Nazard
Organ stop sounding the twelfth (2⅔ foot) with a nasal tone, built open or stopped.
What it means
The nazard (German Nasat) is an organ stop that sounds a fifth above the octave of the fundamental, at 2⅔-foot pitch in relation to an 8-foot stop. It is one of the mutation stops, which make a single overtone audible. Its tone is nasal, soft and slightly reedy. The pipes are built open or stopped and usually have a wide scale.
Musical use
The nazard is not played alone but combined with other stops. Together with a flute at 8-foot and 2-foot pitch it forms a combination that colors the melody and is common in the cornet or sesquialtera sound. It is a typical solo stop of the baroque organ and of many later organs.
The nazard should be distinguished from the mixture, in which several overtone ranks work together, and from the tierce, another mutation stop that makes the third of the overtone series audible.
Performance practice
As an organist you draw the nazard with a foundation stop and a high flute. Play the melody legato and give the sound time to unfold. Use the nazard sparingly, since otherwise it soon sounds dominant.