Traditional Folk Songs Research Articles

Eduard Jedlička: Americký sen zlatníka z Moravy

In the collections of the earliest phonograph cylinders held by American memory institutions, a remarkable set of recordings with Czech content can be found under the title of Jedlička Records, derived from the name of Eduard Jedlička (1867–1944), a Czech immigrant to the US. The authors of the study present for the first time the story of the Moravian native who left his homeland in 1895 to pursue his American dream. Jedlička Records represent a valuable example of Czech (mostly traditional folk) songs popular among the Czech minority in the early 20th century. They also represent a significant contribution to the sound cultural heritage of the Czech community in the US and to the history of the recording and distribution industry.

Study on the Song Clan in Pouch Embroidering—— Take Pouch Embroidering in Zhenping, Nanyang as an Example

Pouch Embroidering is an important clan of Chinese folk songs among the Han folk songs in our country. It spreads widely and has a far-reaching impact. This paper collects the folk songs about pouches in the Integration of Chinese Folk Songs · Henan volume and studies the common characteristics of Pouch Embroidering in Henan. Pouch Embroidering in Zhenping is developed in the form of a “numerical order” letter narrative, and the lyrics and music of it are specifically analyzed, which enriches the theoretical research of the Song family and “folk songs of the same origin”. It further excavates Henan traditional folk songs, plays a role in cultural heritage inheritance and protection, and enriches the artistic value of Henan traditional folk songs.

The Concept of “Genre” in the Scientific Heritage of Feodosy Rubtsov

Professor of the Leningrad State Conservatory composer Feodosy Antonovich Rubtsov (1904-1986) entered the history of Russian musicology as the author of the original concept of the structure of scales of folk songs. The scientist formulated main positions in monographs “Intonation Relations in the Songs of Slavs” (1962) and “The principles of mode construction in Russian Folk Songs” (1964). Comprehension of the concept of “genre”, the definition of genre features of traditional folk songs is a little-known side of Rubtsov’s scientific heritage. The study of archival documents (in particular, the transcripts of the report “Principles for Determining Genres of Folk Songs”, which was made in 1966 at the Leningrad department of the Union of Composers at the scientific conference “Theoretical Problems of Musical Forms and Genres”) shows that the scientist formulated a number of positions that were relevant for the 1960–1970. “Genre” is a genus and species concept, multi-level concept. The main criterion for determining the genre is the function, the stylistic features and the type of form are important too. Rubtsov noted that the genre system of folklore is capable of renewal, and the characteristic property of the genres of musical folklore lies in their ability in a certain context to act as a function of another genre

Wor, The Biak Traditional Folksongs: Their Types And Symbols

Wor, The Biak Traditional Folksongs: Their Types And Symbols

Arno Nadel (1878–1943): A Contributor to Modern German-Jewish Identity from Vilnius

The phenomenon of Arno Nadel (1878–1943) is presupposed by his extremely diverse activities in art, scholarship, and musical journalism. A music arranger, musicologist, music journalist and collector, composer, choirmaster, pianist and organist, as well as a poet, playwright, painter and translator, Arno Nadel was born in a religious Jewish family in Vilnius and spent his first twelve years there. Having lived and studied in Königsberg for five years, in 1895 Nadel settled in Berlin, one of the largest centres of German Jewish cultural life before the National Socialists came to power in 1933. Nadel was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. So far, his creative legacy has not been studied in Lithuania. The aim of this article is to bring Nadel back on the horizon of multinational Lithuanian cultural history and to review his contribution to the formation of modern German-Jewish identity in the context of Nadel’s Vilnius origins and his diverse musical activities. Nadel’s original compositions, arrangements of traditional Jewish liturgical music and folk songs, research in and texts about Jewish music contributed to a new approach towards cultural connections between the Jews of Eastern Europe and Germany, and were important for the development of German Jewish music in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as for the documentation and renewal of Jewish liturgical music. Although Arno Nadel composed music in a variety of genres himself, it was his work as a scholar and arranger of Jewish music and as a musicologist that received the most attention among his contemporaries and in the articles written after the Second World War.

