Mongolian Folk Music (Various Artists) Hungarton HCD18013/14 (recordings from 1967)
Originally
available on a triple vinyl LP. These recording are of great historical and musical
interest. The Khφφmii singer Bori is featured on two short tracks. Strangely the
liner notes say that Khφφmii singing is fairly common in Eastern Mongolia,
which does not seem to be the case now!??. Catch some early long song of
Norovbanzad, fine epic/legend singing and lots, lots more.
A Hungaroton ‑
Unesco collaboration selected and compiled from the 1967 year's collection by Lajos
Vargyas Compact disc 1 Total
Time: 4950
1 Story
of the origin of the marinhur (9'26") (Dagiranc)
2 Praise
song (magdal) about an archer in a
tournament (214") (Dorzhdagva)
3 Heroic
song (magdal)) about the winner of
the archery tournament (2'38")
(Dorzhdagva)
4 & 5
Zamba Tiv ‑ 'Long song' performed on the
marinhur (6'30) (Zhamyan)
6 Jew's harp song (Ho‑mi) (054") (Bori)
7
"Dadaj gerech" song performed on the yochen (033)
(Dozhdava)
8
"Hergen" ‑ 'Long
song' with marinhur accompaniment (246) (Suglegma, Ceden)
9
"Zergen tiyn sil" ‑
'Long song' with marinhur accompaniment (2'23) (Suglegma,
Ceden)
10
"Uzesgelen ua" ‑ Song performed on the sudrag
(138) (Dazhdulam)
11
"Handarma" ‑ Song
about a girl performed on the sudrag (2'22") (Dazhdulam)
12
"Suenserlen harandah ul" ‑
Song about the nature on the sudrag (2'28)
(Dazhdulam)
13 "Urt
saffiam huren" ‑ East Mongolian 'long song' with marinhur
accompaniment
(351) (Dorzhdagva, Boyan)
14
"Hojer bor" ‑ 'Long
song' with marinhur accompaniment (326") (Dorzhdagva,
Boyan)
15 Jew's
harp song (Ho‑mi) (140") (Bori)
16
"Sigsirgin ay" ‑ in praise of the horse. (0'40)
Sung with sudrag, yochen, yihor and
talhengreg accompaniment (Nansalma)
17
"Ondor‑sayhan bor" ‑ 'Long song'
(516) (Dorzh‑suren)
Compact
disc II Total Time: 5034
1 Praise
song of the Gobi (magdal) (8'12) (Dagiranc)
2 "Bor
bor byalzuhay" ‑ 'Long song' (225) (Dorzhdagva)
3 "Durtmal
sayharn" ‑ West Mongolian
'long song' with marinhur accompaniment (4'20") (Dorzhdagva, Boyan)
4 "Onchin cagan batcho" ‑
'Long song' on the limba (144") (Dorzh)
5 "Zambu tivlyn nar" ‑
'Long song' with marinhur accompaniment (320") (Norovbancad, Batbayar)
6
"Urhan hongor" ‑
'Long song' with marinhur accompaniment (2'39") (Norovbancad, Batbayar)
7
"Hoyer bor ‑ 'Long song'
with marinhur accompaniment (2'38") (lahmzhav, Z1hanzanchol)
8 "Uzelen gua" ‑
Song performed on the hocher (040) (Masuren)
9
& 10 "Harisan hagd" ‑
Darhat song with marinhur accompaniment (2'38") (Nadmid, Zhanzanchoi)
11
"Bieleg" ‑ Music of
the shoulder dance performed on the sudrag (143") (Bazarragcha)
12
"Uyeidur" ‑ Music of
the arm‑hand dance performed on the sudrag (137) (Bazarragcha)
13 Dance melody performed on the sudrag (230")
(Bazarragcha)
14 "Setert" ‑
South Mongolian 'long song' from Borzhigen with marinhur accompaniment (506)
(Dorzhdagva, Boyan)
15
Sumen delt" ‑ Song
performed on the yochen (117) (Dasdeleg)
16
"Bayan sun" ‑ Song performed vocally and on the
yochen (129) (Dascleleg)
17 "Har
deltei halyun" ‑ Dorbot song (445) (Bazuh)
18
"Gandan ulun ceceg" ‑Song performed
vocally and on the yetah (219) (Nansalma, Nadmid, Balchinsuren, Cerendolgor,
Enhtusin, Zhagirzurem, Gadima, Dolgor)
Performers
Madame Balchinsuren, 28,
yetah
Batbayar, 32,
born in Suhebator, marinhur
Madame Bazarragicha, 45,
born in Ulanbator, sudrag
Bazuh, 39, Dorbot
tribe, born in Ird Aymak, singer
Boyan, 46, born in
Urhangai, marinhur
Bori,
23, singer (Jew's harp song) (sadly no
mention of where he come from!)
