ents.
Thus there arose in the 18th century a great quantity of compositions for the hurdy-gurdy, and they all are almost completely uniform. Except for a few examples these compositions have no individual style or particular characteristics. One characteristic however is their ability to be played on different instruments. The pieces were written not only for the hurdy-gurdy or the musette; the composer mentioned in the titles almost always an entire row of different instruments which could be used as well: like transverse flute, the recorder, the violin, and the oboe.
Although the number of instruments for this music varied, this had no particular influence on the shaping of the melody. The preferred devices of alternating notes, short runs (ex. 2) and dotted rhythms (ex. 3) always remained the same. In the use of the individual types of rhythm an especial preference for triple rhythm is apparent, for which the reason is
that the accentuation and the uneven crank movements are easier in 3/4, 6/8, or 12/8 time and with the frequently occurring triplets (ex. 4).
Two pieces for the hurdy-gurdy which are unique in their technique are given by Francois Bouin in his method "La Vielleuse habile" with directions for playing these pieces. It is concerned with playing in chords. The pieces are so written as if thirds were to sound at the same time, and this, insofar as the melody strings are not tuned in thirds, is not possible on a hurdy-gurdy. The chords are supposed to be played by constantly alternating both notes. The key of the lower note is kept pressed in and that of the hurdy-gurdy the note is alternately pressed in and release again, so that a type of trill in thirds occurs [fn] (ex. 5).
Aside from the compositions for a single hurdy-gurdy there arose also works for the hurdy-gurdy and a figured bass. One example of this is a piece called "Fuga" from a collection of sonatas for hurdy-gurdy and figured bass by Bouin (ex. 6). The long dotted notes of the melody line are shortened in the bass, whereby an imitation occurs. The figured bass was also often used in imitation of other instruments, the tambourine for example, by being played harmonically and rhythmically scarcely or completely unchanged like a continuously repeated drone (ex. 7).
The greatest number of compositions are for two hurdy-gurdies, two musettes, or two other instruments. These compositions indicate the popularity of duos; in many of these pieces one voice follows the other in sixths or thirds (ex. 8, ex. 9). There are however a number of pieces in which one of the instruments, instead of accompanying the main voice in thirds or sixths, has more of a supporting role which is confined to the principal notes (ex. 10, ex. 11). In example 12 the main voice is executed on only one of the instruments, while the other embellishes the melody line; or both voices are equal as in a 'fugue' by
Michon (ex. 13). With the help of fast sixteenth runs or chordal breaks which one of the instruments has to play, it is often attempted to portray the character indicated by the title of the piece. Compositions of this sort has titles like "Le Tourbillon" (ex. 14) or "Lea Fureurs" (ex. 15). For two hurdy-gurdies however there were also more technically demanding pieces written, which could only be performed by skilled players.. The difficulties of these pieces lay in the rhythms which were hard to accent (ex. 16) as well as in change in rhythms (ex. 17).
Pieces intended for one hurdy-gurdy or one musette differ in no way from those written for two hurdy-gurdies or two musettes. The same thing applies to pieces in which a basso continuo is added to the melody line. Usually there is no indication given as to which line was written for which instrument (ex. 18), and the few pieces in which the composer did indicate the instruments for each voice show that the reverse arrangement would also have been possible without changing the character of the piece (ex. 19, ex. 20) In example 21 however, the two hurdy-gurdies prescribed, which accompany two equally pitched voices, could not 