Бурдонно-гетерофонное многоголосие мордвы как потенциальный объект Списка нематериального культурного наследия ЮНЕСКО

The research objective is as follows: relying on the data on the current state of Mordovian folk song tradition, the author justifies the necessity to include Mordovian bourdon-heterophonic polyphony in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, grounds the necessity to develop a set of measures to preserve the vanishing type of polyphonic singing. Scientific originality of the paper lies in the fact that the researcher analyzes the existing ethno-musicological studies in the aspect of preserving Mordovian folk song tradition. The findings indicate that the areal of Mordovian three-voiced bourdon polyphony has decreased, and the status of remaining polyphonic ensembles has declined to secondary, which negatively influences the vitality of Mordovian polyphonic tradition.

Form and Style in Two of Percy Grainger’s Early Works for Military Band

Percy Grainger’s compositions during the early twentieth century represent a unique blend of traditional functional harmony and newer musical techniques. This blending produces a distinct compositional style associated with Grainger, featuring simple forms and textures, melodies inspired by traditional folk songs, extended tertian harmony, and an emphasis on voice leading. Grainger’s works often cross genres and explore various instrumentations and stylistic choices. This paper attempts to further define and explain Grainger’s style by analyzing two of his original works that were arranged for the military band setting, namely Children’s March: Over the Hills and Far Away and Colonial Song. Examining these two works through the lens of harmony, melody, form, texture, and rhythm reveals key aspects of Grainger’s early compositional style. Several stylistic choices were found to recur, including Grainger’s use of counterpoint, voice leading, descending chromaticism, specific patterns of articulations, and tension created by increased note density.

Heroic pastoral and its national-style reception IN THE CANTATA “YELLOW RIVER” BY XIAN XINGHAI

Heroic pastoral and its national-style reception IN THE CANTATA “YELLOW RIVER” BY XIAN XINGHAI

Mary Travers

Those were turbulent times, the 60s and 70s…Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Hendrix, the festivals, the scenes, but the music was powerful and I felt we were channeling a nation of young people full of anger and confusion (“stop children, what’s that sound”). With Peter and Paul, our trio tried to do justice to traditional folk songs, and we had a perfect blend of harmony. We shared a need to speak out, to shout out, through the music. Civil Right and the Vietnam were catalysts for an endless stream of songs that had been written both before and during the 60s in which we vocalized the mantra of “peace” and love.

Musiklyrik i läroböcker i franska för den svenska skolan

The article investigates song lyrics included in twelve textbooks designed for the teaching of French as a foreign language in the Swedish school system. The underlying assumption is that selections made by textbook authors are important for the canonization of literature. The analysis of what is included and what is excluded in these textbooks is highly relevant in order to understand the norms prevailing in the system of education and, consequently, in society as a whole. The corpus consists of 61 song lyrics and the results indicate that these texts partly have a conservative role, insomuch as they transmit an already canonical French cultural heritage (traditional folksongs, children’s songs, and the works of a few consecrated artists in the chanson-tradition of the 1950’s and 1960’s) to the Swedish pupils. However, the other part of the corpus consists of more contemporary material from the decade preceding the publication of the textbooks. The corpus is male dominated (two thirds of the identified artists are men), and most of the songs (84%) deal explicitly or implicitly with Metropolitan France, with only a small percentage (16 %) representing the Francophone world outside of France. The main conclusion of the article is that the lyrics included in the textbooks consolidate rather than challenge the prevailing norms and hierarchies.

Majesty of Limbu Love Songs: The Case of Sambahamphe's Char Maya Palam

Folklore studies, also known as folkloristics, studies customs, traditions, artifacts and beliefs being transmitted from past generations to the present. Transmission of these artifacts is a vital part of the folklore process. This article examines how Limbu love song, known as palam, splendidly characterizes the multiple aspects of love functioning as a sense of propriety and decorum. Palam is a popular folksong in Yakthung Limbu community of Nepal. It is also sung in many other countries of the world where Limbu community populate including India, Bhutan and Myanmar. Focusing on the text Char Maya Palam by Ambika Kumar Sambahamphe, the study attempts to analyse how the palam or Limbu love song, which is sung while dancing ya?lang, undeniably holds substantial popularity and esteemed value in Limbu traditional folksongs.

