See also: Virginal (homonymy)

The virginal of the Vosges is an instrument of traditional Musique with cords pinches of the family of the Cithare S.

Origins

Since the beginning of the 18th century, documents and testimonys attest the presence of the virginal in the southernmost Vosges around the Valley-with Ajol, Plombières-the-Baths and Fougerolles, from where its name. The origin of the appearance of the virginal of the Vosges remains still unknown, perhaps brought by the Swedes, during the Guerre Thirty Year old. It is however probable that it is resulting from the medieval Psaltérion.

Types of virginals & surfaces geographical

This family of instruments, formerly widespread in the major part of Europe, remains more primarily only in Norway, in Iceland, in Flandres, in Hungary and France. In Germany one finds the Scheidholt (Praetorius 1617), in Holland the noordsch balk , at the Danes the humle .
Counterparts also exist in Indonesia and in the United States (Dulcimer of the Appalachian Mountains).
In France, one finds the instrument in a small island reduced to two geographical areas apart approximately 50 km:

The virginal of the valley of Ajol

It is quoted for the first time in an inventory of 1730. The primitive model with four cords evolved at the 18th century to a model with five cords, always into force. The virginal of the Valley of Ajol is of small size: between 50 and 60 cm, in the form of parallelepiped at lengthened base. The hoops, 14 on the old models, passed to 17 to the 19th siècle.
The key diatonic, giving a ground to vacuum, is granted in general to play in major C. One plays about it of the left hand with the fingers or a small stick of wood. The right hand plays with the inch, a feather of goose or a médiator.
The largest craftsman was Amé Lambert (1843-1908), which manufactured to 500 virginals per winter.

The virginal of Gérardmer

It is quoted for the first time in 1723. It simple and was manufactured by craftsmen of wood or the musicians themselves. It fell into a quasi-lapse of memory and much from instruments disappeared before seeing its vogue reappearing after 1945.
The virginal of the High-Vosges east of big size: 80 cm length approximately. The number of cords varies from three to eight and the range is Diatonique.

Instruments of the same family

Zither, Psaltérion, Monocorde (old Greece), Trompette marinades, Épinette of north (Artois and French Flanders), Hommel (instrument) and Vlier (Flandres Belgian), Dulcimer (the United States), Ala bohemica, Langeleik or langhörpu (Norway/Telemark), Langspel (Sweden), Versikantele (Finland), Scheitholt (Germany), Hexenscheit (Swiss), Citera, Hasas or Kisfejes (Hungary), Gousli (Russia), Koto (Japan), Kin (China), Kanum.

Components of a virginal of the Vosges

  • Keys
  • Chevillier
  • Ankles
  • Rope-maker
  • Hoops
  • Sillets
  • Hearing
  • Chantarelles
  • Bumblebees

Techniques of play

The musical system is diatonic answering a major heptatonic organization of the intervals. The number of intervals passed from 14 to 17 during the 19th century, thus covering two octaves and half.

  • Technical of the right hand:

Balaiement by to and from of all the cords (melody cords and bumblebees) or of the double melody cords only with a Plectre, the goose inch or feather. It is the traditional technique.
  • Pinching as for a guitar, using four fingers (the auricular one not playing).
  • Striking of the cords with a small right and hard stick that the instrumentalist leaves rebondir.
  • Utilization of a bow of Violon or of Psaltérion.

    • Technical of the left hand:

    Support on the keys using a cylindrical stick, quite dry and hard (reed preferably), which one calls the notor . That gives to the piece a metal sound, making hear a Glissando.
  • Use of the fingers, in general: index, major, annular, five for the complex pieces or in the case of a chromatic virginal. this technique less sound but is adapted to the melody airs.

    To play, the instrumentalist generally sat. He places the virginal on a table (in the majority of the cases) or on his thighs, in skew, vis-a-vis him.

    Contrary to other instruments, like Dulcimer, the characteristic of the virginal is to allow the distinction between chantarelles and bumblebees. Those, rubbed at times different from the melody cords, can establish rhythmic.

    In the range, the notes have value only the ones compared to the others, the epinettist granting their height according to the instruments which it accompanies, of its voice or its taste.

    There exist also virginals equipped with a chromatic system, by separating addition of a line of hoops let us tons them semitones and on which is tended an additional chantarelle. On these virginals, it is thus possible to play the various possible agreements without tuning of the cords.

    Modes

    The virginal makes it possible to play the Musique modal, or considered as such, because in the case of the traditional instruments, whose virginal, one calls modes the use of ranges using of the variations of tons different according to the played mode.

    The table below presents a basic example (agreements of bumblebees being able to vary according to their number, the section of the cords, taste of the player)
    The chantarelles with vacuum playing by defect a ground, the possible modes are:

    The agreement of the bumblebees must thus take account of the mode used. The finest bumblebee granted to the unison with the chantarelles and the others granted on the selected mode.

    Instrumentalists

    August 1st

    Contemporary violin makers

    August 1st

    Discography

    • Jean-François Dutertre the round of Milloraines
    • Jean-François Dutertre If the love took root
    • Jean-François Dutertre the virginal of the Vosges
    • Christophe All Saints' day Terra Incognita
    • Association of the virginal of the Vosges, Plombières-the-Baths With discovered virginal of the Vosges
    • Association of the virginal of the Vosges, Plombières-the-Baths Three ladies with table
    August 1st

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