RU  UK  EN
Статьи  >  Imagine  >  Yodel - Music of the Austrian mountains

Yodel - Music of the Austrian mountains

Автор: 22.01.2022 | music, traditions, culture, Austria
Austrian tour operators launched an unusual touristic tourdesigned for fans of singing style called yodel. Hikers wander through the Ziller Valley, a broad trail narrows opening the way for only the most avid travellers, then track leads upwards. Tourists look into the interactive station shaped as a giantsonorous walk-in cowbell, then they go around thelargest alpine horn and head to place...

... where Alpine herdsmen used to have unhurried musical conversations with their flocks.

Herdsmen’s roll calls

Yodel singing emerged as a means of communication of human with nature. Austrian folk songs tunedby shepherds on their way to work, a special voice signalheard by animal strayed from the flock... that is howyodel was born.

Poetic stanzas in yodelling composed with words that mean nothing, but attractive by simplicity of thephraseslike "yodaro", "yohodraiho", "yoladatiyo".Singing with repeated changes in pitch from the chest register to the head register with a crazy speed,is so quick that you do not have time to write notesdown. It is calledyodeldue tosound "yo" and isrepeated in various manner as often as possible.Photo ds.reactor.cc

What made that sound so popular among the Austrians? First, it came to taste to the Alpine herdsmen who used to arrange evening roll call with each other, as ifinquiring "Is everyone safe and sound? Doesanyone need some help?".If you take into account the fact that in those days robber gangs were active in the mountains, powerful voice was an indispensable way to call for help. It is amazing how comprehensive is singing of onesingle sound, when the voice of a strong, hardy person superseded all other tools and devices familiar to us such as mobile phones.

Read also: Fado: Gentleness and deftness of portuguese romances

With regard to today's traditions, people spending days in Austria and having desire to tune into the beat of unfamiliar culture, usually sing yodel where there is an echo. Musicians sometimes resort to accompaniment by collecting the notes one after another - no, not in the meadow, but in the instrument "zither" producing sound similar to waterstreams coming down the mountain.

Almer - Austria-style yodelling

Yodel is sung in the vast ofSwitzerland and southern Bavaria,however, it is the Austrian version of the song which is characterized by sharp melodic passages combined with the gentle lilts. The most famous music of contrasts was namedalmer in Upper Austria.

This kind of folk music once fascinated representative of the "Vienna School", the composer Ludwig van Beethoven who composed several works based on yodelling.CxQ4XqZoa1kA5_GjhfJWMH.jpgPhoto pinterest.com

According to folklorist Josef Pommer, who lived in the early 20thcentury, more than 444 types of yodelwere known in Austrian villages. Many years have passed since the researcher travelled to rural musicians studying features of folk singing, but evennowyodelfans can listen to it in the village choirs.

What type of yodelling is worthy of special attention? Probably the one in which the performer put moreefforts and was improvising disregarding time passing by. That was a record set by Austrian singer Roland Roskogler, who was performing one piece of music based yodelling for 14 hours and 37 minutes.

Videо: Oesch's die Dritten - Die Jodelsprache

Hidden envy and secret charm

Like all unusual trends,yodel sometimes faceslack of understanding and envy. Thus, mocking attitude to this musical tradition is common among the Britishwhonicknamed it "a cry for help from an Alpine goatherd who has trapped his hand in a barn door".

Nevertheless, music therapists from the Austrian city of Graz conducted a study and concluded that yodelling launches high jinks in the body, as endorphins come out. It turned out that yodel helps maintain health at the proper level the same as sport exercise. Since this original folk style is very popular in Austria, there are a lot of schools which teach to sing in accordance with yodelling rules.Alphorn-Quartett-2018-1024x768.jpgPhoto alphornschweiz.ch

The famous singer and singing trainer Herman Hyartelsaysthat "Yodelling in the Alps comes to life again, because it is the music of the mountains." After having felt unit with nature, no one wants to go back to the ignorant existence, so many yodelgurus tell about people who started to sing in this style and never quitted it.

