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A carillon is a musical instrument composed of a range of bells controlled by a keyboard. Carillons originated in the 15th century in Flanders, when bell-makers perfected their art to the point where bells could be cast with an exact tone.
The greatest concentration of antique carillons is still found in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the northern regions of France, Germany and Poland, where they were commonly put in place by rich market towns as tokens of civic pride and status.
They were most often housed in church towers, clock towers, or on municipal buildings, and the same holds true for those carillons that have been installed in other parts of the world since the art of casting precisely tuned bells was rediscovered in the late 19th century.
In Germany, such a carillon is also called a glockenspiel.
Since each separate note is produced by an individual bell, a carillon's musical range is determined by the number of bells it has.
With fewer than 23 (two octaves), the instrument is considered a chime, not a true carillon.
Average instruments have ranges of around four and a half octaves (47 bells), while the largest specimens, with as many as 77, can span six octaves.
In comparison, standard grand pianoPiano is a common abbreviation for pianoforte a large musical instrument with a keyboard (see keyboard instrument). Its sound is produced by strings stretched on a rigid frame. These vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers, which are activated by thes can play 88 different notes.
Seated in a cabin beneath the bells, the carillonneur presses down, with a cupped hand or fist, on a series of batonThe term Baton refers to any of several types of cylindrical or tapered instruments composed of a wide variety of materials, and of differing functions: A baton (billy, billy club, nightstick, riot stick) is a type of striking/parrying weapon, staff or cl-like keys arranged in the same pattern as a piano keyboard.
The keys activate levers and wires that connect directly to the bells' clappers; thus, as with a piano, the carillonneur can vary the intensity of the note according to the force applied to the key.
In addition to the manual keys, the heavier bells are also connected to a series of pedals, offering the carillonneur a choice of two ways of playing the lower notes.
1 Noted carillons
Noted carillons can be found in the following locations:
1.1 The Americas
- Arlington, Virginia: The Netherlands CarillonThe Netherlands Carillon at Arlington National Cemetery in the United States of America, was a gift from the Dutch people following World War II. First installed at a nearby site in 1954, the 49-bell carillon was moved to the present tower (designed by Jo. A 50-bell gift from the people of the Netherlands, with bells cast by all three major Dutch foundries.
- Richmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 197,790. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities it is an inde: The World War I Memorial Carillon . A 56-bell carillon tower.
- Mexico CityMexico City ( Spanish: Ciudad de Mexico known in Pre-Columbian times as Tenochtitlan is the capital of Mexico; it geographically spans both the Mexican Federal District and part of the state of Mexico, to the north of the Federal District. Mexico City is: The Banobras Carillon. A 47-bell instrument in the world's tallest carillon tower (125 m), which is part of a MexicanThis article is about the country Mexico. For other meanings, see Mexico (disambiguation The United Mexican States or Mexico ( Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico regarding the use of the variant spelling Mejico see section The name below) is a co government development bank office complex in the TlatelolcoTlatelolco is an area in Mexico City, centered around the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, a square surrounded on three sides by an excavated Aztec pyramid, the 17th century church Templo de Santiago, and the modern office complex of the Mexican foreign minist district.
- Montreal, Canada: The Carillon of St. Joseph's Oratory. A 56-bell carillon installed in 1956.
- New Haven, Connecticut: Harkness Carillon in Harkness Tower at Yale University: 10 bells (a chime) installed in 1922, and an additional 44 bells installed in 1964, for a total of 54 bells.
- Berkeley, California: Berkeley Carillon in Sather Tower at University of California, Berkeley: 12 bells (a chime) installed in 1917, an additional 49 bells installed in 1978 and 1982, for a total of 61 bells.
- Norwood, Massachusetts: The Walter F. Tilton Carillon, in the Norwood Memorial Municipal Building. A 51-bell instrument made by Gillette and Johnston, with bells ranging in size from 6½" to 71" (16.5 to 180 cm).
- Ottawa, Canada: The Peace Tower Carillon, in the Houses of Parliament,. 53 bells.
