“Viola organista is a design unique in musical world. At first, no one believes that the sound he hears comes from the instrument he sees,” says Zubrzycki.  Da Vinci combined together two separate types of instruments:  keyboard and bowed strings. He made many sketches of it, which are preserved in Codice Atlantico, but he never built it. Through the centuries many  took up the challenge of bringing da Vinci’s idea to life, but no one fully succeeded. Viola organista became forgotten instrument until 21st century.

5000 hours – that is the amount of time Zubrzycki spent, first in libraries than in private workshop, on creating his viola organista. It looks like blue-red-gold baby grand piano, but its sound resembles viola da gamba (ancestor of modern cello), and sometimes also organ or harpsichord. How does it produce sound? The keyboard is used to press strings against moving wheels wrapped in horse hair (functioning as bows).

The premiere concert of viola organista took place on October 18th, 2013 in Krakow, and got huge media coverage. News about the instrument appeared in TIME, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, Engadget, BBC Radio and Hindustan Times, to name a few. The next step was the European tour. Although Sławomir Zubrzycki got invitations from North and South America he cannot get there because of the difficulties in transportation of Viola Organista. That is another reason to record the album – to give a chance to music lovers from around the world to listen to the instrument in highest quality.

The album will consist of eight tracks from Baroque composers such as Carl Friedrich Abel, Marin Marais or Mr. de Saint-Colombe. Most of them are transcriptions from other instruments, except Sonata in G by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (son of Johann Sebastian) which is the only known piece composed specifically for bowed piano – Bogenklavier constructed by German craftsman, Hans Heiden in 16th century.

ViolaOorganista

Kickstarter is the biggest crowdfunding platform, where people from all over the world can support bringing creative projects to life by paying small amounts of money and getting  tangible rewards and one of a kind experiences in exchange. The campaigns operate under an “all-or-nothing” funding model so if the project does not reach its goal the creator will be left empty-handed.

Viola Organista Kickstarter campaign will continue to accept pledged donations through August 20, 2015. If enough funds are raised, Sławomir Zubrzycki anticipates recording and releasing the album in November 2015.

To support the project please visit: The Da Vinci Sound

Read also an interview with Sławomir Zubrzycki on Link to Poland: “The past is a perfect commentary on the present…”

 

Photos © Piano Classic

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