ru-men from the royal tombs of Ur (about 2450 BC), the largest among them is the “golden li-ra” (height 120 cm, length of the cross-bar 140 cm), decorated with sacred head puppy; “silver lyre” with traces of 11 strings (i.e. there were 11 strings) and a ro-o-r-az-no-th raz-po-lo-zhe-niya strings. On the territory of the 3-2nd millennium BC. e. Su-merian images of a new version of Lyra appeared - go-ri-zon-tal. In the Middle River of Lyra there were races before the era of el-li-niz-ma. In the visual arts of Ancient Egypt from the 15th century BC. e. Lyres of the shu-mer type are found, the first known image is in the Russian tombs of no-mar- ha Khnum-ho-te-pa II (ru-bezh XX/XIX centuries BC) in Be-ni-Ha-sa-ne. A large multi-stringed Lyre with a rectangular body depicted on the wall of the Temple of Amo-na-Ra in Karnak (XVI- XII century BC). Lyra fi-gu-ri-ru-et in To-re under the name “kin-nor”, which in Vul-ga-te pe-re-ve-de-no as “li-ra”.

Numerous depictions of the ancient Greek Lyra (the earliest ones date back to the end of the 8th century BC; sculptural figures gourds made of lead, found in Sparta, 7th century BC). The fragments of the Lyra-he-lis (ancient Greek χέλυς - che-re-pa-ha) were preserved - my little one from the family of the ancient Greek Lyra, with kor-pu-som from pan-tsi-rya che-re-pa-hi, about-cha-well-to-go-catch-her skin. In Ancient Greece, the word “Lyre” was used to denote any in-st-ru-men-ta of a family. va lir (bar-bit, ki-fa-ra, for-min-ga, he-lis), in a narrow sense - for he-lis. The word “Lyre” is first found in Ar-hi-lo-ha (mid-7th century BC). Is-to-ria "about-re-te-niya" in-st-ru-men-ta (with the participation of Her-mes, He-rak-la, Or-fairy, Ta-mi- ria, Am-fion-na and other mythical per-so-na-zhey) from-no-si-tel-but late: for-pi-sa-na in the 2nd century AD. e. No-ko-ma-hom, but around 500 AD. e. ras-shi-re-na Bo-etsi-em. He-lis and for-min-ga - the most ar-ha-ichic variety of the an-tic Lyra He-lis was used mainly in educational purposes. For-min-ga (φόρμιγξ; first mentioned in “Ilia-da”, then more than once in Pin-da-ra) - inst. -ru-ment of a larger size with a round wooden body and straight handles. Bar-bit (βάρbiτον, βάρβιτος) is close in design to he-li-su, but with a larger body and long handles, away from the body at a sharper angle. The building height of the bar-bi-ta is lower than that of the he-li-sa; ha-rak-ter-but its use in the cult of Dio-ni-sa. The largest in size and the most developed in-st-ru-ment of the family - ki-fa-ra; used for ac-com-pa-not-men-ta pen-nu and (from the 4th century BC) for self-standing professional mu- zi-tsi-ro-va-niya. Technical games on all the ancient Lears are about the same; the musician held the instrument at an angle of about 45° from himself, played standing or sitting; sound from a bone plectrum. There is no gender difference among the uses on Lyra, except for the key -fa-ry, which was a man's in-st-ru-men. The classic 7-string Lyre is considered; she was seen as a reflection of the world's gar-mo-nii (according to Vergilia's saying: septem discri-mi- na vo-cum - “seven [high-pitched] different sounds”; “Aeneid”, VI 646).

