Description
The collection “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” is an excellent opportunity to expand the repertoire for the bagpipes Hümmelchen and Dudey in c/f tuning.
Origin and inspiration
The origin of the collection goes back to playing music together – at home with friends, in lessons and at small auditions. Accordingly, the collection contains easy short pieces as well as those that require practice. The “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” take us from the high Middle Ages to the present day.
The uniqueness of duet playing
Playing duets with two bagpipes, as in 41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey, offers a special charm. Playing some music in two different registers (e.g. soprano and alto) opens up completely different tonal possibilities.
The cornamuse and crumhorn are close in sound to the bagpipes, while the gemshorn and recorder clearly stand out due to their articulation and timbre. The “41 duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” show that this combination still exists in traditional music today: e.g. Charamella and Zampogna in Sicily or Bombarde and Binu in Brittany.
Freedom in the choice of music and instrumentation
With the “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey”, the different registers of the instruments can be used in a targeted way, e.g. flutes that sound an octave higher. In both early and traditional music there is no indication of instrumentation, which gives us the freedom to choose what we like with this collection.
Why “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” is a must-have
The “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” offer a varied repertoire that is suitable for both beginners and advanced players. The possibility of playing duets in different pitches opens up new tonal dimensions. In addition, the collection offers freedom in instrumentation and creative expansion possibilities through preludes, interludes and postludes as well as the use of medieval musical forms.
Interesting background stories and anecdotes about many of the pieces in “41 Duets for Hümmelchen and Dudey” enrich your musical journey and offer new perspectives on the pieces.
Foreword
This collection was created while playing music, at home with friends, lessons, small recitals. Accordingly, alongside easy short pieces are those that require practice. From the high Middle Ages we are led to our time.
It has a special charm to play duets with two bagpipes, in some music also in two different registers (e.g. soprano and alto). Completely different tonal possibilities open up when the bagpipes are joined by a directly blown instrument with its legato playing, which allows a wide variety of articulations and can pause. The cornamuse and crumhorn are close to the bagpipes in terms of sound, while the gemshorn and recorder are very different in terms of sound as well as articulation. On this aspect there are numerous evidences in the iconography. And this combination can still be found in traditional music today: e.g. charamella and zam pogna in Sicily or bombarde and binu in Brittany.
The different registers can also be used in a targeted manner: Flutes sound an octave higher.
In the early and also in the traditional music there are no indications of instrumentation. So we are free to choose what we like. Likewise, no drones are notated. However, we can safely assume that drone instruments were involved. The first drone to be considered is the root of a piece, single or double in the octave. Root and fifth can also sound good, or the fifth alone. with Hümmelchen and Dudey there are many possibilities.
In addition to the instrumentation, a wealth of different arrangements and arrangements are possible. This means that even a small piece can be turned into extensive music-making, depending on the ingenuity and possibilities of the musicians involved. A few procedures should be mentioned briefly:
- Preludes, interludes and postludes can be improvised or notated in advance.
- New accompaniments can also be written down or improvised beforehand.
- Two popular methods from early music in particular should be highlighted:
- Estampie: a medieval dance music form that uses motifs from a song or other pieces of music. Improvised parts alternate with pre-arranged half and full closures. In the best case scenario, this can develop into a kind of musical parlor game that is enjoyable for performers and listeners alike. More detailed information on the Estampie can be found in Timothy J. MacGee, Medieval Instrumental Dances, Bloomington and Indianapolis 1989, ISBN 0-253-33353-9.
- Hoquetus: a melody is divided between two or more players. This requires a high level of concentration and can result in a special sound effect in the room. In a simple form and with easy pieces, it can be a lot of fun in lessons with pupils.
Some pieces of music are accompanied by a short story or anecdote. If there was room for it in the magazine. I recorded them. Here is one example. James Merryweather comments on “Fortune my foe”: “This is a gorgeously lugubrious tune, greatly popular in its day as music for ballads of gloom, death and misery.
Fortune my foe why doest thou frown on me,
And will thy favor never better be?
Will thou, I say, for ever breed my pain,
And will thou not restore my joys again?
It is said that this tune was played at executions (as was the trusty Greensleeves). If I were about to lose my head, my one final wish would be to hear “F my F” on bagpipe. Of course, the ignorant would recommend it a pre-execution torture, but we of the Drones Club understand these higher musical forms! …
My special thanks go to Ernst Günter Hillnhüter for proofreading during the harmonization process and to Michael Heckmann for preparing the printing material for the first edition. I hope you enjoy discovering and making music with it. A booklet with parts for Großbaßgemshorn is available from the author as an extension.
Schwäbisch Hall in March 2018
Hermann Rieth
Author:in
Hermann Rieth
had recorder lessons with his mother as a child. Later, recorder lessons and playing became an essential compensation during his studies (mathematics and physics for the higher teaching profession) and the training period to become a hand weaver. As a teacher of handicrafts, he continued this passion in making music with students.
With getting to know the Hümmelchen and Dudeys a new intensification began: learning to play the bagpipes, attending courses and making a lot of music. Soon he and a friend began organizing the Schwäbisch Haller Sackpfeifertage. In the process, he developed an interest in early music, a preoccupation with old prints and manuscripts, and an extensive collection of pieces for Hümmelchen and Dudey was formed.
