Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?

Subject: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Marion
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 04:05 PM

Hello folks. Today my mom bought me a new fiddle - absolutely gorgeous in sound and sight. It's from Czechoslovakia (yes I know that's an anachronism, but the luthier didn't know if it was from the Czech part or the Slovak part).

I thought it would be fitting to learn a Czechoslovakian tune - sort of a tribute to the fiddle's roots, and to make the wood less homesick. Can anyone suggest anything? All I know are hymns and Celtic dance tunes.

If anyone can point me to a midi or gif file, or even to a title, I'll be grateful. And sooner is better, because I'm afraid the poor fiddle will be ruined by all my drool before too long.

Love,

Marion

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Mbo
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 06:33 PM

Here's a REALLY fun Czech fiddle tune! Try it, I guarantee you'll love it!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Sorcha
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 06:40 PM

Here is an address to order a whole book of Czech tunes.

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 06:54 PM

Miamon Miller is an expert in fiddle music from Eastern and Central Europe, and probably knows more that anyone else around about tunes and playing techique--he has collected some great tunes, in--THE BALKAN FOLKDANCE MUSIC GIG BOOK and THE BALKAN/EUROPEAN FOLKDANCE MUSIC GIG BOOK, VOL. 2, both are available from Elderly Instruments--I believe that volume 2 has the Slovak stuff in it--

Meanwhile, Mbo has found a link ever popular Doudelebska Polka, which I have played many times to cheering fans--reminding us that the Polka is in fact a Bohemian Dance-- Also there are many pretty tunes, from the Tatra mountains region--one tune is sometimes played as a dance called "Horehronsky Czardas" but is also sung as a lullaby, pity, I cannot remember the name of the song, or find the music--

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Mbo
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 07:39 PM

Of course, there are lots of czardas (I don't know how to pluralize this!) by classical composers, too. Like Monti, Dvorak, Delibes, and Smetana. Not to mention there are some good Czech examples in Brahms' "Slavic Dances", which are actually arrangements of traditional Slavic tunes. I myself am a HUGE fan of the friska and lassan...I especially like czardas--mmm-hmmm!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Hardiman the Fiddler
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 11:50 PM

Kind of funny, and sad to admit, but unfortunately I don't know any Czek fiddle tunes, but congratualations on your new fiddle. Enjoy! Hardiman

PS, Maybe we'll all have the pleasure of enjoying your new fiddle on one of the Hearme sessions!

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Marion
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 02:16 PM

Do I ever miss Mudcat. All this useful info, plus a potential opening into a new world of music (like what are czardas, friskas, lassans?) within hours. I've printed out the Doudelebska and gotten started on it. All I imagine doing is learning one or two Czech tunes, just as a nod to my fiddle's origin, but you never know...

Thank you very much gentlemen.

Why is it hard to admit, Hardiman? Are you Czech?

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 02:34 PM

Not much of an answer for this question but I thought I would mention that Richard Robinsons site has a search that includes conuntry at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/Info/RRTuneBk/search/searchform.html. Czecoslovakia is not listed but a search for "other" does yeild one tune. Might be hady for those who want to build collections from other countries though.

Jon

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Mbo
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 11:28 PM

Marion, a czardas is a kind of Czech dance...I know I like them, I can't really explain the structure of them or anything. Friska and lassan are the 2 important concepts in Slavic music. You've probably heard it a million times and never realized it. You know how Slavic tunes always start out slow, then break out into this whirlwind fast music? Like Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No.2" and Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody". Oops! Made a mistake above. Brahm's did "Hungarian Dances", Dvorak did "Slavic Dances."

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 10:15 AM

Next cello lesson I'll ask my teacher. She emigrated from the Czech Republic years ago. She won't have any music or recordings...in those days to leave the country you had to looklike you were going for a Sunday drive and hope they didn't check your pockets for a change of underwear. But border milita can't take away memory.

However, my lesson isn't until next Thursday, and by then I expect you'll be drowning in all sorts of music. BTW, I understand from her that mixing up Czech and Hungarian anything is pretty much a declaration of war. One of those long, long, LONG-standing tribal things.

