straw fiddle THE XYLOPHONE AS KLEZMER INSTRUMENT

[Cor van Sliedregt <sliedreg...>]

STRAW - FIDDLE

THE XYLOPHONE AS KLEZMER INSTRUMENT

R-E-C-O-R-D-I-N-G-S

Jacob Hoffman as solist on the xylophone
with the orchestra of Harry Kandel;
 78T recording  Camden, NJ January 25, 1923
B 28671-1 Doina And Hora, on  Victor 77163,

reissued on LP Folklyric FL 9034 which is reissued in 1997 as Arhoolie 7034:
³Klezmer Music, Early Yiddish Instrumental Music: 1908 - 1927²
as track 1.    Doina And Hora (Hebrew Dance)
    Jacob Hoffman -xylophone with Kandel¹s Orchestra

and on Music Cassette: Kurt Bjorling¹s tape of ³Doina¹s²

Other Recordings of interest:
- 1-
Gobale Village CD 114: I.J.Hochman and his Balalaika Orchestra, june 1924
Hochman on balalaika ?, unknown musicians on piano, percussion, (or
xylophone!)
- Ukrainer March (a.k.a.: Tosca Pa Rodina) [difficult to hear]
- Autumn Wind Waltz. [more clearly to hear]
- 2 -
Acum CD 77001, ³ Kleizmer², no date, prob. 1992
recorded: unknown date, unknown place.
Rafa¹el (Roman) Kunsman -fl; Yossi Klein -?
other musicians unknown: e?g-b; xylophone; perc; synth.
- 3 -
Private Production: Freylakh Klezmer Band - 2003 (2 tracks)
Kim Goldov - strohfiddle, violin, tsimbl, Nancy Goldov - piano, Carl Stutoff
- Clarinet in C
ww.freyleakh.com
- 4 -   
Alex Jacobowitz - xylophone
Recordings?
----------------------------------------
formerly written in SHAMASH by Paul Gifford:
It seems to me that I have seen it in German as _Strohfiedel_, but its usual
name is Hoelzernes Gelaechter (seen since the 16th century). Guzikov's
predecessor on the instrument, Samsun Jakubowski, of St. Petersburg, may
have used the English term "wood harmonica" or "wood harmonicon," according
to Albert Sowinski's 1857 book on Polish musicians. ---------

H-I-S-T-O-R-Y
This type of wooden xylophone was and is known in Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland.
This form was as early as 1511 known in Europe under the name ³Hölzernes
Gelächter² or Stroh fiedel. The oldest known picture of a xylophone in
Europe dates from 1523  (Holbeins Death dances) (source: Xylofon © Gunno
Klingfors)
Although some pictures were found in South-East Asia in the 9th century. The
xylophone was exclusive used as a folkinstrument up to the 19th century.
One of the earlier players was the famous Michael Joseph Gusikow
(1806 - 1837).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :
Xylophone \Xy"lo*phone\, n. [Xylo- + Gr. fwnh` sound.]
   1. (Mus.) An instrument common among the Russians, Poles, and
      Tartars, consisting of a series of strips of wood or glass
      graduated in length to the musical scale, resting on belts
      of straw, and struck with two small hammers. Called in
      Germany strohfiedel, or straw fiddle.

In Meyers Konversationslexikon, Band 15, Seite 0392, (1888)
is written that the strohfiedel was popular by Tiroler singers.

Nowadays the Lafima factory produces historical reconstructions of this
instrument. (http://www.regental-medien.de/lefima/d39a.html)

N-A-M-E-S
EUROPA: Strohfiedel, Gigelyra, Hölzernes Gelächter/ Hoelzernes
Gelaechter(German), "Hultze G'lachter" (Swiss), Holzharmonium,
Xylophon,échelette; claquebois; patouilles (French), ginebras (Spanish)
straw fiddle (English) Shtroy-fidl (Yiddish)
Variants:  Legnofono (ein Xylophon von Lasina in Rom, (1882)),
    Xylorganon, (ein Tasten-Xylophon (18.19. Jh)
ASIEN:  Fang Hiang, Gambang,  Gyo,  Kromo, Krotong, Mokkin, Pattalá, Ranat,
Ronéat, Tjalang, Tuddukan.
AFRIKA: Marimba, Vilangwe.
OZEANIES: Angremut, Doli-doli, Garanktum.

S-O-U-R-C-E-S
http://www.desig-n.de/musik_x.htm
http://www.wurzer-sommerkonzerte.de/programm/bena.html
http://www.wispor.de/wpx-k-s.htm
http://www.susi.e-technik.uni-ulm.de:8080/meyers/servlet/view/
showSeite/SeiteNr/0392/BandNr/15/textmode/true
http://www.regental-medien.de/lefima/d39a.html

N-O-T   T-O   C-O-N-F-U-S-E   W-I-T-H  S-T-R-O-H   P-H-O-N-O-F-I-D-D-L-E

FROM:  http://www.hurdygurdy.com/hg/listarch/hg_arch_0009.html

Not to be confused with a " Stroh Fiddle". ( Stroviol)
 I think Stroh is a German company that made violins that have a unique
sound because they have a small diaphragm device on the bridge, attached to
an megaphone. You can find them in Transylvania and  sometimes at Lark in
the Morning, very over priced at $2500.00 US.

FROM: http://www.fiddlingaround.co.uk/easterneurope/index.html
A strange variant on the normal fiddle is the horn violin, commonly found in
the Bihar region of northwest Transylvania, and based on the Stroh
Phonofiddle. A metal horn and diaphragm are attached to an otherwise normal
violin, giving a loud and piercing tone. Another fiddle variant is the Keman
of southwest Moldavia, sporting a number of sympathetic strings.

FROM Curt Sachs : Lexikon der Musikinstrumenten
Stroh-violin, ---- named after Charles Stroh in London, who was the inventor
in 1901of this instrument  for phonographic use. The violin body is replaced
by a aluminiun disk with horn, like an old grammophone. The sound is louder
and sharp.

NOW THIS IS ALL I KNOW,

Good luck
Cor van Sliedregt, tsimbl-player
in The Westfriese KLZMR banD, The Netherlands

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