Description
The guttural voice, deep, defined and rich in harmonics, approaches the memory of the ancient singing techniques of throat singing, maintaining the softness and fullness of the body typical of these frequencies.
The Tagelharpa Gran Bassa is an instrument conceived, designed and made to best express the acoustic impact of the lower frequencies with the voice and the unmistakable character of the tagelharpa.
A long study in search of the emotions evoked by the lowest vibrations, the transport of deep melodies under the domination of the characteristic biting and powerful attacks of the horsehair strings under the strength of the bow.
The guttural voice, deep, defined and rich in harmonics, approaches the memory of the ancient singing techniques of throat singing, maintaining the softness and fullness of the body typical of these frequencies.
Acoustic qualities achieved by the set of soundboards in Linden selected on the basis of rigid natural characteristics, of pegs in turned walnut wood coupled with special hole seats, of the bridge used not only as a transmission element but emission distributor, of the tailpiece designed for the balance of tractions and other internal and external construction details aimed at generating a sound of great volume, full and well balanced.
The structure is made of Spruce, selected for its acoustic and structural characteristics, to best support the tall body over a long time, without weighing it down.
Strings are made in black horsehair, assembled with a particular technique that respects the resonances to reach the necessary length.
Every part of the instrument, from the frame to the smallest details and constructive components, internal and external, arise from a long phase of study, design and experimentation, to achieve the best timbre balance and the most engaging sound emission of this extraordinarily expressive instrument.
If you'd like to listen to it, you can do it here: Tagelharpa Gran Bassa – Ebanisteria Musicale C.M. Ferrari (Youtube)
History
The Tagelharpa (also called Talharpa) is a bowed lyre orgined in northern Europe. It spread widely in Scandinavia after the Viking age and is still used in some of the northern territories (of particular importance the tradition of the Estonian islands). Its existence in medieval Scandinavia is witnessed by artistic and archaeological sources, such as the wall painting in Røldal (XII-XIII century) and the sculpture of Trondheim Cathedral (XIV century). Also widely spread its close Finnish relative, the Jouhikko.
