In the Atlantic Codex are collected many of Leonardo da Vinci’s concepts and ideas, such as manned flight and parachutes. One of Leonardo’s less examined inventions was a variation on an early form of Hurdy-gurdy. Leonardo envisioned a mechanism that would pull the strings into contact with a spinning disk or a horsehair band. These mechanisms simulate a bow being drawn across the string, controlling dynamics, articulation and vibrato. Unlike the Hurdy-gurdy the viola organista produces continuous sound. Varying the speed of the bows allows the musician to alter the dynamics and color or notes.
The instrument was designed to replace an orchestra’s entire string section. The machine is thought to have been first built by Hans Heiden in 1575. However, through time the instrument was built by many makers who each treated the design as their own and named it accordingly.
Here is the viola organista in action:
The design interested Franz Lizst and Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach wrote compositions for it. However for some reason the instrument disappeared again and again. The latest reincarnation is by Polish instrument maker Sławomir Zubrzycki.
For my Polish speaking readers here is an interview with Sławomir.
For those of you whose Polish is as weak as mine, English subtitles are available.
What a marvelous sound. You can read more about the instrument’s history here. And enjoy even more of its music here:
I’m guessing that it won’t catch on which is sad. I am going to guess that one reason is the change in music tempo. Imagine trying to play something like Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.