Interview – Giorgio Pacchioni
Originally published on The Ocarina Repository by Cambell Baxter, circa July 2013. That site is no longer online; this copy is preserved here from the Internet Archive.
I have to say, I have been wanting to hear Maestro Pacchioni’s thoughts for a long while! I am slightly biased, as he is my favourite ocarina maker, but I believe that some of the developments Giorgio has made over the years truly point our way towards the future of the ocarina, even though he himself may be uncertain of exactly what that future is. Leave a comment and let us know what you think the future of the ocarina is!
(Photo courtesy Jade Everett)
- Tell us about yourself!
I am a professional musician, instrumentalist, musicologist, composer and educator in a fine career. I decided to devote myself, with all my wealth of experience and knowledge, to the development of the ocarina to 360 degrees, from the points of view of construction, technical execution and composition.
- How did you get started playing the Ocarina?
I discovered it by accident at the age of 15 years and taught myself to play (I was already a student of music).
- When did you start making Ocarinas?
In the early 80s, I taught myself by making copies of the tools and manual equipment in the Ocarina Museum of Budrio. My ocarinas are still true to those same construction techniques that Donati and the first builders of Budrio ocarinas used.
- What advice would you give to new makers, or those thinking about making Ocarinas?
To do what I have done; that is, to read up on the Italian ocarina and the phonic characteristics of those musical instruments that have allowed the ocarina to create a culture no longer matched to our times.
- What are some mistakes that new makers make?
Too often they follow commercial objectives and not artistic development. If they were to follow artistic pursuits, they would discover that the development and the changes generated by the first builders who carried the Italian ocarina to the East, were mostly aimed at increasing the number of notes executables and not to improve its playability. The more developed the fingering system of the ocarina, the more you are able to perform more complex and technically advanced music. I tried to realign this development, maintaining the characteristics of Italian fingering of all the bodies of my multichamber ocarinas.
- If you had to start again, is there anything you would do differently, knowing what you know now?
No, but I would try to learn more from those who knew more than me.
- What do you recommend to new makers on a budget?
Nothing.
- What do you think is the future of the world Ocarina?
I am very uncertain of this due to point 5.
- What have been your most rewarding experiences with the ocarina?
In the 1990’s I had wonderful experiences with a group of 7 ocarinas created by me (ensemble twentieth century) and a mixed group of different acoustic instruments with which to perform folk music in my region of origin (Emilia Romagna).
Thank you very much for your comments, Giorgio, and thank you for your work in the ocarina world! I, for one, appreciate it very much!
The last couple of interviews have raised an interesting question regarding the future of the instrument. What are your thoughts on the subject? Where do you see the ocarina as an instrument in 10, 20, 50 years? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!
And as always, happy playing!
Cam
If you wrote this, or were interviewed in it, and would like it changed or removed, please write to theocarinamuseum@gmail.com.