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 The panpipe, or panflute, is a very simple instrument consisting of several hollow pipes arranged in an order in which the size steadily diminishes. It is played by the help of a person's blowing into a pipe. The smaller the size of that particular pipe, the higher the produced note will be. The panpipe is widely believed to have originated in Romania, judging from the poems and pictures of old. However, evidence of the pipe's creation can be found all over Europe and in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America. The Inca and the Maya have also been thought to be the original creators of the panpipe and that the instrument's fame spread throughout North America from these civilizations. "It can be said with certainty that the pan flute originated in several places which could not have been connected at all. In most places, the pan flute came into existence at about the same stage of cultural development, which means at different times and in different geographical zones," writes Costel Puscoiu, a panpipe teacher and correspondant of pan-flute.com. For many years in Romania the panpipe has been played by gypsy musicians. Fanica Luca, a panpipe player, instituted a panpipe class in 1949 where the infamous Gheorghe Zamfir was taught. During the gap of time stretching between the two world wars, panpipe popularity skyrocketed in Europe. Afterwards, there were far less registered and professional players in Romania than before. Today, this instrument is still popular among European colonies but noticed less by the rest of the world. The reason the panpipe appeals to me is not only the sounds created by it but the mythology and tales surrounding it. The ancient god Pan in often depicted playing the panpipe. As the story goes, Pan was often having love affairs with nymphs. He also inflicted fear; the word "panic" is supposed to have evolved from his name. Once, as he was chasing a nymph, she prayed to the gods to save her and they supposedly made her into a plant bearing hollow reeds. Pan, looking for her, came upon this plant and wired together the reeds to create the panpipe, which he played beautiful music on. Another famous panpipe player is the fictitous Peter Pan. I hope you have learned something about this curious instrument and now see it in a new light. What did you think? Did you like my report? |
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