The strings of the Lyra gave the names of the steps of the Greek full-sound; in essence, the names of the strings denote the mod-distant functions of the star-rin-no-go la-da (see the articles of the So-ver-shen-naya system te-ma, Mo-distance). The number of strings of the Lyra could be increased to 18, but more often than not, experimental instru-men describe how 11-12 strings. “Much-flowing” (πολυχορδία) refers to the disturbing soul “many-sounding” (πολυφωνία; this word is not about -knows a lot of things) and in some way rated it as harmful from the December 5th century BC, published in the book “Essentials of Music” by Boetius). Although many tracts describe the ancient Greek sound as a co-response to the flowing string of the Lyra, precise information about her on -no construction. Learning to play the Lyra in classical Greece was a basic part of the education of citizenship. In agreement with the wide-spread-country-presentation of the ancient Greek phil-lo-so-fs (see, for example, in “Go-su-dar-st -ve" and "Pro-ta-go-re" Pla-to-na), ki-fa-ra for-nima-la the highest position in this-che-skaya i-rar- hii of musical in-st-ru-men-tov, for (in combination with me-li-che-skaya in ezi-ey, la-dom and rhythm) she re-pi-you -va-la in the boys there is blissful restraint and ras-su-di-tel-ness, the de-la-la of their souls and thoughts are gar-mo- nothing. Lyra was used in different ways: at weddings and feasts (especially on sim-si-yahs), holidays in honor of military victories, in tser-re-mo-ni-al-nyh (as a rule, not associated with mourning) processes, in those at-re and by-tu for co-pro-vo-zh-de-niya singing and dance. In the classical era, you-stu-p-le-nia and competition of ki-fa-reds and ki-fa-rists were an obligatory part sports competitions and general Greek festivals (games) in honor of the gods. Lyra is at-ri-but Apol-lo-na, with her also as-so-tion-ru-yut-sya Her-mes, muses, Kas-tor and Pol-lux, Pa-ris, Eros . Well-known musicians entered history: Ter-pandr, Pin-dar, Ti-mo-fey Mi-let-sky, Stra-to-nik Athens skiy and others

In the 2nd century BC. e. The lyre was brought from Ancient Greece to Ancient Rome. From the West in Ancient Iran [for example, Shah Wah-ram V Gur (5th century AD) kept at court a performer on the Greek Lyre, which -then-paradise about-at-the-cha-las-by-the-term “ka-nor”, found in the memory of the so-called. infantry literature], Ancient Ar-menia, ancient states of Central Asia.

Liras are still not widespread in a number of countries in Africa and Asia Minor. For professional music on-ro-da am-ha-ra in Su-da-ne and Ethiopia ha-rak-ter-ny Lyra with a rectangular body (8 -9-string be-gen-na) and round-lym (6-string ky-rar, 5-string dita from pan-tsi-rya che-re-pa-hi), 4 -6-string Lyres of the archaic type are found in Ke-nia, Ugan-de, An-go-le, Ma-li and other countries.

The Lyra type also belongs to the same group of plucked and bowed instruments of Northern and Western Europe: mouth , kro-ta, jouhik-ko (Finnish), hii-u-kan-nel (Estonian), etc. The earliest arch-heo-logical discoveries da-ti-ru-yut -Xia V-VIII centuries (England); single-st-ven-ny ek-zem-p-lyar according to the in-st-ru-men-ta, from-to-sya-sya to the culture of Ancient Ru -si, - so-called gus-li with a playing window (known as “gus-li Slo-vi-sha”; Velikiy Novgorod, 11th century). In the traditional culture of the countries of Scandi-na-vii and Pri-bal-ti-ki, such in-st-ru-men met before the beginning of the 20th century.

The word “Lyra” is traditionally applied to in-st-ru-men of other types. In Italy of the 15th - early 17th centuries, there was a su-sche-st-vo-va-la li-ra and brach-cho (pre-she-st-ven-ni-tsa vik-ki). In the countries of Southern Europe, folk-lore bows are still not-visible in-st-ru-men: Greek ly- ra, Serbian and Croatian li-ri-tsa. Under the name of a wheeled ly-ra from-weight-ten stringed mechanical in-st-ru-ment.

