 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Castanets" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Castanets | |
| Percussion instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | hand percussion |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 111.141 (Directly struck concussiveidiophone) |
| Related instruments | |
| Crotalum,Zill | |
Castanets, also known asclackers orpalillos, are apercussion instrument (idiophonic), used inSpanish,Calé,Moorish,[1]Ottoman,Greek,Italian,Mexican,Sephardic,Portuguese,Filipino,Brazilian, andSwiss music. Inancient Greece andancient Rome there was a similar instrument called thecrotalum.
The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string. They are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents or a ripping or rattling sound consisting of a rapid series of clicks. They are traditionally made of hardwood (chestnut;Spanish:castaño),[1] althoughfibreglass has become increasingly popular.
In practice, a player usually uses two pairs of castanets. One pair is held in each hand, with the string hooked over the thumb and the castanets resting on the palm with the fingers bent over to support the other side. Each pair will make a sound of a slightly differentpitch. The slightly lower one usually marks the beat with joined fingers, whereas the slightly higher one is used for variations with all four fingers, including producing rattle-like sounds.
The origins of the instrument are not confirmed. The practice of clicking hand-held sticks together to accompany dancing is ancient, and was practiced by both theGreeks and theEgyptians. Most sources relate its historical origins and spread to thePhoenicians travelling and trading throughout theMediterranean around 3000 years ago, with strong trade relations with what is now Spain. Origins further back inAncient Egypt (which knew castanet-like instruments made of wood, ivory, and metal) are deemed probable. According to sources, Ancient Romans encountered this instrument among the indigenous population (Iberians and others) ofHispania, already around 200 BC. It soon obtained an important role in folk music in various parts of Spain.[2]In more modern times, thebones andspoons used inMinstrel show andjug band music can also be considered forms of the castanet.
During theBaroque period, castanets featured prominently in dances. Composers likeJean-Baptiste Lully scored them for the music of dances which included Spaniards (Ballet des Nations), Egyptians (Persée,Phaëton), Ethiopians (Persée,Phaëton), andKorybantes (Atys). In addition, they are often scored for dances involving less pleasant characters such asdemons (Alceste) andnightmares (Atys). Their association withAfrican dances is even stated in the balletFlore (1669) by Lully,"... les Africains inventeurs des danses de Castagnettes entrent d'un air plus gai ..."
A rare occasion where the normally accompanying instrument is given concertant solo status isLeonardo Balada'sConcertino for Castanets and Orchestra Three Anecdotes (1977). TheConciertino für Kastagnetten und Orchester by the German composer Helmut M. Timpelan, in cooperation with the castanet virtuoso, José de Udaeta, is another solo work for the instrument. See also the Toccata Festiva for castanets by Allan Stephenson.Sonia Amelio has also performed her castanet arrangements as a concert soloist.
In thelate Ottoman Empire,köçeks not only danced but played percussion instruments, especially a type of castanet known as theçarpare, which in later times were replaced by metal cymbals calledzills.
Castanets are commonly used in several Spanish folk music and dances, such as theJota, a music/dance probably originated in Aragón, and theFandango. It spread, partly with these genres, throughout Central Spain/Castile, and Southern parts of Spain. Castanets are also used by singers and dancers in theflamenco genre, especially in some subgenres of it (Siguiriya, and Fandango-influenced ones), and in other dances in Andalusia/South Spain, such as theSevillanas folk dance andescuela bolera, a balletic dance form. The name (Spanish:castañuelas) is derived from the diminutive form ofcastaña, theSpanish word forchestnut, which they resemble. InAndalusia they are usually referred to aspalillos (little sticks) instead, and this is the name by which they are known in flamenco. In parts of southeastern Spain (likeMurcia), castanets are called "postizas", and are played somewhat different (hooked over other fingers).
Castanets were used to evoke a Spanish atmosphere inGeorges Bizet'sopera,Carmen. They are also found in the "Dance of the Seven Veils" fromRichard Strauss' operaSalome and inRichard Wagner'sTannhäuser. An unusual variation on the standard castanets can be found inDarius Milhaud'sLes Choëphores, which calls for castanets made of metal. Other uses includeRimsky-Korsakov'sCapriccio espagnol,Ravel'sRapsodie espagnole,Francis Poulenc'sConcerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor andKarl Jenkins'sTangollen.
One can also see Spanish influence in themusic of Naples through the presence of castanets, as it was registered byAthanasius Kircher on hisTarantella Napoletana (tono hypodorico).
When used in anorchestral orjug band setting, castanets are sometimes attached to a handle, or mounted to a base to form a pair ofmachine castanets. This makes them easier to play, but also alters the sound, particularly for the machine castanets. It is possible to produce aroll on a pair of castanets in any of the three ways in which they are held. When held in the hand, they are bounced against the fingers and palm of the hand; on sticks, bouncing between fingers and the player's thigh is one accepted method. For a machine castanet, a less satisfactory roll is obtained by the rapid alternation of the two castanets with the fingers.
Handle castanets were developed for use in orchestral music. A pair of castanets are fitted onto the end of a straight piece of wood. They are useful for producing a sustained roll, especially loud rolls, on the instrument.[3]
| String instruments |
|
|---|---|
| Woodwind instruments | |
| Percussion instruments | |
| See also | |
Culture ofAndalusia | ||
|---|---|---|
| History |  | |
| Language | ||
| Sports | ||
| Cuisine | ||
| Musical instruments | ||
| Traditional music | ||
| Traditions and feasts | ||
| Music festivals | ||
| Symbols | ||
| Styles |
| %2c_Martin_Style_3-17_(1859)_-_C.F._Martin_Guitar_Factory_2012-08-06_-_011.jpg) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music by region | |||||||
| Music by genre | |||||||
| Music festivals | |||||||
| Musical instruments |
| ||||||
| Music ensembles | |||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
