Identification of musical instruments historically relevant to the
piedmontese
folk music
 

In addition to more characteristic instruments of religious culture, such as the SALTERIO or of more general geographical diffusion such as the LUTE and VIELLA , the typical instruments of Piedmontese popular music are the ORGANET , first diatonic and then semi-diatonic , the GHIRONDA , the VIOLIN , the CORNAMUSA or piva, the flutes in infinite variations and couplings, among which the couple PIFFERO (popular oboe) and accordion stands out in the area of the four provinces. It should be noted that the accordion, following the new musical needs of the twentieth century, is no longer diatonic, that is, it no longer makes different sounds in the opening and closing of the bellows.

 

The historical period covered by our museum could be very broad and schematized, including:

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a) Prehistory and Protohistory with ancestral tools, which at a popular level
  they may have remained in the tradition until today.

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b) Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque instruments.

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c)  Instruments elaborated or reworked in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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d) Later and contemporary instruments.

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The instruments of the nineteenth century (point c) are those that on the one hand reached the maximum potential for sound expression, while on the other hand they were the last to be optimized to play traditional music specifically. You can have proof of this by listening to a musical band or an orchestra of today when trying to accompany the traditional Piedmontese dances (Corente, Brando, etc.). Even the inexperienced can perceive that the obtainable sound is different due to the lack of dedicated and traditional musical instruments.

The instruments with which traditional dances were played and still are played are above all those of the periods indicated above in points (b) and (c). However, the original instruments of point (b) have almost completely disappeared and currently exist only as a reproduction and interpretation of the originals, of which unfortunately we now have only the images (medieval sculptures and miniatures, paintings, etc.).

From the point of view of cultural, historical and museum evidence, it is therefore evident that all the original musical instruments of points (b) and (c), ranging from the Middle Ages to the beginning, must be valued, preserved and protected with great attention and care. of the twentieth century.

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    The collections of instruments, period catalogs, scores and other documents, which are proposed in this museum, mainly deal with material elaborated or reworked in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They are largely instruments referable to the Piedmont area and are accompanied by documentation that best delineates their historical and cultural context. We start with some particular typologies, such as the lute, the violin, the psalter and the hurdy-gurdy, the latter of great importance for the theme of the museum. We then continue with the heart of the collection consisting of several dozen precious and ancient diatonic accordions, and then move on to the "Semiton" (half diatonich accordion). We continue with the very first chromatic accordions, still with buttons, and then with the appearance of the first historical piano accordions. This is the historical passage that gives way to other museums dedicated to the accordion.

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   All the instruments are original and, for a good part, they are functional. For the thematic choice of the museum, the instruments on display are for the most part of Piedmontese manufacture or in any case of probable circulation in Piedmont. For some brands, almost unknown as they refer to very small artisan factories made up of self-employed workers, an original contribution has been made to their history with names, periods of activity and artisan school of reference or origin.

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