The great sopila - sopjelo
Josip Blau, turner
Rijeka, 1875

wood (ash), thread,
turning, cutting, drilling, wrapping

 

length = 59,2 cm
lenght of the bell = 15,6 cm
diameter of the bell = 8,2 cm

 

POH-414/1920
The Collection of Musical instruments by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač

Description

The great sopila consists of several parts: a reed, a pirouette, a chanter (karabe), a bell (sopište), a wooden stop and a fontanelle. The stop, "zapirača" or "razponak", is located on the bell, it is made of metal and ends with a knob. The sopila is made of waxed bright ash wood and toned to A. It is slightly curved.

Note

Kuhač got this sopila from a turner from Rijeka, Josip Blau, who built it in January 1875. The sound this instrument makes is sharp and loud so Kuhač writes that “people with delicate nerves would not be able to stand it,”, but, that, on the other hand “the hearts of people from Primorje tremble with joy when they hear this roar: let us dance to large sopila!” (Kuhač 1878: 12). At the time of Kuhač’s field research, the sopila was made by “professional instrument builders.” Sopila was not homemade.