Lyra(ancient Greek λύρα, lat. lyra) - an ancient stringed musical instrument. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, the word lyre in a broad sense denoted any instrument of the lyre family - helis (ancient Greek χέλυς, lat. chelys, chelis lit. turtle), barbit (ancient Greek βάρβιτον, βάρβιτος, lat. barbitos , barbitus), forminga (ancient Greek φόρμιγξ), cithara (ancient Greek κιθάρα, lat. cithara). In a narrow sense, a helis was called a lyre (the simplest and lightest in weight of the lyres, with a body made of a tortoise shell covered with cowhide). Russian philological translators usually ignore subtle differences between lyre-shaped ones and in all cases give “lyra”

Device and sound production

The body (resonator) of a round or quadrangular shape (among the Greeks and Romans - only round) is connected to the crossbar (transverse rod) by two handles. Strings (made from sheep intestines) of equal length are stretched between the body and the crossbar.
The technique of playing all ancient lyres is the same: the musician held the instrument at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the body, playing standing (especially the lyre) or sitting. The sound was produced by a bone plectrum. The fingers of his free hand muffled the unnecessary strings. There was no gender difference among lyre players, with the exception of the lyre, which was a male instrument. Learning to play the lyre was part of the basic education of a free citizen in Ancient Greece and Rome.
The strings of the lyre gave the names to the steps of the scale that underlay Greek music, the so-called Complete System. The 7-string lyre was considered classical; in its seven-string, it was seen by the Greeks and Romans as a reflection of world harmony (according to the famous saying of Virgil - septem discrimina vocum, “seven<высотных>sound differences"). Iconographic, musical-theoretical and literary sources indicate that the number of strings of the lyre could be increased up to 18, but most often experimental instruments are described as 11- or 12-stringed (for example, in references to the “scandalous” innovations of Timothy of Miletus). “Multiple strings” (ancient Greek πολυχορδία) led to a soul-disturbing “polyphony” (ancient Greek πολυφωνία - this word should not be understood in the sense of polyphony, and even more so polyphony) and therefore was assessed (for example, in Spartan Decree V century BC, published in the book “Fundamentals of Music” by Boethius) as a harmful excess. Despite the fact that many treatises describe the Greek scale as the strings of a lyre, accurate and unambiguous information about its tuning has not been preserved.

History and use

It is difficult to imagine the music of Ancient Greece and Rome without the lyre, because it was in these cultures that it played the most important role. However, this instrument was known to mankind long before the advent of the civilizations mentioned above. The images that have survived to this day testify to the close connection between the lyre and poetry.
During excavations of the Sumerian city of Ur, richly decorated lyres were found, created around the 3rd millennium BC. In Assyria, the first lyres were known as sabitu. Given their size, historians speculate that these instruments were placed on the floor when played, giving them the name "Sumerian standing lyres." These models had from eight to twelve strings stretched between the lower left part of the resonator and the crossbar to which they were attached with pegs. Most often, the resonator of the Sumerian lyres was shaped like the head of a bull, a symbol of fertility. The ancient lyre was usually played with two hands.
Over time, earlier models were replaced by more convenient, portable lyres. The hand lyre, or algar, had an asymmetrical shape and on one side, which was higher than the other, towered above the musician’s head.
Around 1800 BC, the lyre appeared on the island of Crete, and then went to Greece, where it acquired its characteristic horseshoe shape. The lyre was played mainly by women: they held the instrument horizontally and moved a wooden plectrum along its strings.
Thanks to illustrations of ancient books, musicologists were able to establish that in the Middle Ages the lyre occupied a significant place in the musical life of society. Most of them claim that the seven-string lyre was the most common at that time.
Around the 11th century, the lyre, played with a plectrum, left the musical scene, but the model that arose from it with a bow survived for another four centuries. However, in the late Middle Ages the instrument gradually disappeared from the world of music. The place of the lyre was taken by the so-called folk violin, which received great recognition throughout the continent.
However, the lyre still managed to survive in some regions where it can still be found today. For example, the crotta, a model of a lyre of a specific shape, which was widely used until the 19th century, is considered part of Welsh culture.
In Africa, the lyre is primarily used as a solo instrument. The five-stringed Ethiopian lyre is known as the kissar. In Kenya, they believe that the lyre has healing properties, so Kenyans use this instrument as a ritual attribute.

