Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/621

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SONG.

609

old Edda legends also existed in the music, and the same declamatory style prevailed.

As in all other national music, the musical instruments of Scandinavia largely influenced the songs. Thus in Finland the most popular instrument is the Kantele with five strings, tuned G, A, B♭, C, D, which forms the foundation for a whole quantity of Runos.^[1]

${ \relative g' { \key f \major \time 5/4 \autoBeamOff \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) g8 g a a bes d a4 a | d8 d bes a bes a g4 g | bes8 g bes c d bes c4 c | d8 bes a c bes a g4 g \bar "||" } \addlyrics { Kä -- wy kas -- ky tai -- wa has -- ta Kä -- wy kas -- ky tai -- wa has -- ta Kai -- ken luon -- don Hal -- dl al -- da Kai -- ken luon -- don Hal -- di al -- da. } }$

The harp with which the Scald was wont to accompany his lays has vanished; and the Langleike of Norway and Iceland, though shaped like a harp, is really a bow instrument. The Swedish Nyckelharpe is much the same. The Hardangerfele (fele = fiddle), which is mostly used in the Norwegian Highlands (near the Hardangerfjord), is the most perfect of their instruments, but is only used for marches and dances.^[2]

The national dances have also greatly influenced the melodies, though the Syvspring, Slängdansar, or Halling, are not usually accompanied by singing. On the other hand, in the Faroe Islands, musical instruments are unknown, and as the inhabitants are passionately fond of dancing, they accompany it with singing, and chiefly, strange to say, with the old epics and ballads. The Faroe Islands (especially the southern part of the group), Telemarken (in the S. W. of Norway), and the centre of Jutland, are the richest districts of Scandinavia in national songs.^[3]

Some of the epic songs collected in Telemarken are evidently of great antiquity, as for instance the following, relating to Sigurd's fight with the dragon, with its curious rhythm and melancholy original melody.

${ \relative a' { \time 3/4 \key g \minor \autoBeamOff \partial 4. \tempo "Slow." \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) a8 \tuplet 3/2 { bes[ a] bes } | g4. a16[ bes] c8 d16 ees | d4. d8 d8. d16 | %end line 1 d8 a16 bes d[ c] d4 d8 | \tuplet 3/2 4 { c[ a] bes a[ g] a } g e d cis4 d8 \tuplet 3/2 { g8 fis g } | e cis d4 d8\fermata fis^\markup \italic "Omkräd" | g8*2/1 bes16 c d8*2/1 ees16 d | d8. a16 bes8*2/1 a16*2/1 fis d'2*3/2 g,4 r8 \bar "||" } \addlyrics { Eg va no meg saa li -- ten ein gut, eg sjat -- ta fa un -- de lie, _ asa kom _ den frie Flan -- ar -- or -- min, han mon -- ne i gra -- se skri -- r For -- di lig -- ger or -- min i Y -- se -- land u -- ti flo -- "i." } }$

The character of the songs of north-Sweden and Norway, and especially of Denmark, is quite different. In these the eight-bar rhythm is usually well defined, with a refrain at the end, as in the following example taken down by Johann Lorentz in 1675.

${ \relative g' { \key g \minor \time 3/4 \autoBeamOff \partial 4 \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical g4 | g4.( a8) g4 | f4.( g8) a4 | bes2 bes4 | bes4. c8 d4 | %eol1 d2 d4 | d2 c4 | bes2. ~ | bes2 bes8[ a] | g2 g4 | f4. g8 a4 | %eol2 bes2 bes4 | bes4.( c8) d4 | d4.( c8) d4 | d2 c4 | bes2. ~ | %eol3 bes2 bes4^\markup \italic "Omkväd" | g4. a8 bes g | fis4 r d | g4.( a8) bes4 | a2 d,4 | %end line 4 e4. e8 fis4 | g2. g2 r4 | r r \bar "||" } \addlyrics { De va -- re syv og syv -- sind sty -- ve, der de drog ud fra Hald, og der de Kom -- me ti Brat -- tings -- borg, der sloge de der -- es tjald. Det don -- ner un -- der ros, de don -- ske hof -- mond der de ud -- ri -- de. } }$

Although lyrical songs are very rare in Scandinavia, there is a certain class of Kämpevise, or heroic, melodies found in parts of Sweden and Denmark, softer, more melancholy, and more romantic, and remarkable for having a refrain both in the middle and at the end.

${ \relative c' { \key f \minor \time 2/4 \autoBeamOff \partial 8 \override Score.BarNumber #'break-visibility = #'#(#f #f #f) \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical c8 | f4 c'8 bes | aes aes g f | aes8. aes16 bes8 bes | c4 r | aes8.^\markup \italic "Omkväd" aes16 g8 bes | aes4 r8 c | c[ aes] aes c | %end line 2 ees4 c8 c | bes8. g16 ees8 g | bes4. bes8^\markup \italic "Omkväd" c4 aes8 f | aes4 g8 e | f4 r | r r8 \bar "||" } \addlyrics { Och jung -- frun hon skul -- le sig åt ot -- te -- sån -- gen gå;— Ti -- den görs mig lång.— Så gick hon den vä -- gen åt hö -- ga bar -- get låg.— Men jag vet att sor -- gen år tung. } }$

An important section of Scandinavian songs are the herdsmen's. Their age is impossible to state, but they all bear the same character. The herdsman or maiden calls home the cattle from the mountain side, either with the cowhorn or Lur, or by singing a melody, with the echo formed on the intervals of that instrument. The following melody Dybeck gives amongst many others in his Vallvisor, p. 12.

↑ Runo means 'air,' or 'ballad,' and has nothing to do with the Anglo-Saxon or German runes, or runic writing stones. The singer Is called by the Fins Runoja or Runolainen.
↑ Marking the time by double tapping of the toe and heel is unInterruptedly carried on by the peasant whilst playing all the while brilliantly on this instrument.
↑ This district was called the Strichgegend, or knitting-district, because until quite recently the peasants used to meet of a winter's evening in different homes, knitting woollen goods and relating or singing tales, songs, ballads, and legends. Their wealth of songs was so great that in many places the same song was not allowed to be sung more than once a year. (See Dr. von Ravn's article on Scandinavian Music, p. 587.)

[1] Runo means 'air,' or 'ballad,' and has nothing to do with the Anglo-Saxon or German runes, or runic writing stones. The singer Is called by the Fins Runoja or Runolainen.

[2] Marking the time by double tapping of the toe and heel is unInterruptedly carried on by the peasant whilst playing all the while brilliantly on this instrument.

[3] This district was called the Strichgegend, or knitting-district, because until quite recently the peasants used to meet of a winter's evening in different homes, knitting woollen goods and relating or singing tales, songs, ballads, and legends. Their wealth of songs was so great that in many places the same song was not allowed to be sung more than once a year. (See Dr. von Ravn's article on Scandinavian Music, p. 587.)

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