Curtal

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The Curtal is a double-reed instrument similar in range to your bassoon. However, the conical tube of the curtal is hollowed out of a single piece of wood and is not jointed. The long, flat billet of maple, pear, box, etc, is bored from the bottom upwards along one side, and from the top downwards, for the wider part of the conical windway, on the other side. The two bores are connected at the bottom by a cut-away chamber closed by a plug of wood. The brass crook on which the double reed is placed is inserted into the narrower bore. The wider bore ends a short flare.
Although it is not known for sure where it originated, most believe it an Italian product from the second quarter of the sixteenth century. But it soon spread as far as England by the last quarter of the century.



(Photos courtesy of Jonathan M. Askey at website The London Early Music Shop - see credits)

References:

Baines, Anthony. European & American Musical Instruments. Viking Press, New York, 1966.
 
Buchner, Dr. Alexander (translated by Iris Urwin). Musical Instruments Through the Ages. Batchworth Press Limited, London, England, 1961.
 
Hindley, Geoffrey (ed.). The Larousse Encyclopedia of Music. Excalibur Books, New York, 1982.


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Authors: The VirRen Team led by C.S.Marszalek & B.Panagakis
Created: 8 August 1996; Modified: 23 August 2004