The Rebel Crank: redefining street barrel organs performance practice through physical gesture transgression

Abstract

This paper redefines the performance practice of street barrel organs by transcending their conventional physical gestures beyond their role as mere music reproduction machines. We propose a new understanding of these instruments by establishing a parallel with how turntables started to be considered musical instruments through hand manipulation. Collaborating with Chilean organilleros, we experimented with the notion of ‘physical gesture transgression’ and explored creating new sounds through various body actions. We provide a list of ‘transgressive gestures,’ proposing expansions through instrument preparation or additional gestures, and how these new gestures can be annotated alongside traditional notation for other musical instruments.

KEYWORDS:

• Street barrel organs
• physical gesture transgression
• transgressive gestures
• Juan Allende-Blin
• Chilean organilleros

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Organillo Lizana’s members for their enthusiastic participation in this project, especially Manuel Lizana Quezada (RIP), with whom we developed all research experiments, and to Héctor Lizana Hidalgo for assuming the role of soloist in Silva’s studies. Likewise, we wish to thank Godfried Willem-Raes for his inspiring ideas in the startup of this research, and finally, to Martin Bergande and Juan-Allende Blin for their interviews in Freiburg and Essen, Germany, in January 2020 just before the ‘chaos’.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Transgressive gestures video examples: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097218; Combinations (video examples): 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097251; Preparations (video examples): 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097266.

Notes

1 Among the few classical composers who composed for barrel organ, we can mention Luigi Cherubini who in 1805 wrote his Sonata per l’organo a cilindro in F major. This piece was created especially for Baron Peter Von Braun’s mechanical organ. Giacomelli (2015) proposes that this was the same barrel organ for which Mozart was invited to compose his K594 (1790), 608 (1791) and 616 (1791) some years before.

2 Among the main recognitions, we highlight the UNESCO Medal ‘Oficio Patrimonio de la ciudad de Valparaíso’ (2005) and the Living Human Treasure prize (2013).

3 In Chile, the most famous models available contain violin and trumpet voices.

4 Additionally, we have provided a video demonstration of each transgressive gesture in: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097218 (last accessed 9 March 2023).

5 Additionally, we have provided a video demonstration of each combination in: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097251 (last accessed 9 March 2023).

6 We have provided a video demonstration of each preparation in: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17097266 (last accessed 9 March 2023).

7 The recording of Silva's studies can be reviewed in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpOEjNTBnBg (last accessed 9 March 2023).

8 You can review the first movement in the version score video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bt-xczRDfo (last accessed 9 March 2023). The music is also available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2kZ1xVtao9zD7NDTVwj3ZD?si=EcStQDY8RSqq6×6ndp2JUA (last accessed 9 March 2023).

Additional information

Funding

This paper was supported by Becas ANID Doctorado Nacional 2017 [grant numbers 21171260 and ANID/ATE220041].