Pianist completes da Vinci's 'viola organista' invention
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
20.11.2013 10:30
A Polish concert pianist has created a musical instrument according to the designs of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci.
Original plans for the Viola organista by Leonardo da Vinci: wikipedia
The viola organista was given its world premiere this week at Krakow's Academy of Music by Stanislaw Zubrzycki.
The pianist has spent three years labouring away at creating the new instrument, which resembles a harpsichord, but emits sounds more similar to a cello by using a bow mechanism instead of strings being plucked.
A sketch (above) by da Vinci of the viola organista can be found in the Codex Atlanticus, a twelve-volume collection of manuscripts dating from 1478 to 1519.
Experts believe that the design marks the first of any bowed keyboard instrument, although it is believed that as with many of da Vinci's projects, the viola organista was never constructed by the Florentine genius.
A similar instrument was made in 1575 by German inventor Hans Haiden.
Zubrzycki told the AFP news agency he has “no idea what Leonardo da Vinci might think of the instrument I’ve made, but I hope he’d be pleased.” (nh/pg)
See first performance of the viola organista