Rackett

Like crumhorns racketts are played with a double reed - in this case directly blown. The reed is fixed into the upper end of the body and protected by a pirouette against which the player rests its lips. A special feature of the raccett's construction is the greater length of the bore, which, despite the shortness of the instrument, gives it a lower pitch range. This is achieved through nine parallel, interconnected bores within its cylindrical body. The air column responsible for this pitch range is thereby ‘folded’. However, since the finger-holes are not arranged in one line, the player has to contend with very unusual fingerings. (rh)

Lit.:Rudolf Hopfner: Masterpieces from the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. A Short Guide through the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Vol. 1, Vienna 2019Ausstellungskatalog: Für Aug' und Ohr. Musik in Kunst- und Wunderkammern, Schloß Ambras 1999, Wien 1999.Julius Schlosser: Die Sammlung alter Musikinstrumente. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis, Wien 1920.