All-Russian Organ Day

One of the oldest musical keyboard wind instruments appeared in the 3rd century. BC. It is believed that the water organ was invented by the ancient Greek mechanic and mathematician Ctesebius. Larger instruments appeared in the 4th century. AD Organs were actively used during Catholic services and acted as ceremonial attributes of royal power in Byzantium and Europe. In Rus', a musical instrument, often called the king among its peers, appeared in the 12th century. due to the spread of Christianity. Two types of organ were known: the portable one, which was used by buffoons in their performances at fairs, and the positive one. Static instruments with a large number of registers began to be built under Peter I. They were installed in Catholic and Protestant churches. The instrument was played not only at church holidays and masses, but also at concerns and other social events. A.F. Goedicke, A.K. Glazunov and other Russian composers left their descendants a great creative heritage in the form of organ music. As a result of the October Revolution, many temples and cathedrals were destroyed. By 1918, of all the organs built in Rus' at different periods of history, only four remained, located in Moscow and Leningrad. However, conservatories continued to train performers who played the instrument, which amazes with its grandeur, strength and power. The Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the birthplace of the organ. Despite this, the instrument quickly became widespread and made a significant contribution to the development of national musical culture. Therefore, every fourth Sunday in November is celebrated as All-Russian Organ Day. In honor of the holiday, music marathons, concerts and other events are organized. During their performances, listeners get acquainted with classical works in which the parts belong not only to the organ, but also to the oboe, chalumeau, dilruba, dizi and other exotic instruments. The concerts feature music written by Russian and foreign composers. At the end of November, lectures are held on an amazing instrument with more than 2000 years of existence. For the first time, Organ Day took place in 2019 on the initiative of the Russian Academy of Music. Gnesins. The holiday, which caused a wide public response, is becoming more and more popular year after year among professionals and connoisseurs of classical music. Among the works most often heard at concerts you can hear arias, fugues and oratorios by Bach, Haydn and Beethoven, plays by modern Russian composers: M. Tariverdiev, A. Petrov, O. Yanenko and G. Nikulin. Ceremonial events are held in cathedrals, halls of philharmonic societies and conservatories with the participation of famous conductors and organists, directors of concert organizations and music critics.