Clarion (instrument)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The clarion or claro is a type of cylindrical brass instrument dating from the 11th to 14th centuries. It is the ancestor to the trumpet and was used by cavalries in camp and as a signal during war. It had a narrower, and perhaps shorter, tube and produced a more acute and shrill tone than the modern trumpet.
The word comes from the Latin word, clarus "clear," "penetrating," "loud," "shrill".
Clarin or clarino also came to refer to melodic playing in the upper register of the trumpet "with a soft and melodious, singing tone, as distinct from 'principale playing' (Principalblasen), which meant to play with a powerful, blasting tone [in the lower register]."[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Dahlqvist
- This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.
- Reine Dahlqvist and Edward H. Tarr, "Clarino," Grove Music Online, http://grovemusic.com [Accessed: 23 November 2006].
- Forsyth, Cecil (1982). Orchestration. Dover Publications Inc. ISBN 0-486-24383-4