The countries that make up the European Union currently have one common currency called the euro. However, before the appearance of this currency, each state used its own national currency. In each country it had a name and characteristics.

Many may ask questions about what kind of money was in circulation in a particular country before the common European currency. For example, people who are partial to Rome may be interested in the question of what the currency of Italy was before the introduction of the euro. Let's dive into history.

Historical currency of Italy

Before the advent of the official European currency, Italy had for a long time used completely different money, called lira. The first mention of this currency appeared at the end of the 8th century. However, then this concept was used simply as a designation of counting units; coins with this name were not minted.

Italian lira: history of appearance

The Italian currency, the lira, is considered the oldest monetary unit in Europe. It owes its appearance to the reform of Emperor Charlemagne, which he carried out in 780-790. Its result was the replacement of Roman gold solidi with silver denarii and the introduction of silver monometallism throughout the Carolingian Empire. The only minted coin was the Carolingian denarius, containing pure silver weighing about 1.67 g. The solidus now equaled 12 denarii, and one lire was equal to 20 solidi.

Why exactly the lyre? Because this word itself arose from the Latin libra - a pound, which is equal to approximately 410 g. It is easy to calculate that there is approximately the same amount of silver in 240 denarii (how much there was in 1 lira).

And although the lira did not become physical money as a result of these transformations, in everyday life this name was almost always used. For example, the amount of 2429 denarii in everyday life would be pronounced as follows: 10 lire, 2 solidi and 5 denarii.

The emergence of the lira as a real currency

For 100 years after the reform of Charlemagne, the coin that he introduced into circulation did not change in any way. However, then the silver denarius begins to lose weight, and therefore the lira also depreciates. Later, in many territories of the Carolingian Empire, their own new coins of different weights begin to appear, and the lira of each region turns out to have its own value, different from the original value.

When the 18th century arrived, a very wide variety of coins were in circulation in the cities of the country, and it was difficult to give a definite answer to the question of what currency is in Italy. For example, in Milan they used 29 types of silver coins and 22 types of gold coins. Thanks to the process of unification of money that began spontaneously during this period, the lira finally appeared on the scene.

This currency existed in many places as a symbolic unit and united different monetary systems. And now it has the opportunity to become a real unified currency, the creation of which in many Italian states was aimed at the reforms of the 18th century.

Finally, the currency of Italy called the lira came into use after the unification of the kingdom by the Savoy dynasty. The minting of a single Italian lira, which contained 4.5 g of pure silver, began in 1861.

Lyra and Centesimo

The new single currency of Italy owes its introduction into circulation to a law signed in August 1862, on the 24th. Mints minted coins with 5, 1, 2 liras from silver, and 20 and 10 liras from gold.

A small change coin called centesimo was also created, which was 1/100th of the lira. These coins in denominations of 2, 5 and 1 units were made of copper, 50 units - of silver. A little later, centesimo of 10 units (made of copper) and 20 units (first of silver, then of copper-nickel alloy), as well as 5 lire of gold, appeared.

Different coinages of the Italian lira

Over its long years of existence, the former currency of Italy depreciated several times, and this mainly happened during wars.

After the end of World War I, the value of Italian currency fell. The coins of 2 and 1 lire, as well as 50 centesimo, were minted from nickel. In the years after World War II, small liras began to be made from stainless steel, and larger ones (20, 5 and 10) from silver. During this period, the production of centesimo coins ceased altogether, as severe inflation occurred. It was also decided that banknotes should be issued with a denomination of at least 1,000 liras.

In 1951, all coins were replaced with new ones, the size of which became smaller. Denominations of 2, 10, 5, and 1 lira are made of aluminum. A little later, coins of 100 and 50 lire, made of stainless steel, 20 lire of an alloy of aluminum and bronze, and 500 lire of silver were introduced. In the early 80s. In the 20th century, the first bimetallic coins of 500 lire appeared in Italy.