CH

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Chet W.
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 11:55 AM

The czardas really is more Hungarian in origin, although they are popular in the former Czechoslovakia. Czech folk music is very different from one end of the country to the other. In Bohemia, which includes Prague, the folk music tends to be sort of like Bavarian music. Songs are kind of lively and danceable. In Moravia, the middle part, songs tend to be more sentimental and slower, with references to lost loves and the temporal nature of life being popular. It's hard to find Bohemian folk groups without brass instruments, which are probably a holdover from the Austro-Hungarian Empire days, when military bands were everywhere. Moravian folk groups generally have fiddles, a cimbal (like a big hammer dulcimer) and a viola and bass for rhythm (much like gypsy bands from the same area). Slovakian folk music is similar to Moravian, but the further east you go there is more Hungarian and even Balkan influence. I have a lot of records of Czech music, but my printed music is all songs. The ones that I play I mostly learned from my father-in-law, who played the accordian and harmonica, and sang with such gusto that the police came once when we were all at the beach in North Carolina. One great thing there is that people like to sing, with or without instruments, when they get together socially in public or private. Except for with the young people, who are soaking up western pop music like sponges, folk music is very popular. One good and reliable source for ordering music is www.cdmusic.cz. Very nice folks and good domestic prices. Let me know if I can help.

Chet

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: GUEST,Frank John Snelling, Southampton, England.
Date: 11 Mar 00 - 07:05 PM

MARION.

Hi, I bought two LP`s in Prague in 1990, one was Czech folkmusic and the other just plain weird modern stuff. It`s late and I`m bushed, but maybe this will help!

email: [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: GUEST,Petr
Date: 13 Mar 00 - 09:52 PM

Chets comments above are pretty much bang on. The music does vary widely from West to the Eastern part. Its as if theres a dividing line across Europe and goes straight through the Czech lands. Even though Im from the Southwest Czech region I really enjoy Moravian music the best. The western bands typically are brass bands which does come from the military tradition although previously the fiddle & bagpipes (later replaced by clarinet) were traditional instruments. The eastern melodies are more hungarian & gypsy & balkan influenced. Although I know a number of Czech tunes I havent got the music, unfortunately. Tunes I like are Vrt Sa Devca, and Strakonicky Dudak (piper of Strakonice). Here is a tune from the webwide index Cheers Petr. X:122 T:Tune from CzechoSlovakia R:Other O:Other M:4/4 K:D AAF2 BBA2 | AA/2A/2 GF G4 | ccB2 ccB2 |1Ad cB AF G^G :|2 AA/2A/2 Bc d4 :|* |: F2A2 d2AF | G2A2 c4 | G2A2 c2BA | F2A2 dc BA | F2A2 d2AF | G2A2 c4 | G2A2 cA Bc | d2d2 d4 :|* |: d2c2 B>d dB | A>A AA c4 | A>A AA c4 | A>A AA d4| d2c2 B>d dB| A>A AA c4| A>A AA cA Bc | d2f2d4:|**

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 03:04 PM

My cello teacher is from the Czech republic and also teaches violin. Maybe she has rebuilt that part of her music collection since fleeing with not even a change of underwear in her pocket. Her X might have some stuff too. I can't check in with them until Wednesday, but I'll trace to remind myself to get back to you.

CH.

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 03:47 PM

Indeed, the csárdás is Hungarian; all other spellings are transliterations. However, just because it is a Hungarian WORD doesn't mean that that type of dance is not also extant in slavic countried. (A csárdás is the dance, not the song, but certainly very musical.) In fact, I would recommend gypsy music - it ain't necessarily Czech or Slovak or anything else with a national boundary today, but it will be "authentic" and very very musical. I particularly recommend a tune called in Hungarian Az a Szép (Oh How Pretty) if you can find it.

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 04:16 PM

Sorry, I forgot to say that back in the winter she didn't think she had any but would check with ex. I forgot to get back to her to remind her.

CH.

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Rollo
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 06:55 PM

Mbo, when you go MUDCAT there are allways surprises waiting for you... Until now I was sure the tune you noted above was a german polka. It's very popular with folk dancers in germany and I played it at least a hundred times. You might call it "basic repertoire". I never had the Idea it might be from bohemia or so. Thank you for this new piece of information.

Subject: RE: Know a good Czechoslovakian fiddle tune?
From: Mbo
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 07:15 PM

You're welcome, Rollo! Mudcat is a great place, and it's a cool tune! Hmmm... I just realized I never said exactly what friska & lassan were! Lassan is the slow part thay usually starts off a Slavic dance, and the Friska is the lively, fast part.

--Mbo