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Classical Musicians and Composers Who Embraced the Ocarina
Discover the classical repertoire of the ocarina: from the 19th-century Budrio septets to 20th-century avant-garde masterpieces by György Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Many people know the ocarina from folk music or video games, but it also has a place in classical music, from 19th-century Italian ensembles to modern orchestral works.
The Italian Septet tradition: Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese
When Giuseppe Donati invented the 10-hole transverse ocarina in 1853, he envisioned it as an ensemble instrument. He made ocarinas in matched sizes for higher and lower voices, and the musicians of Budrio formed ocarina ensembles to play them together. The Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese continues this tradition.
These ensembles arranged popular music of the day, including opera arias and overtures, for groups of ocarinas, and showed that the instrument could play real ensemble music in harmony.
Virtuoso showpieces: The Carnival of Venice
Soloists played showpieces too. An early recording of variations on The Carnival of Venice, played by the Italian ocarinist Mosé Tapiero, shows how fast and agile the instrument can be.
20th-Century masterworks: Ligeti, Penderecki & beyond
Some modern composers were drawn to the ocarina's pure, haunting sound, which has very few overtones:
- György Ligeti (1923–2006): His Violin Concerto, completed in 1993, calls for four ocarinas in the orchestra, for an unusual, otherworldly sound.
- Krzysztof Penderecki (1933–2020): He used 12 ocarinas in his 1974 orchestral work The Dream of Jacob, and 50 in the final section of his Symphony No. 8 (completed in 2008).
- Pierre Arvay: The French composer wrote several pieces of library music for the ocarina. One of them, Merry Ocarina, was used on the BBC children's program Vision On.
Playing classical music today
Modern 10-hole and 12-hole ocarinas can play every semitone in their range, so players also perform classical melodies on them. Try starting with Beethoven's Ode to Joy or Brahms' Lullaby right here on Potato Flute!
More from the ocarina library
- How to Make a Clay Ocarina: Step-by-Step DIY GuideLearn how to make a real playing clay ocarina from scratch: pinch pot forming, carving the windway and labium cutting edge, tuning toneholes, and firing.
- How to Make an Ocarina from a Real PotatoYes, a real potato can be an ocarina. How to hollow it, carve the windway and sound edge, tune the finger holes, and why it only lasts a day or two.
- A History of the Ocarina: From Ancient Vessel Flutes to BudrioExplore the fascinating 12,000-year history of the ocarina: Neolithic flutes like the Runik ocarina, Chinese xun, Mesoamerican clay instruments, and Giuseppe Donati's 1853 invention in Italy.
- How an Ocarina Works: The Acoustics of Helmholtz ResonanceUnderstand the physics of the ocarina: why hole position doesn't matter, how chamber volume sets pitch, and why breath pressure controls intonation.
- The Ocarina in Video Games: How a Clay Flute Became MagicWhy the ocarina became gaming's most magical instrument: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), Koji Kondo's music, songs that change the world, and how to go from a game controller to a real ocarina.
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