Danish traditional music
Encyclopedia
Danish traditional music (Danish
: spillemandsmusik) is the music genre that has its roots in pre-modern Denmark
. In this period it was common for towns to have one or more town musicians (Danish
: spillemand) who played at dances, processions and certain rituals. In the 17th and 18th centuries, professional music performance were monopolized by the town musicians who also traveled performed in the neighboring rural areas. Urban music and dance styles, often from other parts of Europe, penetrated the countryside almost eradicating earlier styles. The period also saw the introduction of the fiddle as the most important instrument, and the abandonment of earlier chain dances in favor of pair dances. Until around 1900, this was the common musical culture of Denmark, but with increasing urbanization and the spread of classical music
it became marginalized to exist in rural areas.
and into the 19th century there are reports of "chain dances", processions and ceremonial dances accompanied by pipes, drums and singing.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, throughout Denmark the practice of music was under the monopoly of the appointed city musician "stadsmusikant", who with their journeymen and apprentices, was the only one allowed to play for a salary within an assigned territory. Since the city musician was trained in the cities this meant that courtly repertoires made their way into the countryside, and that most areas did not maintain local musical traditions during this time. Only a few areas, such as Bornholm
and Amager
never had the stadsmusikant monopoly, and a few others such as Fanø
maintained a local tradition by an arrangement whereby local musicians leased the right to perform on the island from the city musician of Ribe
. Since city musicians frowned on the use of instruments deemed impure such as drums, bagpipes
and hurdy gurdy
s, this period also saw the rise of the fiddle
as the main instrument for dance music.
From around 1500, medieval chain dances were exchanged for partner dances. The oldest known pair dance in Denmark is the pols, an adapted variant of a Polish dance
which was popular in Sweden
as early as the 16th century. It is assumed that the pols was prevalent in the Danish countryside by the second half of the 17th century, and in the 18th century it was the most common popular dance along with the minuet
. These Polish dances were usually performed in two parts: a slow march and a faster 3/4 second part. Often in the oldest hand written tune books only the first part was written, as the fiddler improvised the second half based on the first.
From the end of the 18th century English-style contra
and square dance
s became popular. In the 19th century the waltz
became the most popular dance in the cities, after having been known in the countryside for a while. Other dance types of the early 19th century are hopsa, rheinlænder, galop, sveitrit og schottish all of which were integrated into the popular English style dances, and later developed their own local dance forms. Around 1850 the polka
and mazurka
entered the popular repertoire. At the end of the 19th century the earlier dance tradition began to loose its place to modern dances from England, Southern Europe and America.
To counter the loss of traditional dances the Association for the Promotion of Folkdancing was founded in 1901, focusing on the preservation of popular dances from the period 1750-1850. Many local chapters of such preservation societies appeared during the first decades of the 20th century, and in 1929 there were as many as 16,000 members. These dance associations had a homogenizing effect on the popular dances, creating a standard repertoire of Danish folk dances. They often danced in folk dress
. In response to this homogenizing effect of the folkdancing guilds, informal dance organizations working to keep local dance traditions alive in informal settings were also developed, under the name of "Old Dance". Certain rural areas of Denmark such as Fanø
, Læsø
, Ærø
and parts of Western Jutland
maintained living traditions of dancing from the late 18th century well into the 20th century.
(ca. 1760). Collection of Danish folkmelodies began in the early 19th century, and figures such as Svend Grundtvig
(1824-83), A. P. Bergreen (1801-80) and Evald Tang Kristensen
(1843-1929) published significant collections of tunes and songs. In the early 20th century with the establishment of the field of ethnology
in Denmark the collection of folk tradition including music, song, and dances began in earnest.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: spillemandsmusik) is the music genre that has its roots in pre-modern Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In this period it was common for towns to have one or more town musicians (Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: spillemand) who played at dances, processions and certain rituals. In the 17th and 18th centuries, professional music performance were monopolized by the town musicians who also traveled performed in the neighboring rural areas. Urban music and dance styles, often from other parts of Europe, penetrated the countryside almost eradicating earlier styles. The period also saw the introduction of the fiddle as the most important instrument, and the abandonment of earlier chain dances in favor of pair dances. Until around 1900, this was the common musical culture of Denmark, but with increasing urbanization and the spread of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
it became marginalized to exist in rural areas.
History
Through the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and into the 19th century there are reports of "chain dances", processions and ceremonial dances accompanied by pipes, drums and singing.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, throughout Denmark the practice of music was under the monopoly of the appointed city musician "stadsmusikant", who with their journeymen and apprentices, was the only one allowed to play for a salary within an assigned territory. Since the city musician was trained in the cities this meant that courtly repertoires made their way into the countryside, and that most areas did not maintain local musical traditions during this time. Only a few areas, such as Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
and Amager
Amager
Amager is a Danish island in the Øresund. The Danish capital, Copenhagen, is partly situated on Amager, which is connected to the much larger island of Zealand by five bridges.-History:...
never had the stadsmusikant monopoly, and a few others such as Fanø
Fanø
Fanø is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands...
maintained a local tradition by an arrangement whereby local musicians leased the right to perform on the island from the city musician of Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
. Since city musicians frowned on the use of instruments deemed impure such as drums, bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
and hurdy gurdy
Hurdy gurdy
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
s, this period also saw the rise of the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
as the main instrument for dance music.
