August is the perfect time for a holiday trip to Gdańsk. Do you know that three of five concert carillons present in Poland are located there? For this reason, among others, the Gdańsk Carillon Festival is held there at the beginning of August to nurture centuries-old traditions related to this extraordinary instrument and the city.
What can be said about the carillon itself? It is a musical instrument from a group of struck idiophones consisting of at least 23 bells of different keys. Its origins date back to the 16th century. The world’s largest carillon has 78 bells, the heaviest weighs over 100 tons. Needless to say, the results are impressive. It received the title of Instrument of the Month for a reason!
Among the composers who created works for the carillon, one can mention e.g. Paweł Mykietyn, Elżbieta Sikora, Aleksander Nowak and Hanna Kulenty. Check it out!
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