In Posting number 11391, dated 25 Aug 1998 19:50:49
From:         Shirley <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Tibias
 
Shirley asks:
 
>..... I've also seen a Tibia Plena.  What is it,
>  how does it differ from a Clausa, why is it not a
> "Tibia Minor", why isn't it on more instruments?
 
 
Dear Shirley and LIST:
 
I may be tardy in responding to your query, but here goes:
 
The family of tibiae (or some would have it the "tribe") would seem to have as
many relatives and in-laws as the Regal family of the 'Baroquen' days.
ACtually, they just lived down the street from one another, but never mind.
 
The term "Tibia" is taken from a Latin word meaning "pipe" (not legbone!) and
the qualifying adjective is supposed to tell you something about the
construction and/or tone of the particular example you are encountering.  For
all practical purposes, all tibias are flutes.
May I quote some definitions?
 
Tibia Clausa = "Closed" tibia, hence a stopped flute, usually large scale but
not necessarily the largish theatre organ type.
 
Tibia Plena = literally "full" 'though not necessarily of Grace, and an open flute.
 
Tibia Dura = "Hard" toned tibia, and open. (And LOUD)  Stevens Irwin says that
it is "inverted pyramidal" (outward tapered) which, in wood, makes is very
costly to make. hence it might be better-named "tibia expensiva".
 
Tibia Mollis = refers to smaller open tibias - and I think that "mollis" means
'soft' in Latin, and a I presume it relates to our "mollified."
 
Tibia Vulgaris = Blockfloete or Recorder.  Literally a "flute of the
commonfolk".  Hmmmmpf.
 
Tibia Major = big one
 
Tibia Minor = not big one (*)
 
Tibia Rex = huge one (Kingly.  possibly Presidential)
 
Tibia Profunda = deep-toned tibia, - often 16' or 32'.  Often in the Pedal.  I
suggest that you might want to read Mr. Irwin's definition (p. 196 in the 1962
edition, the only one I care to have) which represents one of his truly more
perplexing definitions, wandering off into the realms of Rohrgedeckt and
explaining that the stop is not very useful because it does not blend but that
it is very useful because it balances and then becomes even more Irwinesque as
the definition progresses, so to speak.
 
Tibia Sylvestris = "tibia of the forest" or Waldfloete, Flute des bois (NOT
"de bois", that's Holzgedackt)  Imitative of the Fipple-flute
 
Tibas can and are made of metal, as well as of wood.  Some manage to 'sound'
as if made of PVC or old oil drums, but tibiae of that actual construction
they are seldom met with.
 
As to why it isn't on more instruments, it IS.  It's just that we don't use
the term "Tibia" except in a very restrictive sense these days (TO's mostly)
or in VERY learned documents like this POST you are reading.  Every little old
common or garden gedeckt/gedackt/bourdon/ stopped diapason/lieblich/subbass is
a "Tibia Clausa" of sorts; but since the word "Tibia" has certain, well,
silent movie accompaniment connotations, we use easier and more accessible
terms like "Musiziergedackt," "Flute bouchee," "Brummbass,"  "Nason Flute,"
"Grobgedeckt" and "Grossgedeckt"  and "Bleigedackt" so that everyone will know
what we mean.
 
Now, are you not sorry you brought the whole thing up?
 
Ken List
Tibbing in
baltimore
(*) Not to be confused with "Tibia Miner"(**)  who is a chap who wears one of
those little lighted helmet-things and labors in the bowels of the earth
digging up big flutes from a  Fistula vein.
 
(**) Not to be confused with "to be a minor" which is what I would like to,
again, if I could, but I cannot.
 
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