bells by:
-Pieter Hemony (1659 / 1660 / 1661)
-Jan Pauwels (1713)
-Joris Dumery (1749)
-Eijsbouts (1981)
The original series of bells of the Ghand Belfort tower (Pieter
Hemony 1659) was tuned according to 1/4' Mean Tone temperament,
based on C1. In 1660 Pieter Hemony cast three large swinging bells
(the 'Triomphantes') with strike notes G0, A0 and B0 and added
these to the series of bells of 1659. From that moment on the
range consisted of 40 bells, creating the largest and heaviest
carillon on earth:
G0 - A0 - B0 - C1 (keyboard C1) - D1 - E1 -- chromatically --
D4.
In 1713 the Ghand bellfounder Jan Pauwels
added a C#1-bell to the range and in 1749 the Bruges founder Joris
Dumery cast a Eb1-bell.
After several minor changes to the set of bells had taken place
in the 18th and 19th centuries (by A.J. van den Gheyn and Michaux)
bellfoundry Michiels restored the instrument in 1948. The cracked
G0-bell by Hemony was replaced with a new bell and some bells
of the abolished carillon of the Ghand Baudeloo Abbey (Pieter
Hemony, 1661) were inserted into the Belfort carillon. .
In 1981 a major change was made to the set of bells by the Eijsbouts bellfoundry. It was the end of Hemony's original Mean Tone Tuning. A modificated type of mean tone tuning was chosen, a type that was being used in the 17th and 18th centuries. Compared to the just fifths of 701,96 cents, in this temperament the fifths were shrunken by 1/5 Syntonic Comma to 697,65 cents. Therefore this temperament is being called "1/5 comma mean tone tuning". Opposite to real Mean Tone Tuning, this temperament doesn't have just major thirds, being the reason this temperament lacks the essential quality of real Mean Tone Tuning. The musical advantage is the fact that the number of minor keys that can be used is increased, and the major keys of E and E-flat are less bad. It is to be regretted in this very case that 1/5' mean tone tuning has more narrow minor thirds (307,04 cents) that cause considerable less calm consonances with the minor third partials in the bells, which were tuned to just minor thirds (315,64 cents) by Hemony. Therefore today only little remains of the unique quality of both minor and major thirds the original instrument must have had.
During this re-tuning operation the opportunity
was taken to lower the base of the mean tone tuning by a minor
third. In the original setting, the instrument did not transpose:
the C1-bell was connected as C1 to the keyboard. After the re-tuning
the bell with strike note A0 was connected as C1 to the keyboard.
Because of that the keyboard notes G0, A0 , B0 and C#1 were lost,
while a low B-flat was created. The reason for this change was
the fact that since the 19th century in Flemish carillon music
the low B-flat is frequently used. Besides, in the 20th century
the Mechelen example was generally followed to make the low B-flat
the lowest key on the keyboard.
ACTUAL LIST OF BELLS
(strike notes, bell with strike
note A0 connected as C1 to the keyboard)
1. - G0 - M. Michiels, 1948
2. - A0 - Pieter Hemony, 1660
3. - B0 - Pieter Hemony, 1660
4. - C1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
5. - C#1 - Jan Pauwels, 1714
6. - D1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
7. - Eb1 - Joris Dumery, 1749
8. - E1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
9. - F1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
10. - F#1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
11. - G1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
12. - G#1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
13. - A1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
14. - Bb1 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
15. - B1 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
16. - C2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
17. - C#2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
18. - D2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
19. - Eb2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
20. - E2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
21. - F2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
22. - F#2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
23. - G2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
24. - G#2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
25. - A2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
26. - Bb2 - Pieter Hemony, 1659
27. - B2 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
28. - C3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
29. - C#3 - Pieter Hemony, 1661 (from Baudeloo-carillon)
30. - D3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
31. - Eb3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
32. - E3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
33. - F3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
34. - F#3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
35. - G3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
36. - G#3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
37. - A3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
38. - Bb3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
39. - B3 - Eijsbouts, 1981
40. - C4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
41. - C#4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
42. - D4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
43. - Eb4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
44. - E4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
45. - F4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
46. - F#4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
47. - G4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
48. - G#4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
49. - A4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
50. - Bb4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
51. - B4 - Eijsbouts, 1981
52. - C5 - Eijsbouts, 1981
53. - C#5 - Eijsbouts, 1981
54. - D5 - Eijsbouts, 19.. (?)