Ceden, 45, born in
Bayanhongor, marinhur
Madame Cerendolgor, 21,
yetah
Dagiranc, 36,
born in Dund Gov, accompanying himself on the marinhur
Madame Dasdeleg, 71,
born in Seleng Aymak, yochen
Madame Dazhclulam, 40,
born in Touv Aymak, sudrag
Dorzh, 50, born in
Dorno Gov, limba
Dorzhdagva, 63,
born in Dun Gov, singer, retired folk artist of merit
Dorzh‑suren, 48,
born in Zavhan Aymak, singer
Madame Dolgor, 39,
yetah
Madame Dozhdava, 28,
born in Zavhan Aymak, yochen
Miss Enhtusin, 18,
yetah
Madame Gadima, 21,
yetah
Lhamzhav, 38,
born in Za0an Aymak, singer
Madame Masuren, 40,
born in Choybalsan, hocher
Madame Nadmid, 30,
Darhat tribe, born in Hovsgol Aymak, singer, yetah
Madame
Nansalma, 24, born in Dund Gov, singer, yetah
Madame Norovbanzad, 35,
born in Dund Gov, singer
Madame Suglegma, 34,
born in Arhanchai, singer
Madame Zhagirzurem, 34,
yetah Z1ramyan, 46, born in Eastern Mongolia, marinhur
Zhanzanchoi, 24,
born in Gov Aymak, marinhur
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A few words about Mongolian folk music
A selection sufficient for two recordings is not enough to present Mongolian folk music in all its variety, or to give an idea of all its instruments and types of vocal music as well as differences due to region dialects. All this makes Mongolian folk music extraordinarily rich in spite of the fact that it is almost entirely made up of pentatonic music. There are so many variations of vocal techniques, however, including highly unique types of singing, that even a short illustration will surprise a listener accustomed to Western music.
Old lyrical melodies and certain
ritual‑like songs are performed with characteristic ornamentation,
glissandos, trills and tremolos, which are strongly reminiscent of instrumental
sound effects. The most surprising element, however, is the wide vocal range of
the songs. Falsetto singing is extremely wide‑spread, and used with
strong volume, thus enabling an experienced singer to greatly expand his vocal
register. At a certain point the broad melodies are continued one octave
higher, extending the melodic line to unbelievable heights. The vocal range of
their most famous singer, Dorzhdagva,
extends over three octaves, from A to a", as shown in the selections
on the discs (I/2‑3, 13‑14, II/2‑3, II/14). Mainly the so‑called
long songs" are sung in this fashion. Another peculiarity in the performance
of these songs is that the text, sometimes even certain words are broken with
meaningless syllables which serve to heighten vocal technique and tonal
colour. (This custom is also known in the Balcans). Moreover, they have a type
of song, which has no text at all, and is performed throughout with such
meaningless syllables (I/2‑3). In other features too, the performing
style of these pieces is identical with that of the long songs".
In
the women's 1ong songs", the wide vocal range used by the men is missing
(retaining the high notes but lacking the deepest register), nonetheless, the vocal
technique is just as demanding. In the highest registers their vibratos and
tremolos bear witness to a highly developed vocal technique on the same level
(I/8‑‑9, II15‑6, II/9‑10).
To
expand the vocal range and to develop a unique vocal technique, this in itself
is no ordinary accomplishment. Mongolian folk music, however, goes beyond this
and overcomes the natural limitations of the human voice. They have developed a
technique whereby one person can sing in two voices at the same time. Actually,
the one of these is a single prolonged droning fundamental tone above which a
flutelike melody is sounded in a high register. Even so, two voices are heard
simultaneously from the same throat! These sounds were learned from the Jew's
harp which in essence is an instrument producing a droning fundamental tone
when the small vibrating metal tongue is held to the lips, and whose overtones
are produced by altering the shape of the oral cavity. The Mongolian, however,
can produce the same effect without the instrument by tensing their vocal
chords and pressing air through them with great force. This gives the
instrument‑like effect of a fundamental note rich in overtones, which can
then be heard according to the different positions of the mouth cavity. This
vocal production forces the diaphragm, demanding at the same time special use
of the throat and the mouth, and all this has to be learnt separately. Not
everyone can acquire this talent, but it is still fairly common among male
singers, especially in Eastern Mongolia. And what is even more incredible,
there are some men who can produce this wordless, almost supernatural whistling
melody while riding on horseback (I/6, 15).
