Zampogna

The zampogna is a bagpipe found in mountainous regions across Central and Southern Italy, including Sicily. It varies in size, tuning style, and local repertoire but always features two unequal divergent melodic pipes (Baines 1963:95) tuned in either octaves or thirds, and depending on region, anywhere from zero to three drones, most commonly having two drones playing octaves of the dominant (fifth) note of the scale. Melodic pipes are conical and drones consist of two cylindrical parts, the lower of which is wider than the higher section. The melodic pipes and drones are traditionally fitted with double reeds. The surdulina, found in northern Calabria and southern Basilicata, has a slightly different sent up with cylindrical bores and the use of single reeds. Each chanter is played by one hand, with the bass chanter creating a rhythmic/bass accompaniment to the more melodic fingering of the melody chanter. The name ‘zampogna’ most likely derives from the Latin ‘symphonia’ and became a standard name for the bagpipes in Italy from the 15th century onward (Vereno 2022:74).


This is a zampogna ‘a chiave’ (keyed bagpipe) from the Molise/Abruzzo area. Its defining characteristics are the flared open bells at the end of each pipe, as well as sparse turning and an esthetically plain fuselage. These features are typically found in the Lazzio, Molise and Abruzzo regions. The bass chanter is made from two pieces of wood: one long piece for the body of the chanter, with an open bell that screws on at the end. This chanter has a metallic key to access the lowest note, but is missing the piastrina, a wooden barrel pierced with regular holes which would have covered the key, leaving only the upper part of the mechanism visible. The presence of beeswax around the keyhole demonstrates that a musician had tuned this instrument before it arrived at the museum. The melody chanter is made from one single piece of wood, which denotes a simpler type of manufacture, typical of the Scapoli, Molise and Abruzzo style of zampogna.


The zampogna was traditionally played by shepherds and is still used for a variety of cultural practices, devotional and secular. In the Lucania region and parts of Calabria and the Abbruzzi they are often played in a duo formation with a ciaramella/piffero, a double reeded shawm. This duo has become emblematic of the Christmas season, where traditionally dressed pipers walk from village to village playing the ‘novena’, a form of devotional music (Scaldaferri 2022). Zampogna players have secular and religious repertoires. The former is used for the novena and devotional processions, while the latter are used to accompany dancing and singing.


(David Marker and Cassandre Balosso-Bardin, 2023)

Technical description

2 wooden melodic pipes (bass and melody), with wide open-terminal bells and conical bores, R 485 mm., 5/1 holes, L 665 mm., 3/0 holes with 1 brass key, no perforated barrel, 1 extant double reed staple (typically, double cane reeds on metal staples), Lathe turned;
2 drones both in 2 sections with aesthetically flared bells, but internally cylindrical bells, cylindrical bores – the top section has a narrower cylindrical bore than the lower section, 206 mm. and 456 mm., reeds missing (typically cane double reeds on metal staples), Lathe turned;
cylindrical insufflation pipe 185 mm., leather flapper valve;
untreated goatskin bag (missing except for piece attached to blowpipe stock);
large wooden conical stock for chanters and drones, with metal band around pipe end;
all pipes and stocks with grooved turning.


References
Baines, Anthony, 1960. Bagpipes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


Scaldaferri, Nicola, 2022. ‘The Bagpipes in the Mount Pollino Area (Southern Italy): Morphology and Musical Repertoires.’ In　Playing Multipart Music: Solo and Ensemble Traditions in Europe: European Voices IV. Vienna: Böhlau Verlag. pp. 71-93.


Vereno, Michael Peter, 2021. The Voice of the Wind: A Linguistic History of Bagpipes. Lincoln: International Bagpipe Organisation.