Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

A forum about Uilleann (Irish) pipes and the surly people who play them.
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CaperMike
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Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by CaperMike »

Hi Folks,

I recently attending one of the first Canadian concerts by Duo Macke-Bornauw with Birgit Bornauw and Benjamin Macke. Wonderful players with an interesting repertoire. Well received here in an historic church setting on the Bras d'Or Lakes of Cape Breton.

Brigit played the Flemish bagpipes and also the baroque bagpipe, apparently popular in the 16 and 1700s, particularly favoured during the reign of Louis XV. Lovely sound with 7 double reeds, two chanters, with various keys. Speaking with Brigit after the concert she made the claim (bold?) that it was probably a progenitor of the oboe and other bagpipes including the Irish/Uilleann variant. Curious thought and I wonder what people who know a LOT more than I do about such things think of this notion. And if anybody has ever played the baroque bagpipe?

Mike
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Tell us something.: Playing woodwind instruments for over 70 years and deeply interested in their history, manufacture, technology, and performance practices.
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Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by stringbed »

The baroque musette is quite a complex instrument. It combines now largely unfamiliar elements of Renaissance wind instruments with significant innovations. It is fair to say that it incorporates details that can be traced forward to the Irish bagpipes.The notion that it similarly inspired the oboe can be easily be demolished. There’s a useful introduction to it here:

https://youtu.be/2OVYA-DJ_og
Last edited by stringbed on Wed Aug 31, 2022 1:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mr.Gumby
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Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by Mr.Gumby »

My brain hurts

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CaperMike
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Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by CaperMike »

Great article by Ken MacLeod. Thanks for the links.
Lovely instrument. Almost on par with the UPs :-)
ennischanter
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Tell us something.: If you flush your toilet 7 times whilst lilting "The Bucks of Oranmore", an apparition of one of the great pipers of old will appear in the mirror, you will be blessed with good reeds, but cursed with bad bags and bellows.
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Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by ennischanter »

I'd love to get my hands on one, seems almost impossible.


Just need to look in the right places I guess
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Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by Mr.Gumby »

ennischanter wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 9:17 am.
Just need to look in the right places I guess

The Musette society

Paul Beekhuizen, maker
My brain hurts

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ennischanter
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Tell us something.: If you flush your toilet 7 times whilst lilting "The Bucks of Oranmore", an apparition of one of the great pipers of old will appear in the mirror, you will be blessed with good reeds, but cursed with bad bags and bellows.
Location: Alberta Canada

Re: Baroque Bagpipes; Musette de cour

Post by ennischanter »

Just saw this, many thanks
We musicians are enemies by disposition, so treat every musician you happen to meet, accordingly.

Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of the flame.
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