There
are other accomplishments resulting exquisite artistic experiences, which do
not so much demand physical strength as great intellectual concentration. Among
the different types of epics, there are vocal sagas and praise songs when the
singer himself provides the accompaniment, moreover, improvising and varying
text, melody and accompaniment alike. That is, he produces three kinds of
improvisations simultaneously. Naturally, not all these elements are born
during a given performance. The outlines and style of the melody and the
accompaniment as well as various points in the text and the content of the saga
have come down through history. But it is the singer who on the basis of this
rough framework, lends form to the material, on the spur of the moment.
The
content of the saga (I/1) is briefly the following: a hero has a winged horse.
When he calls the animal, the performer imitates the sound of the horse's
neighing and hoof‑beats on his instrument, either by beating or sliding
the bow on the strings. The horse and his master fall asleep. His enemy cuts
off the horse's wings, thus killing it. The hero mourns for his horse, and this
lament, peculiarly enough, is not performed in song but in an instrumental
interlude in which, after the pure pentatonic melody, chromatic intervals are
suddenly heard. Finally, he makes a musical instrument out of the horse's hide,
mane and head the very first marinhur. That is why there is a horse's head carved at the end of the marinhur's
fingerboard, just as in the case of many Hungarian zithers. The saga's melody
is a type familiar in many parts of the world, it can be found in the Middle
East, in the recitation of Catholic psalms as well as in one type of Hungarian
folksong now sinking into oblivion. In Mongolian music, however, it contains
freer variations and sweeping declamatory rhythm.
The
same singer also performs a praise song about the Gobi (II/1). This is a song
in verse strophes but still possessing wide opportunity for variation and
improvisation. When singing about the girls' dance, the performer beats a dance
rhythm with his bow as an accompaniment. The marinhur is the most wide‑spread
instrument in Mongolia, and is usually used for vocal accompaniment. The story
of its origin shows how deeply it is rooted in Mongolian folklore. It is a
cello‑like instrument with two strings and a trapezoid body, which is
held between the knees, supported on the ground, as in the case of the Western
instrument. Its tone, and especially its glissandos and tremolos virtually
reproduce the sound of vocal ornamentation, equally evident as accompaniment
when it imitates vocal melody (I/8‑9, 13‑14, II/3, 5‑7, 9‑10,
14), and in solo instrumental performance (I/4‑5).
In
addition, there are several other instruments in common use. In these
recordings you will hear zither‑like yetah which has the size and tone of
a harp (II/18); the limba, a cross-flute (II/4); a three string plugged
instrument, the sudrag (I/10‑12, II/11‑13); the hocher, a small two‑stringed
instrument with a cup shaped resonating body (II/8); the yochen, the twin of
the Hungarian cimbalom (I17, II/16); and finally an ensemble composed of a
yihor and a talhengreg (I/16), a large marinhur used as a bass and a castanet
like rattle, these but in ensembles.
Besides
these a number of other instruments are known which contemporary Mongolian folk
music inherited partly from secular and partly from religious sources. There
are also new types of singing which are actually the most popular today. Among
them can be found works by well‑known composers, which are performed in
various programmes mostly by ensembles or outstanding soloists. On these
occasions they are accompanied by new type of instrumental ensembles. Some of
the selections give a taste of these highly popular songs (I/16, II/18), the
latter included in order to give an idea of the sound of the yetah.
The
performers on these recordings were all found in Ulan Bator, the capital of
Mongolia. This city differs from its counterparts the world over in that it
offers as many opportunities for an acquaintance with folk music as any other
region in the country. Indeed, perhaps more. The Mongolian cherish their
musical traditions, and whenever an exceptionally gifted singer or
instrumentalist is found in the provinces, he is sent to the capital either to
teach traditional styles in the state music school, or to entertain the public
in operatic concerts and other programmes. Thus, in Ulan Bator itself one can
become familiar with the traditions of the whole country and from the very best
performers.
One
of the most outstanding among them is the singer Dorzhdagva, a retired
"artist of merit". Others include Dagiranc,
a singer of epics and Zhamyan, teacher of the marinhur at the music school.
We do not wish to create the impression however, that Mongolian folk music is
being perpetuated only by these exceptional singers and instrumentalists. In
order to illustrate how deeply rooted the styles they represent are in the
daily musical life of the average Mongolian, we have recorded traditional
songs, among them a 1ong song", by such performers (I/17, II/17). You will
notice that they have the same style, even if the wide range, the use of the
falsetto is lacking.
We
also wished to illustrate tribal differences and musical dialects. It was for
this reason that we recorded Darhat and
Dorbot songs. Where no mention is
made of origin, the selections refer to Halha
Mongolians. The selections on these recordings will surely suffice to
convince the listener of the unique musical traditions preserved throughout
their long history by these people living in the mountains of Central Asia, and
also of the high artistic achievements a traditional folk culture is capable of
at its best.
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