However, the debates about the origin of this singing genre do not cease. The most famous trial, received worldwide publicity was about a song Das Kufsteinlied. The informal anthem of the historical region of Austrian Tyrol, in 1981 earned the reputation of the World Cultural Heritage and was named People's Songs of the World. Simple composition, in every way praising the town of Kufstein, was given a form of a musical work by Austrian postmanKarl Ganzerin 1947. This melody broke through into world history owing to the Bavarian yodeller Franzl Lang. As many as fifty years passedwhen the song was disputed by German music publisher EgonFrauenberger. He claimed that it was his idea to bring eccentric yodelling motives into a measured Austrian sounds, namely the descant "horlla-rü-di-ri, di-ri, di-ri". However, the court rejected the claim byFrauenberger, considering his contribution as too small.

How to sing yodel

People revised set of videos where performers sing songs in this style, might think that onehave to vibrate a voice. However, the Austrian professionals assure that leaping vibrato spoils desired effect. But breast sounds sharply passing on falsetto and arrangingleaps on wide intervals are just required.

Video: Oesch's die Dritten - Jodeln ist cool

Cover photo media.jungfrau.ch

Вам это будет интересно:
Mould your hobby. History of pottery
In a local history museum in every country you visit, you will certainly notice similar archaeological finds - fragments of clay products. Pottery, born millennia ago, but “living” even today, can rightfully be considered one of the most tenacious one. The uniqueness of clay was noticed by our distant ancestors who lived in caves ...
Colorful continent. Beautiful tribes of Africa
Daily life of African tribes may seem bizarre even for the natives of the continent. Only nature and curious travellers dare to met face to face with distinctive local atmosphere and unusual life of ethnic groups residing outside metropolis.
Tasty Japan: Give the country a try
Ice cream with a taste of horse meat, pickled insects, fish with deadly venom, etc – Japanese cuisine has things to surprise, amaze and shock you with. And truth be told, enumeration of these dishes doesn’t help my appetite at all. But we are not after exotic stuff. True culinary tourism is an attempt to comprehend mindset and feel national distinctive color through traditional cuisine – not try most exotic dishes.
Amazons from tribe mosuo​: Conservation of feminism in the shadow of Himalayas
Composers of antiutopias predict hundreds of sorrows to the people of the future who are from times to times forbidden to celebrate weddings, however, it seems, everything is not so terrible. In Chinese province Yun Nan near the foot of Himalayas the matriarch tribe mosuo resides that is not familiar with the concept of marriage at all.
Your breakfast, Sir! How people start their day around the world
A mini toast, a slice of cheese and a sip of strong coffee. "That is not a buffet!" a waiter will pronounce indignantly, looking at the disgruntled tourist’s face. The generous Ukrainian soul cannot understand how locals manage to eat their full with that. Therefore, before going to a new country, you need to know exactly whether in the evening you should prepare a couple of sandwiches to indulge them in the morning,...
Malanka and Vasyl winter fun: Carnival in Ukrainian style
The New Year in Ukraine did not always start with a Christmas tree, and instead of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, guests were waiting fora minx girl - Malanka and motor-boy Vasyl accompanied by the retinue. All the follies were out of hand: the ridiculed riddles carried a sacred content, dictated by the logic of the myth of the duel of spring and winter.
Christmas Eve and What’s to Follow
Christmas arrives with a warm overjacket on its shoulders. At night it brings warm light of the first evening star and in the morning it wakes you up with shine of white but warm sun. If my great-grandmonther’s grandmother had been asked about her Christmas feelings, I believe, her words would have been identical to mine. Because together with a bowl of kutia,...
Mulled wine: Yummy way to keep warm
Vitamins, development of resistance to cold, correct day regimen... That's all good and useful, especially when the winter weather swirls in, but sometimes we all have to pamper ourselves and at the same time to be protected against germs and colds. And the best way to do it is to sip some mulled wine.
Eskimo igloo: It is easy as a pie to build castles in ...snow