From around 1500, medieval chain dances were exchanged for partner dances. The oldest known pair dance in Denmark is the pols, an adapted variant of a Polish dance
Polska (dance)
The polska is a family of music and dance forms shared by the Nordic countries: called polsk in Denmark, polska in Sweden and Finland and by several names in Norway in different regions and/or for different variants - including pols, rundom, springleik, and springar...
which was popular in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as early as the 16th century. It is assumed that the pols was prevalent in the Danish countryside by the second half of the 17th century, and in the 18th century it was the most common popular dance along with the minuet
Minuet
A minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
. These Polish dances were usually performed in two parts: a slow march and a faster 3/4 second part. Often in the oldest hand written tune books only the first part was written, as the fiddler improvised the second half based on the first.
From the end of the 18th century English-style contra
Contra dance
Contra dance refers to several partnered folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines...
and square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
s became popular. In the 19th century the waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
became the most popular dance in the cities, after having been known in the countryside for a while. Other dance types of the early 19th century are hopsa, rheinlænder, galop, sveitrit og schottish all of which were integrated into the popular English style dances, and later developed their own local dance forms. Around 1850 the polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
and mazurka
Mazurka
The mazurka is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, and with accent on the third or second beat.-History:The folk origins of the mazurek are two other Polish musical forms—the slow machine...
entered the popular repertoire. At the end of the 19th century the earlier dance tradition began to loose its place to modern dances from England, Southern Europe and America.
To counter the loss of traditional dances the Association for the Promotion of Folkdancing was founded in 1901, focusing on the preservation of popular dances from the period 1750-1850. Many local chapters of such preservation societies appeared during the first decades of the 20th century, and in 1929 there were as many as 16,000 members. These dance associations had a homogenizing effect on the popular dances, creating a standard repertoire of Danish folk dances. They often danced in folk dress
Danish folklore
Danish folklore consists of folk tales, legends, songs, music, dancing, popular beliefs and traditions comuminicated by the inhabitants of towns and villages across the country, often passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth. As in neighbouring countries, interest in folklore grew...
. In response to this homogenizing effect of the folkdancing guilds, informal dance organizations working to keep local dance traditions alive in informal settings were also developed, under the name of "Old Dance". Certain rural areas of Denmark such as Fanø
Fanø
Fanø is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands...
, Læsø
Læsø
Læsø is the largest island in the North Sea bay of Kattegat, and is located off the northeast coast of the Jutland Peninsula, the Danish mainland. Læsø is also the name of the municipality on that island...
, Ærø
Ærø
Ærø is one of the Danish Baltic Sea islands, and part of Region of Southern Denmark. The western portion of the island was the municipality of Ærøskøbing; the eastern portion of the island was the municipality of Marstal...
and parts of Western Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
maintained living traditions of dancing from the late 18th century well into the 20th century.
Sources and history of scholarship
The earliest known Danish traditional music comes from the handwritten tune collections of musicians, such as the large collection of tunes by Rasmus StormRasmus Storm's Notebook
Rasmus Storm's Notebook is a handwritten collection of tunes written in the 1760'es by Rasmus Storm. It is one of the earliest and most important collections of Danish traditional music. Storm was a Danish fiddler and Dancing master born in 1733 on the Island of Funen. He was the son of an...
(ca. 1760). Collection of Danish folkmelodies began in the early 19th century, and figures such as Svend Grundtvig
Svend Grundtvig
Svend Hersleb Grundtvig was a Danish literary historian and ethnographer. He was one of the first systematic collectors of Danish traditional music, and he was especially interested in Danish folk songs. He began the large project of editing Danish ballads. He also co-edited Icelandic ballads. He...
(1824-83), A. P. Bergreen (1801-80) and Evald Tang Kristensen
Evald Tang Kristensen
Evald Tang Kristensen was a Danish folklore collector and author. Working first as a schoolteacher and later solely as a collector, he assembled and published a huge amount of detailed information on all aspects of folklore as he visited country people throughout his native Jutland.-Early...
(1843-1929) published significant collections of tunes and songs. In the early 20th century with the establishment of the field of ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
in Denmark the collection of folk tradition including music, song, and dances began in earnest.
See also
- Swedish folk musicSwedish folk musicSwedish folk music is a genre of music based largely on folkloric collection work that began in the early 19th century in Sweden. The primary instrument of Swedish folk music is the fiddle. Another common instrument, unique to Swedish traditions, is the nyckelharpa...
- Evald ThomsenEvald ThomsenEvald Thomsen was a Danish fiddler and collector and promoter of Danish traditional music. Born in Siem by Skørping in Northern Jutland, Thomsen was taught fiddle from age 7, and played to local dances already as a young boy. He began egan to collect tunes and instruments. He founded the Rebild...
- Æ TinuserÆ TinuserÆ Tinuser was a Danish traditional orchestra who were famous exponents of their genre from the 1950'es to the late 1970'es. The band was composed of three brothers, Ejnar , Karl and Hans Nielsen from Vrøgum close to Oksbøl...