Searching for Czech fiddle tunes

Subject: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,Monica
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 11:05 PM

Hello

I am wondering if anyone has any information on finding Czech fiddle tunes -especially Moravian tunes.   I can't believe how hard it has been to find anything. Found an old thread from someone else with the same search, but unfortunately all of the helpful links had expired.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!
Monica

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: katlaughing
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 12:34 AM

Did you see the mention of the Balkan Gig Books #1 & 2? You can still get them at Elderly Instruments

There are a couple of tunes which come up in a search HERE

You might also try this place which was in an old thread: CD Music CZ.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 10:10 AM

Perhaps there never was a Czech (or Moravian) fiddle tradition.

Observe the band at this site:

http://members.aol.com/czechplus/

Notice that it contains no stringed instruments. (It also bills itself as Y2K compatible - involves no electricity.)

This doesn't mean that there aren't things for a violin to play. If you Google Czech MIDI, you will come across some lovely tunes, particularly waltzes, which you could download into a music program, learn and share.

One thing I often hear in the older music is a delightful descant. If you know any flute, recorder or whistle players, they could do those.

A couple year ago I visited Prague, and the restaurant of our hotel had a trio with cimbolon, (sp?) violin and bass viol. You might see if you can find some tunes for the cimbolon which work well on a fiddle. The cimbolon is a gigantic hammered dulcimer.

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 10:44 AM

Czech at JC's Tunefinder

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: Sorcha
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 10:51 AM

And, would you settle for a 'Gypsy' violin book? Mel Bay has one of those.

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 10:57 AM

The 'Dvorana' people may be able to help here:

http://www.dvorana.cz/

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 10:59 AM

Sorry, here's the link:


http://www.dvorana.cz/

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: Jack Campin
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 03:07 PM

The standard Moravian/Slovak folk band lineup is fiddle, clarinet, cimbalom and bass. I doubt there's much tradition of playing the fiddle as a solo instrument.

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 07:19 PM

A starting point may be to contact Karol Holas who plays fiddle in the Ceska skupina Cechomor.
www.cechomor.cz

I'll see what else I can find out

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 07:21 PM

Sorry Karel Holas

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:05 PM

the fiddle certainly is played.. and more in the Moravian tradition
but mostly as part of a band with a clarinet, cimbalom etc. as mentioned above

whereas the Czech tradition used to be fiddle and bagpipes, is now more brass bands and accordeons (a lot of it derives from the military tradition)

there is a big difference between the Czech and Moravian musical styles.

if you like that style look up the band Hradistan (they are kind of like the Moravian Chieftains theyve been around for decades - here is a youtube clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6-yUHaKN4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POZczpsu0vU

the second one is with a Ninera a hurdy gurdy type instrument (not very common)

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 08:09 PM

I wanted to add also the Moravian tradition is strong on singing and often tunes played on fiddle are really songs.

btw a lot of Moravians dont consider themselves Czech but Moravian.

Monica are you from Vancouver - did you play with the Streels?

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 09:10 PM

Thanks for the link, petr. That is interesting music.

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: GUEST,Monica
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 09:41 PM

I am so overwhelmed with all of your help on this!! My grandfather was a Moravian fiddle player, but unfortunately I never got to hear him play. My mom has told me stories.....   I've been playing a lot of Irish fiddle as well as some scandinavian, romanian, and cape breton stuff here in San Francisco (no, not Vancouver...), but I have been looking for Moravian fiddle tunes for awhile. Cechomor and Hradistan have gotten a lot of play on my ipod since my trip to Prague 2 years ago.

Thanks again for all of your help!! It definately gives me a great start. Still looking for that perfect Moravian fiddle tune book if it exists....

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: Artful Codger
Date: 22 Aug 08 - 11:05 PM

You might also search using "housle" or "skřipka", which are the Czech words for violin/fiddle, or these words for "tune": nápěv, melodie, píseň.

Cut-n-paste words from this message into your search field in order to preserve the diacritical marks. You may see ?s in the search field, but the search should still recognize the entered characters.

By the way, the word "skřipka" is derived from the verb "scrape".

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: open mike
Date: 23 Aug 08 - 02:09 AM

ah ha--good to see that you are searching for this! i was gonna recommend j c 's tunefindeer , but i see sorcha beat me to it!

CZECHLOSLOVAKIA USED TO BE UNITED BUT NOW IS DIVIDED INTO
CZECH REPUBLIC AND SLOVAK OR SLOVAKIA--WHICK YOU MIGHT ALSO SEARCH.

ALSO SEE RADIM ZENKL http://www.zenkl.com/
WHO ALTHO HE PLAYS MANDOLIN, KNOWS ALOT ABOUT
ALL SORTS OF MUSIC-- A WORLD-CLASS PLAYER.

I THINK THERE ATE A FEW CZECH BLUEGRASS BANDS--

THEIR REPERTOIRE MAY INCLUDE TRAD FIDDLE TUNES
FROM THEIR CULTURE...

Subject: RE: Searching for Czech fiddle tunes
From: Zaba
Date: 04 Aug 16 - 06:11 PM

I'm Moravian so maybe I can help. I think it won't work very well to seek for „skřipka". Sometimes violin is called „skřipky" but bette way to find something is to use „housle".
But I find it hard to find any kind of sheet music :-(. If you can try, use „noty" (that means „sheet music") but... most folklor players don't use any sheet music they just play :-).
Something is here http://knihy.abz.cz/imgs/teaser_pdf/4449788024748108.pdf Not actually fiddle tunes, only some Czech and Moravian folklore songs with sheet music.
A few songs are here http://www.zpevnik.org/info.htm. Find this part in the web page:
„ Takhle budou vypadat kompletně zpracované lidové písničky:
Eště si já
Eště som sa neoženil
Keď sem išel zrána
To ta Heľpa

Zde jsou příklady notových zápisů písniček (zpěv a nástroje):
Eště si já
Láska a svár
Zdálo sa mi, zdálo"

This is the only part with sheet music there.

Hradišťan is really very good, worth listening to. You can also try to find Ondráš on YT – they play, sing and dance very well, too.