The French Revival of the Hurdy Gurdy.

The hurdy-gurdy, as stated in previous posts, fell in and out of grace among the upper class throughout Europe, experiencing revivals as it made it‘s trek easy across Europe. One such revival was in France, where the instrument was known as the vielle a roue, beginning the reign of Louis XIV.(1660 - 1715) Louis XIV greatly enjoyed various rural traditions, one of them being the music from these regions. “ Gradually, courtly diversions about the Arcadian idea of rural bliss gained favor at court. Shepherds and milkmaids were portrayed passing away pleasant hours together.” (http://www.hurdygurdy.org/pdfs/hghistory.PDF) Because of this growth in interest, especially in the court, the music of the hurdy-gurdy again gained in popularity. It became common for aristocrats to be proficient in the hurdy-gurdy and other instruments used in street music and in rural communities, who had adopted the instruments themselves due to ease of use and their use as accompaniment to vocal music. Many composers of the time, including Mozart, were known to use the hurdy-gurdy in some of their works.
   This revival continued, again magnified by the written works of Jean Jacque Rousseau, whose written works stressed the values of moral simplicity in rural life versus the corruption and decadence of the court. Finding it’s way back up the social ladder, luthier’s began to make “elegant instruments with fancy inlay and carving. The mechanism was built into guitar and lute bodies, giving the instrument a better tone. Many fine instruments were manufactured during this period.” (http://www.hurdygurdy.org/pdfs/hghistory.PDF)
     The revival gained in popularity through the reign of Louis XV, which ended in 1778. The following king, Louis XVI, did not much involve himself in courtly social life, and following him Marie Antoinette changed the taste of the court to the neo-classical. This again made use of the hurdy-gurdy impractical, though it’s use in the court did not completely vanish until the French Revolution. After this the instrument became exclusive again to street musicians and folk dances, which gained in popularity but use of the diatonic organ again clashed with the hurdy-gurdy. Despite this it’s popularity has never completely ceased in the region and it is still used in french rural and folk music today.




   The following two videos are modern interpretations of the French music discussed this post as played on the hurdy-gurdy.