New lira

In March 1979, the country joined the European Monetary System. After this, in 1986, the Italian currency was subject to redenomination, and one new lira was exchanged for 1000 old ones.

The coins remained in use, but the smallest denomination of them began to be 5 liras, and the largest - 1000 liras. However, they were almost never used in trade, and were popular only among numismatists and collectors. At the same time, banknotes in circulation had large denominations: from 1,000 to 500,000 lire.

Exterior of old Italian currency

The currency of Italy before the introduction of the euro was considered very beautiful. It was paper money that featured various great people of the country.

For example, the 1000 lire banknote featured the Italian philosopher, teacher and scientist Maria Montessori, and the 5000 lire bill featured the Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini. Banknotes with the largest denominations are decorated with portraits of famous art masters. Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini can be seen on the 50,000 lira bill, Michelangelo on the 100,000 lira bill, and on the 500,000 lira bill there is an image of Raphael Santi.

Modern currency of Italy

At the beginning of 2002, the Italian currency began to change radically. This happened because a completely new monetary unit, the euro, came into circulation.

Italian euros are not much different from the same currencies of other European countries. But still, they have their own characteristics. Firstly, the banknotes have their own unique series, by which you can immediately determine that they were issued in Italy. Secondly, the reverse of the iron euros directly indicates the country to which they belong, using symbolic images. For example, the Italian 1 euro coin has the “Harmonious Man” on the back, a drawing by the famous Leonardo da Vinci.

Until March 2003, when asked what currency is in Italy, one could talk about both the lira and the euro, because they were used in parallel throughout the country. Then the lira was completely withdrawn from circulation, and for another 10 years they could only be exchanged for euros.

Therefore, now any person going to the Apennine Peninsula does not need to think about what currency to take to Italy. If a tourist has euros in his wallet, he will not have any problems paying for goods and services in this country.

Types of hurdy-gurdy wheels

In European countries there are many types of hurdy-gurdy wheels, including Russian varieties of the instrument. The hurdy-gurdy in Russia was never used in professional music and existed only in the environment of everyday and amateur music-making. Three varieties of this instrument are common in Russia. Type No. 1: Great Russian hurdy-gurdy. It is distinguished by a relatively small body type in the form of a viola, a narrow scale and a unique repertoire. Species No. 2: Don snout. This instrument is common in the territory of the Don Army. It is an old type of instrument with a body in the form of an organistrum. Type No. 3: Ukrainian-style hurdy-gurdy. It is distinguished by its unique design details, playing techniques and repertoire.

Setting up the hurdy-gurdy

There is no single established hurdy-gurdy setup. The variety of designs of this instrument, as well as different musical traditions, often require different tuning methods. The hurdy-gurdy is tuned using a tuning block and a key mechanism. By rotating the pegs, the required height of the strings is achieved, and by carefully bending the flags on the keys, the scale of the playing string is precisely adjusted.

Setting option:

To achieve a beautiful melodic sound, wrap the part of the string where it connects with the playing wheel with a small amount of ordinary cotton wool or soft wool. To increase friction on the strings, generously rub the surface of the playing wheel with simple violin rosin. After all the preparatory procedures, start rotating the wheel and continue rotating continuously for 3-5 minutes, adjusting the cotton wool on the strings if necessary. After that, take a breath. That's it, you can play.

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Features of caring for a hurdy-gurdy

A hurdy-gurdy is a unique instrument that requires active attention. The most delicate moment is pairing the strings with the game wheel. Always have a piece of cotton wool or wool with you and learn how to wrap it correctly. Protect the hurdy-gurdy from rain and dampness. During operation, contamination occurs on the surface of the lyre. If your instrument begins to lose its presentable appearance, we recommend using special products in the form of polishes and cleaning products for the care of musical instruments. Be sure to use a case to store the hurdy-gurdy.