A little son came to his father and suggested to run away from mom and granny to the North Pole? Now, do not indulge into tragic speeches of severe frosts, pitch darkness of the polar night and hungry polar bears! Give a conspiracy wink to a little brave one, and give him a real man's job for his school winter holidays that is to learn how to build an igloo, night shelter in ever-frost lands.
Snow-covered peaks. Best winter resorts
The cold season brings not only such important things as wrapping into a reindeer sweater, drinking hot chocolate and once again reviewing Christmas comedies. Thus, sport has not been canceled yet, so OUTLLOK compiled top five ski resort bucket list for you to cheer up and get out of your winter sleep.
Handicraft: persian carpets
In those days when the Persian soldiers were second to none, and both the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by their power, skilful fingers of winner nation craftswomen created their first masterpiece. The carpet called The Springtime passed into history as the most precious of all time. It symbolized powerful rule of the Persians, and its beauty told about the divine origin of the king Khosrow I.
Don’t break the tongue: The hardest languages in the world
It is said, the easier it is, the better we feel, however, is it always like that? We know that not all the nations follow this principle. OUTLOOK has found out the strangest, toughest and hard in articulation international languages and would like to share it with the readers.
What do they eat: Rome’s cuisine
OUTLOOK often tells about the kitchens of the peoples around the world, but when it comes to Italy, writing about the country should be a crime. Each of its twenty regions has its own culinary world with the subtleties and specialties. Let the title of gastronomic capital of Italy be Bologna, its official capital - Rome, too, has something to boast about. We are telling you what is remarkable about Roman cuisine...
Kabuki: thorny path of flower
Traditional Japanese kabuki theatre has always been a mystery to the European mentality: only an expert on the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun can understand a play without guide’s tips. The word kabuki is sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". Why not an operetta? The essence of performance is not confined to musical presentation only...
Sacred animals of the Incas
Our "Peruvian cycle" is replenished with the story of the most revered animals in Peru. Being the link between the present and the past, they play an important role in the life of this nation. Wise ancestors of the modern Peruvians, the ancient Incas, were living in harmony with all life that surrounded them.
On the Move. Street food from around the world. Part 2
Do you happen to get hungry? That is great as we go on with our story about the most popular street food from around the world. It’s freshly cooked - fall to, you guys! Let's start with the South Asian countries, namely Singapore - seafood-rich in vitamins and minerals occupy a key place in the diet of residents ...
On the Move. Street food from around the world
Experienced tourists believe that one of the best sure-fire ways to quickly tune into the beat of another culture is to try local food. In order not to be at a loss when choosing dishes and save precious time for spiritual food, OUTLOOK gives you selective advice on street gastronomy from seven spots of the globe.
Happiness moves in mysterious way: Places to make wishes in Latvia
Trip to Latvia breaks the chain of mundanity, awakes secret fantasies which usually remain dormant in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Wandering between the centuries-old pine trees, fresh Baltic breeze languidly runs over strings in wait for off-beat adventure. Dreams do come true – you just need to know a right place to make a wish.
Road to Asia is paved with carpets
Carpets hang on walls as a symbol of wealth, lay on floors to create coziness and are presented as expensive gifts. Studying fancy pictures in the shapes of diamonds and stars on them attempting to figure out their meaning is a fairly amusing thing to do. Globally spread carpeting traditions were borrowed from eastern peoples who were the first to learn how to make yarn and fabric out of fibrous materials.
Women's adornments in India: Sacred meaning
Upon hearing word combination “Hindu woman” an image of a beautiful woman wearing sari and definitely with numerous adornments and pictures on her body emerges in our imagination. Where does passion for body decoration come from in national traditions of this people?
Закрыть
Outlook facebook page