Improvising Folk Songs: An Inclusive Indeterminacy

Folk Song Lab uses interactive group sessions to explore different ways by which improvisation stimulates an attitude towards the song by which it is understood as a cognitive framework that is recreated by the singer in the performance moment. It takes its point of origin in certain conceptual qualities found in traditional folk song and improvisation, stimulated using flow-inducing concepts (Csikszentmihalyi 1990. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper Collins.) such as risk, mimicry, play and reorientation, and interpreted in musical terms and without written instructions. This empirical study uses particular developed improvisational methods reflecting traditional songs’ cognitive frames. The project raises questions regarding the influence of time in relation to how creativity and flow appear during improvising sessions. Some of the methods explored in the project, such as mirror singing, might be related to neuroscientific findings regarding the function of mirror-neurons, hence reflecting the possibilities for conceiving of human creativity in a collective way.

An Analytical Study of the Folk Musical Instruments of Meghalaya

"Meghalaya is a richly inhabited Indian state. Drums, flutes of bamboo and hand-held small cymbals are a common ensemble. The advent of Christianity in the middle of the 20th century marked the start of a decline in tribal popular music. Over time, Meghalaya’s music scene has evolved, attracting many talented artists and bands from both traditional and not-so traditional genres. Any of the most recent Meghalaya musicians and bands is: The Plague Throat, Kerios Wahlang, Cryptographik Street Poets, etc., Soulmate, Lou Majaw, and Snow White. Meghalaya’s music is characterised by traditional instruments and folk songs. The Musical Instruments of Meghalaya are made from local materials. Meghalayan people honour powerful natural forces and aim to pacify animistic spirits and local gods. The instruments are made of bamboo, flesh, wood, and animal horn. Any one of these musical instruments is considered to have the ability to offer material benefits. The Meghalaya musical instrument is an essential part of traditional folk music in the region. In this article, we offer an overview of the folk musical instruments of Meghalaya. Keywords: Idiophone, Aerophone, Chordophone, Membranophone, Trumpet. "

Ethnoaesthetics of the Ukrainian folk song tradition in the performance of the singer Oksana Mukha

The topicality is associated with the need for musicological understanding of the value categories of ethnoaesthetics in the creative activity of singers that represent the Ukrainian folk song tradition in modern variety vocal art.
 The purpose of the article is to identify ethno-aesthetic value components in the performance of O. Mukha as a personification of the uniqueness of the Ukrainian national expression.
 The methodology consists of scientific works of prominent Ukrainian scientists devoted to the study of ethno-aesthetic ideas and criteria in the traditional songs of Ukraine (Y. Harasym, T. Orlova, V. Lychkova), as well as genre-style and performance specifics of Ukrainian musical folklore (K. Kvitka, F. Kolessa, A. Ivanytskyi, S. Hryts).
 The results. The artistic imagery of the iconic folk songs of O. Mukha repertoire, which is a part of the ethno-aesthetic fund of the Ukrainian folk song tradition, is considered. The general features of ethnoaesthetics of the folk song performing tradition of Ukraine, including its vocal and technical component are outlined.
 The novelty. The article considers the performance of O. Mukha for the first time and reveals ethnoaesthetic value components in it.
 The practical significance. The study of the essence of folk singing as an art with its own artistic and value component, based on an established system of qualitative components of ethnoaesthetics, as well as the study of performing experience of prominent Ukrainian folk singers are the necessary practical material for creating a scientific basis and general methodology of folk vocal art.
 The conclusions. Musical ethnoaesthetics as a component of traditional culture covers the semantic field of songs, concentrating on the structure, rhythmics and size of a poem, the richness of national melos, its intonation and tonality basis. Ethnoaesthetics of the folk song tradition of Ukraine is manifested in the uniqueness of the national expression, namely: vocal-timbre color of sound, in the peculiarities of intonation, freedom of metro-rhythmic movement, variability and melismatic richness.
 In O. Mukha’s works, the creation of the sound matter of the modern performance version of a folk song is based on the perception of song intonation as sound emotion and understanding of the boundless ocean of ancient symbols of the national musical language, which during centuries has crystallized in the folk song tradition. Her works grow out from the reflection on the national song culture and traditions of her family. Work on each ancient relict of tradition is based on discovering the potential of the power of its aesthetic, spiritual and emotional impact on listeners, perception of the stock of expressive possibilities.

