Baroque Rackett - "Hymnus"

This is an attempt to play a bass line on the baroque rackett. Please note: this video is an example of what a rackett sounds like when played by someone with no double-reed experience. A more musical example of its sound, after learning proper playing technique, will be coming soon

The music is a 15th-century Burgundian piece entitled "Hymnus"; I believe it was written by Guillaume Dufay, but I may be mistaken. The piece is anachronistic for the instrument by a couple hundred years, so sue me.

After I recorded the rackett part, I added the flute and oboe (using virtual instruments from the Garritan Personal Orchestra library, played on a Yamaha WX5).

And yes, my phrasing and intonation need a bit of work.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Baroque
• Rackett
• rankett
• wurstfagott
• sausage
• bassoon
• Guillaume
• Dufay
• Hymnus
• burgundian
• music

[falaqdad15]

very nice. You can try to convert this to a manageable file where you can tweak the audio, perhaps adding reverberation.

That thing is really hard to finger..

[Shipbrook]

@falaqdad15 The temptation was there, but I deliberately refrained from manipulating the audio. Certainly some reverb would have made it more pleasant - but I wanted to provide an unaltered example of what the rackett sounds like.

The fingering really isn't too difficult; for the most part, the pattern is similar to an alto recorder in F.

[bigmandrel]

Wow! Nice demo. Do not worry about the Historical Police nor your local Rackett Guild. You've made a very fine showing. Who made your Rackett? And will you give us more?

[Shipbrook]

Thanks! It was made by Moeck Musikinstrumente (sadly, just before they shut down their historical instruments division).

I do plan to record more, when I have the chance.

[contekkst]

Is it a double reed? Does it play a chromatic scale? This is interesting

[Shipbrook]

It is indeed a double reed - the one which came with it is slightly larger than a bassoon reed, yet smaller than that of a contrabassoon.

It does play a chromatic scale, from the Bb below the bass staff up to the F above it. So it doesn't get up quite as high as a modern bassoon, but it can hit the same bottom note.

[The0ji]

Very nice!

Could you tell me please what is exactly name of this tune?

I want to find sheet music and play it.

[16mmDJ]

If you get the chance, please make a follow up video! These things are really hard to find decent videos of... I'll sub you in case you make another :D

[ferociousgumby]

By the way, don't apologize, it sounds much better than most of the examples I've seen here.

[ferociousgumby]

It looks like he's playing a fire extinguisher.

[gsmonks]

There are lots of "early" instruments that should be made more available, especially for their utility. There's not much to many of them- cornetti, for example- but they're generally very expensive because so few are made.

[danibar3000]

Very good piece!! Where I can acquire one of this at US?

[hydfawr]

Fantastic. Many thanks.

[katiush65]

well tonight I have learned about crumhorns and now about racketts! what a great sound.

[MdeASevilla]

all the sounds are made by him? basses and trebbles?