Broadcast on TV: ZDF on Sunday 29 of June 2025 at 21:45 Heute Journal: short impression and construction of the Organetto. Extra live interview with Martynas Levickis from Lithuania on Friday 11 July, program Kulturzeit on 3-SAT starts at 19:20
In his younger years Reijnier Kloeg already began to build his own bamboo whistles. It is no wonder then that upon his retirement he reclaimed his earliest calling as an amateur builder of musical instruments, after having worked for forty years in his family firm Kloeg Gelegenheidskleding, purveyor to the court. The project of building Leonardo da Vinci’s organetto fit perfectly in this second phase of his life. With the aid of enthusiastic friends and the Bouwerskontakt, he finally succeeded rebuilding Leonardo da Vinci’s organetto – or accordion with organ pipes – 525 years after Leonardo’s first draft.
With this booklet Reijnier hopes to give greater credit to Leonardo da Vinci, not just as a gifted musician, but especially as the designer and builder of musical instru ments. Special focus will be given to Leonardo’s draft of an accordion with paper or wooden organ pipes, the concept of which will be further explored and developed in this book. These are not building instructions with minute details and millimetre accuracy, but a clear and concise manual on how to embark upon such a project yourself. The aim is that more amateurs or professional luthiers and instrument makers will start reconstructing this instrument. And of course, that this accordion will after all become a popular instrument for folk music!
ISBN 978 9090 309 408 hard cover € 19,75 Unfortunately the 1st edition is sold out
Now available as PDF, please send me an email
e-book (PDF) € 10,-
order by e-mail: reijnier@gmail.com
Codex Madrid II, Fol.76r Studies for a mechanical viol, an organetto and a portrait of a musician.
The Madrid Codices I–II (I – Ms. 8937 i II – Ms. 8936) are two manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci which were discovered in the Biblioteca Nacional de España in Madrid in 1966. The Madrid Codex I was finished between 1490 and 1499, and II from 1503 to 1505.
The two codices were brought to Spain by Pompeo Leoni, a sculptor in the court of Philip II. After various changes of ownership, they were transferred to the monastic library of El Escorial and finally to the Biblioteca Real, where they remained unknown for 252 years!
PDF: Strange musical Instruments in the Madrid Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
Hans Memling (1433-1494), part of Christ Surrounded by Musician Angels. Altarpiece of Santa Maria la Real de Nájera (Spain)
The portative dates from the 12th century. It was an instrument for minstrels, or as part of instrumental ensembles, in the time of harps, lutes, fiddles and flutes. The small organ (with one bellow and pipes of metal or wood) would be carried on a belt to use whilst walking. One hand played the keys whilst the other hand manipulated the bellow. It was also possible to play sitting or kneeling.
The portative had several mechanical challenges:
1 a single bellow forced pauses for 'breathing', as you would when singing
2 heavy wooden or metal pipes would add weight to the instrument
3 horizontal placement of the keys
Leonardo da Vinci added astonishing changes to the instrument, as is described in "Codex Madrid II , Fol 76r".
By constructing two parallel vertical bellows, there was a constant air supply. By pushing and pulling a rod, the bellows would be emptied and filled in turn. Moreover, the change speed changed the pressure in the bellows. This way musical expression was improved.
To reduce the weight of the instrument, Leonardo described that the pipes should be made or reinforced paper. This would also reduce the cost of the pipes compared to lead, making the instrument available to a larger group of musicians.
Leonardo da Vinci showed to place the keyboard vertically, 350 years before the invention of the accordion. It made it easier to play and increased the mobility of the musician.
We advise you to pull the face of a singing or reciting musician whilst walking or dancing.
After a thorough study of the drawing and the available information, I started building this accordion. Because detailed drawings were not available, I had to work by trial and error. Mostly the production of paper organ pipes cost many hours. Which adhesives were used? Was the use of shellac resin already known? And most importantly; what was it supposed to sound like?
(see: how to make paper organ pipes)
The technical knowledge for instrument making was provided by the group Bouwerskontakt of the Dutch Association for Huismuziek, where I followed a course in organ making in 2015-2016. Special thanks to the teachers Peter Hoogerheijde, Johan de Vries and Henk Bahlman.
http://www.huismuziek.nl/?id=160&course_id=7376
geluidsfragmenten:
in de VAK met Arkadi:
Also I was greatly inspired by my dear friend Mário Azevedo, music pedagogue and teacher at ESMAE/IPP where he is currently vice-president. He and I have the same love for the beautiful work of Hans Memling.
Mário is a PhD student in Art Education in FBAUP (Art Faculty of the University of Porto) and a member of NIMAE/i2ADS, where he cultivates great attention to Art Education, Aesthetics and Contemporary Philosophy.
The key of his work - silence, world, birth, unhappy-hear, nomadic-ear, open and indeterminacy - shows ruptures of sense in the contemporary world.
As a supervisor of Reijnier Kloeg for Leonardo's accordion prototype in the last two years, Mário thought of this instrument as a musical metaphor for silence - a kind of sound art installation - in a nomadic way.
Atelier "In den oude Crooncurck" voor instrumentenbouw en restauratie
Barrel organ