Artistic reconstruction of the folklore text in the works of Yu. Illienko (on the example of a film-apologue “A well for the thirsty ones”)

The topicality. The factors that influence the disclosure nature of the director’s and composer’s creative concept are the leading artistic polystylistic tendencies — stylistic layers and trailblazing experiments in the formation of sound-timbre and visualized combinations, where ancient intonations together with modern sound formation and video performance create new sound and performance realities.
 The purpose. To determine the role of artistic reconstruction of the folklore text and the specifics of their artistic embodiment in the film parable “A well for the thirsty ones” by the popular Ukrainian film director Yu. Illienko; to determine the specifics of the embodiment of the signs of cultural codes in the musical-sound score of the film by composer L. Hrabovskyi.
 The methodology. The culturological approach applied in revealing the issues of the article made it possible to consider the peculiarities of the drama and musical-sound score of Yu. Illienko’s film “A well for the thirsty ones” in a broad cultural context. The interpretive approach helped to highlight the importance of cultural codes of the folklore text, the specifics of their embodiment in the director’s idea through the artistic reconstruction of the folklore text.
 The results. Yu. Illienko and L. Hrabovskyi, addressing the folk song tradition, create a new intonation world, embodied in separate “emergings” of female solo singing (verses of the ballad one by one are strung like beads throughout the picture), in lamentations, in incantations, in children’s amusements when playing on pots, that intersperse with a general, very concise and minimalist sound score of the film. The characteristic and figural semantics of the musical-sound background of the film is saturated with active rhythmics, complex sound palette of combination of electronic sounds with natural ones, which demonstrates the author’s (at the choice of director and composer) special sound complex. Folklore texts in the film create a single hypertext, which is manifested at the appropriate levels — auditory, visual and dramatic.
 The novelty. The article considers for the first time the specifics of the embodiment of artistic reconstruction of a folklore text as the basis of the drama of Yu. Illienko’s film “A well for the thirsty ones” and defines sense forming and semantic role of the embodiment of the cultural codes signs in the musical-sound score of the film by composer L. Hrabovskyi.
 The practical significance. The artistic reconstruction of the folklore text in the film is based on the introduction of polystylistic tendencies and features of sound (timbre) thinking into the cinematographic process. Prospects for further study of this issue is the study of modern manifestations of artistic reconstruction of the folklore text, the processes of formation of semiotic space both in cinema and in culture in general.

Feeling the Beat in an African Tone Language: Rhythmic Mapping Between Language and Music

Text-setting patterns in music have served as a key data source in the development of theories of prosody and rhythm in stress-based languages, but have been explored less from a rhythmic perspective in the realm of tone languages. African tone languages have been especially under-studied in terms of rhythmic patterns in text-setting, likely in large part due to the ill-understood status of metrical structure and prosodic prominence asymmetries in many of these languages. Here, we explore how language is mapped to rhythmic structure in traditional folksongs sung in Medʉmba, a Grassfields Bantu language spoken in Cameroon. We show that, despite complex and varying rhythmic structures within and across songs, correspondences emerge between musical rhythm and linguistic structure at the level of stem position, tone, and prosodic structure. Our results reinforce the notion that metrical prominence asymmetries are present in African tone languages, and that they play an important coordinative role in music and movement.