Strings for hurdy-gurdy

The choice of strings for a hurdy-gurdy is largely individual. Balalaiker recommends using a set of playing nylon strings and bourdon strings in a metal braid. This option allows the lyre to sound bright, rich and balanced.

History of the hurdy-gurdy

brief historical background

The hurdy-gurdy is an ancient musical instrument of European origin. The first mentions of it are found in historical sources of the 9th-10th centuries. At first, the hurdy-gurdy was used primarily to accompany church services, but already in the Middle Ages it spread to many European countries as an instrument for a wide range of repertoires.
On the territory of the Moscow kingdom, the hurdy-gurdy appeared at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. The instrument penetrated into Russian lands through Ukrainian and Belarusian territories along with settlers, merchants, interventionists and other active populations. The hurdy-gurdy was firmly established and was preserved until recently in the traditions of some regions of Russia - Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Rostov and some others. It is interesting that back in the 1920s, wandering lyre players could even be found on the streets and bazaars of Moscow. The famous folk music expert Mitrofan Pyatnitsky also had his own hurdy-gurdy.
The Russian hurdy-gurdy, unlike its European relative, was mostly a folk instrument, little known to noble and professional musical circles. The Russian lyre was distinguished by its ease of manufacture, relatively small scale, small number of strings (2-4 pieces) and an original repertoire. The lyre found its widest use among tramps and professional beggars, for whom it was a professional tool for earning money. They could be found in crowded places singing spiritual poems and psalms. However, in some regions, playing the lyre also acted as an accompaniment to drawn-out songs. For example, in the traditions of the Don Cossacks, the lyre (local name - rylya) was used to accompany songs and was preserved until the first third of the 20th century. The hurdy-gurdy was played to dances, to dances, to ditties, and even to romances. One of the last Russian lyre players, Klimenty Feoktistovich Shmatov, lived until the 50s of the 20th century in the Starodubsky district of the Bryansk region and played in rural bazaars until his last days. The hurdy-gurdy purchased from him in 1953 is today kept in the Moscow Conservatory.
These days, the hurdy-gurdy is once again attracting public attention. She is increasingly appearing on the horizon, participating in programs of folk musicians, experimentalists and performers of sacred music.

During excavations of the Sumerian city of Ur, richly decorated lyres were found, created around the 3rd millennium BC. In Assyria, the first lyres were known as sabit. Given their size, historians speculate that these instruments were placed on the floor when played, giving them the name "Sumerian standing lyres." These models had from eight to twelve strings stretched between the lower left part of the resonator and the crossbar to which they were attached. Most often, the resonator of the Sumerian lyres was shaped like the head of a bull, a symbol of fertility. The ancient lyre was usually played with two hands.

Over time, earlier models were replaced by more convenient, portable lyres. Hand lyre, or Algar, had an asymmetrical shape and on one side, which was higher than the other, towered above the musician’s head.

Around 1800 BC, the lyre appeared on the island of Crete, and then went to Greece, where it acquired its characteristic horseshoe shape. The lyre was played mainly by women: they held the instrument horizontally and moved wooden strings along it.

Thanks to illustrations of ancient books, musicologists were able to establish that in the Middle Ages the lyre occupied a significant place in the musical life of society. Most of them claim that the most common one at that time was seven string lyre.

Around the 11th century, the lyre, played with a plectrum, left the musical scene, but the model that arose from it with a bow survived for another four centuries. However, in the late Middle Ages the instrument gradually disappeared from the world of music. The place of the lyre was taken by the so-called folk violin, which received great recognition throughout the continent.

However, the lyre still managed to survive in some regions where it can still be found today. For example, it is considered part of Welsh culture mole- a model of a lyre of a specific shape, which was widely used until the 19th century.

In Africa, the lyre is primarily used as a solo instrument. The five-stringed Ethiopian lyre is known as kissar" In Kenya, they believe that the lyre has healing properties, so Kenyans use this instrument as a ritual attribute.