Scan 158
The New Grove Dictionary Of Music And Musicians 5 Ed. 2nd, 1904
14 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1when sung indoors is in a strict, regular rhythm
3East Moravian songs often give the impression of being unfinished because of a tendency to end on the fifth degree of the scale, combined with the weakness of the leading note and the fluctuation between the major and minor 3rd of the tonic chord (see Sychta, 1948). Janáček divided the east Moravian tunes into three groups according to their melodic types. asymmetrical melodies of a rhapsodic character, periodized only by prolonged final notes at the end of the stanza; songs based on a fixed rhythmic motif which is repeated under the continually changing melody (this type approaches the folkdance); and songs with a fixed form (e.g. ABA) A characteristic feature is the interjection of syllables such as ey, which provide a kind of rhythmic filling-out, sometimes also serving as an element of retardation This particular feature, among others, draws the east Moravian songs close to Slovakian folksong. Lachian songs provide the transition between Czech and Slovak tunes, they also show Polish influences, particularly in their rhythm.
5Songs for outdoor performances are usually sung by groups of girls with well-blended voices, clear intonation and a metallic timbre. There are no apparent dynamic effects, and the melodies end with a full, intense sound on their long final notes. In the Valachian districts harvest songs of improvisatory character as well as shepherd songs sung by girls and boys were still being performed in the first half of the 20th century. In the plains below the Carpathian mountains (in Moravian Slovakia) the girls and young men still sing their drawn-out love-songs. The melodic ornamentation in these songs is performed with natural ease, and the performer expresses himself, making extensive use of rubato. The metre is strongly stressed only in dance-songs or related melodies.
7The earliest known combination of instruments used to accompany dance in the eastern Moravian regions consisted of one or two violins and a bagpipe. Shepherds' pipes, however, were played solo. Later the bagpipe was replaced in the instrumental group by a small double bass (originally with three strings). Together with the second violin, it produced an unceasing rhythmic tension by accenting the second and fourth quaver of each bar while the first violinist adorned the vocal melody with abundant figurations, usually on a higher pitch.
9The dulcimer was a later addition to the string band, enriching the interpretation of the song mainly by its capacity for harmonic modulation. It was known in Bohemia as late as the 17th century, but during the first decades of the 19th century disappeared there altogether. In Moravia it became so popular that it came to be included with string instruments and clarinet in the typical folk music ensemble (see fig.2). The formation of brass bands after 1860 threatened the existence of dulcimer bands. Only as a result of the awakened interest in folk music, supported mainly by amateur groups established in all Czech regions after 1945, have dulcimer bands been reorganized.
11Among the dances of south-east Moravia, the most popular is the sedláčka ('peasant' dance) and its earlier,
132. Moravian dulcimer band
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