Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance

Subject: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: GUEST,Wellsy
Date: 10 Apr 16 - 08:50 AM

was told recently by a Portuguese bagpiper [ gaita player] that the 'alboradas' of the northern Spanish ( and portuguese) Celtic regions are tunes which depict the passage of the sun across the sky. The tunes traditionally started off on a low note, and consisted of multiple figures, each of which depicts a different hour or phase of the day. The pitch of the melody rises gradually to a high point, which represents midday, and then descends, like the sun gradually back to the low note. he said the tune could consist of 11 different figures. The gaita-player even said that the different figures would be played by pipers at different stages of the day. fascinating, eh ?

certainly, that is the pattern of an alborada I know which was played by the Asturian group Felpeyu (now defunct i believe). Does anyone have any more info on this ?

Thanks

Subject: RE: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Apr 16 - 09:27 AM

That's very interesting. The only "alborada" I know is Alborada del Gracioso, or Morning Song of the Jester, by Ravel, written for piano, but also in an orchestrated version. Possibly irrelevant but just thought I'd mention it!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Apr 16 - 10:22 AM

"Alborada" is cognate with French "aubade" and Occitan "albada"/"aubada", meaning a dawn serenade.

In the Galician version, do the different times have specific modes, as they do in Indian music? - I hadn't heard of that sort of idea getting so far west. It's part of the system of correspondences (astrological, humoral, alchemical, musical) that you get in ancient Greek/Arabic science. (Nothing specifically to do with the Celts, of course - that sort of thinking was prevalent right across Europe and Western Asia).

I think the Indian idea is that you get more sharp degrees in the scale as the day goes on - in particular, all the p.m. modes have a sharp fourth.

You hear something similar with the modes used for the call to prayer in Islam. The pre-dawn one can be in saba, which has a flattened octave (at least, that's what I've heard in Turkey - it may not be universal)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: GUEST,Wellsy
Date: 10 Apr 16 - 08:50 PM

Thanks Jack. No, the different parts of the tunes don't tend to be in different modes. The tunes sound very flowing, one part flows naturally into another.

As for the rest of your speculation, I have no idea.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Apr 16 - 07:54 PM

I can't find any YouTubes of Galician alboradas like you describe - they're simple two-parters - but this one is close to your description. And has several changes of mode.

X:102
T:Alborada de Pontecaldelas
M:2/4
Z:Richard Robinson 
%%ID:00000c0d
K:G
d4    edce |d3G   G2G2|d4    edce|d3G G2G2 |
g2gf  edef |g3d   edBd|gfed  edef|d3G G2G2 |
d4    d3e  |d2dB  cBcA|B2BG  AGAB|G8      :|
d2de =fefd |e=fed c2G2|c2cd _edec|d4  d4   |
B2Bc  d_edc|BcBA  G2B2|ABAG  FGAB|G8      :|
g4    g4   |fgfe  defd|g3d   Bcde|d3G G2G2:|
d4    d3e  |d2dB  cBcA|B2BG  AGAF|G8      :|
A3F   G2A2 |B3G   A2B2|c3A   B2c2|d4  d4   |
g2g=f defd |e=fed c2G2|e2dc  Bcde|d4  B2e2 |
d2cB  ABcA |BcBA  G2B2|ABAG  FGAB|G4  B2e2 |
d2cB  ABcA |BcBA  G2B2|ABAG  FGAB|G8      :|

Subject: RE: Folklore: Alborada tunes: significance
From: Monique
Date: 12 Apr 16 - 01:32 AM

If this site of sheet music and midi files may be of some help... Fokloteca galega. Click on "Pezas" then "Alboradas.