Canonical Concept of Folksong from the 18th Century until Nowadays

The article presents an overview of the traditional Lithuanian folksong concept that has prevailed since the birth of the Lithuanian folkloristics until nowadays. Having surveyed statements of the Lithuanian folksong researchers regarding the value of songs, the author compares different historical periods to elucidate the changing attitude towards this kind of folklore. Throughout the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, the emphasis in the song evaluations rested on the ethical and esthetical criteria as well as on the linguistic purity, folksongs being appreciated as expressions of the national spirit. Such view resulted in numerous popular folksongs being excluded from the published folklore collections, since they did not correspond to the values of the publisher. However, as early as in the 19th century, two rival notions of the folksong tradition started forming – the conservative and the fluid one. The first one idealized the old folksong layer, while the second one regarded the folksong tradition as multisided, changing, and affected by external influences. In the middle of the 20th century, the folksong canon experienced yet another major shift. The Soviet regime neglected the major part of the later folksongs based on the individual authorship, while the ethnographic movement of the 1960s – 1980s strengthened the new tendency in the folklore canon, enhancing the value of authenticity related to the rustic roots and the old traditional heritage. Meanwhile, quite different tendencies prevailed in the exile – authenticity there was restricted to those forms of the folklore repertoire and stylistic expression that had existed in the interwar period. Having surveyed the research works and publications, manuals for folklore collectors and various statements by cultural leaders, the author concludes that complicated historical and political situation of the last two centuries has lead traditional Lithuanian folksong to play the role of the representative of the national spirit; therefore, songs were exhibited for quite a long period as phenomena of particular artistic and ethical value. Historical circumstances cause even nowadays various social groups to identify themselves not only with different content planes of the folksong repertoire, but also with different styles of performance. Only the recent decades saw folklorists gradually abandoning the exaltations and idealizations of the traditional folksongs and replacing them with discussion that is more balanced: regarding folksong tradition as ambivalent, heterogeneous and therefore meriting controversial evaluations. However, the folklorism movement still exhibits the tendency of romanticizing the old folklore and making it grounds for constructing personal identity. On the other hand, there is another clear tendency: the old folksongs – both performed in traditional manner and in modern arrangements – exist as a certain part of subculture, while another popular repertoire flourishes in the contemporary society, however, essentially escaping attention of folklorists and so far underresearched as expression of national and social identity,

Intonation Attributes of Traditional Singing And Recitations of Suzhou Musical Drama

The aim of this paper is to identify the intonation attributes of traditional singing and recitation in Suzhou musical drama, which is embodied in the melodic organization of melody, rhythmic pattern, signs of syncretism with speech and gestures of singers-actors, which add semantic certainty and artistic expression to images.
 Research methodology. The study investigates this issue by examining the basic methods and principles of musicology.
 Results. Suzhou drama is based on traditional folk songs of the northern regions of Jiangsu province, “labor cries”, such as urging bulls when ploughing, woman crying, jumping on horses etc. The melody of the Lahongqiang is characterized by the transitions of the female falsetto into high octaves, which are balanced by the inclusion of a recitative that affects the feelings of the listener.
 The realization of works of Suzhou musical drama, in particular vocal-declamatory methods of performance, requires singers-actors to master the skills of improvisation in the process of creating a stage action. The intonation attributes of melody and declamatory speech, which are based on dialects of oral language, folk songs of the northern regions of Jiangsu province, due to the traditions of the population of this area. The fricative basis of singing is pentatonic, the structure of the “jumping” rhythm with frequent “turns” evokes in the listener a sense of novelty, energetic free movement. The properties of the declamatory pattern of “da-shetou” is one of the outstanding features of Suzhou musical drama.
 Novelty: the concept of “Lahongqiang” can be used in a number of meanings: in a broad sense — if we talk about the traditional nature of one of the types of songwriting; in the narrow sense — to use as the name of the music genre and performing arts.
 Practical significance. The properties of the declamatory pattern of “da-shetou” is one of the outstanding features of Suzhou musical drama. Importantly, it enriches the area of cognitive ability to understand the communicative “axis” of the East-West artistic relationship.

〈講演〉『白百合』民謡号と前田林外

〈講演〉『白百合』民謡号と前田林外

〈講演〉韓国民謡について 韓国民謡の現場性と意味

〈講演〉韓国民謡について 韓国民謡の現場性と意味