Because they are in Haydn
March 21, 2016 10:25 PM Subscribe
The Forward recounts the Strange and Violent History of the Ordinary Grogger (also known as a ratchet), and why they are rarely found in orchestras.
Usually deployed by gaunt old men in flat caps while yelling "Up the 'Ammers".
I'm not sure that's how Haydn utilised them. But he should have.
posted by Devonian at 3:06 AM on March 22, 2016
I'm not sure that's how Haydn utilised them. But he should have.
posted by Devonian at 3:06 AM on March 22, 2016
Thanks for the early morning Haydn. That was really sweet.
posted by james33 at 3:13 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by james33 at 3:13 AM on March 22, 2016
I was fascinated by this bit: The rattle’s reign was finally ended by the pea whistle, whose trilling mechanism made it significantly louder than previous whistles. The changeover was swift: In 1884, only a year after its invention Scotland Yard adopted the pea whistle after a convincing demonstration of superiority.
If I'd thought about it at all, I would have assumed that loud metal whistles had been around for hundreds of years. The fact that modern whistles were only invented in 1884 is very surprising to me.
Also, the idea that whistles are not a good idea for gas alarms, while perfectly obvious once it's pointed out, is not something I'd have thought of.
posted by Azara at 4:42 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
If I'd thought about it at all, I would have assumed that loud metal whistles had been around for hundreds of years. The fact that modern whistles were only invented in 1884 is very surprising to me.
Also, the idea that whistles are not a good idea for gas alarms, while perfectly obvious once it's pointed out, is not something I'd have thought of.
posted by Azara at 4:42 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
That was fascinating. I did not know a grogger was ordinary nor did I know that name for it. I have only heard them in one isolated context ever and did not know about any of these other uses.
(I searched for videos of burning Judas and grinding Judas and the only thing on the search page was Judas Priest.)
posted by bukvich at 6:14 AM on March 22, 2016
(I searched for videos of burning Judas and grinding Judas and the only thing on the search page was Judas Priest.)
posted by bukvich at 6:14 AM on March 22, 2016
Also I looked at the Haydn video and I am ignorant about the bird-call(?) instrument(?). Does this object have a name? I am going to feel really dumb if it also is common and everybody but me knows this one.
posted by bukvich at 6:44 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by bukvich at 6:44 AM on March 22, 2016
By the way, as is mentioned in the YouTube clip’s comments, the authorship of the ‘Toy Symphony’ is uncertain, and it has been attributed to Leopold Mozart (Wolfgang Amadeus’s dad) and others, as well as to Haydn. Here’s another performance of it…
posted by misteraitch at 6:54 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by misteraitch at 6:54 AM on March 22, 2016
Also I looked at the Haydn video and I am ignorant about the bird-call(?) instrument(?). Does this object have a name?
The Toy Symphony calls for a nightingale, cuckoo, and a quail. I don't know what design would have been used at the time, but ACME (seriously) sells both nightingale and cuckoo whistles. Anyway, based on sheet music for the symphony the instruments seem to be called the same name as the bird whose call they produce.
posted by jedicus at 8:13 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Toy Symphony calls for a nightingale, cuckoo, and a quail. I don't know what design would have been used at the time, but ACME (seriously) sells both nightingale and cuckoo whistles. Anyway, based on sheet music for the symphony the instruments seem to be called the same name as the bird whose call they produce.
posted by jedicus at 8:13 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Absolutely fascinating; thanks for the post! (A more scientific spelling for the Yiddish word is grager, another version of which is greger, which is allegedly from Polish grzegarz rattle... except that I can't find any evidence for the existence of such a Polish word.)
posted by languagehat at 9:14 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by languagehat at 9:14 AM on March 22, 2016
The bird call thing might be called a "water warbler", though I can't tell if that's a generic name or a trademark. We've got a ceramic one in a cupboard somewhere, it's basically just a whistle with a pot of water at the end.
posted by lucidium at 1:49 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by lucidium at 1:49 PM on March 22, 2016
Next thing you'll tell me is the vibrasplat isn't a popular instrument for orchestras either. I think between the ordinary grogger, the vibrasplat and the weird sounds our percussionists could make with the timpani - I heard these instruments daily during a formidable time my life.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:39 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:39 PM on March 22, 2016
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posted by misteraitch at 3:00 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]