Description
Rediscover the world of drone music with the third and final volume of Obermeier’s drone polyphony. This collection of sheet music brings together 35 traditional and newly composed melodies specially selected for four- to five-part bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy ensembles. Jürgen Obermeier presents a unique blend of contemporary and traditional music that can be played on traditional drone instruments as well as on a variety of other instruments.
Versatile casting options
The works presented in this volume are arranged so that they can be played on bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies in the tunings G/C and D/G, but are also suitable for a wide range of other instruments. The flexible arrangement of keys and parts makes this work accessible not only for traditional drone instruments, but also for cello and other bass instruments. Harmony names for guitars and other harmony instruments expand the possibilities for musical expression.
Content and structure
Obermeier’s Bordun-Polyphonie – Volume 3 offers not only the sheet music for 35 melodies, but also a four-language introduction with valuable tips on instrumentation and scoring. In addition, the volume contains references to the original pieces as well as notes on performance, instrumentation and the pitches of the instruments. The foreword provides an insight into the selection of pieces, which include both traditional French melodies and compositions by contemporary musicians.
Musical diversity and adaptability
From bourrées and gigues to mazurkas and waltzes, this volume offers a rich selection of dance tunes and pieces that enrich both solo and ensemble playing. The carefully crafted accompaniment parts allow for polyphonic playing and encourage the creative combination of different voices, especially when using bagpipes.
A tribute to tradition and contemporary music
With Obermeier’s Bordun-Polyphonie – Volume 3, Jürgen Obermeier not only honors the rich tradition of drone music, but also gives expression to the works of contemporary composers and traditional musicians. Thanks to the approval of well-known musicians such as Jean Blanchard and Gilles Chabenat, their melodies are presented in a new light.
For musicians and lovers of traditional music
Obermeier’s Bordun Polyphony – Volume 3 is an indispensable resource for musicians interested in the diversity of drone music and for anyone wishing to explore the tonal possibilities of bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies and other instruments. This volume concludes a collection that is invaluable for both performance practice and musical education.
Foreword
This third volume of “Obermeier’s Polyphony” with predominantly French melodies contains 35 scores for four and five voices. 18 melodies are considered traditional, but I have not always been able to assign them to their exact areas of origin in France. 17 melodies are of more recent origin and come from contemporary traditional musicians.
The keys and parts are again chosen so that they can be played by hurdy-gurdies and bagpipes in G/C or D/G tuning (except for the parts marked 23p), but also by other musical instruments with the necessary range. The bass clef system is intended for cello, but can be used for any other bass instrument. I have tried to take into account that the drone instruments mentioned do not have all the notes of the semitone scale. In the cases of a prescribed minor second, which is available on very few bagpipes, or a second below the fundamental of the hurdy-gurdy, alternative notes were suggested in the form of double notes.
I have set the various accompanying parts in such a way that polyphonic playing is possible. However, it is advisable to reinforce the melody line, especially when using bagpipes, or to combine the voices of a piece in different ways.
The melody lines have been underlaid with harmony markings. These can be taken into account when using guitars or other harmony instruments. The system designations refer to central French bagpipes and have the following meaning:
16p
16 pouces (thumbs) stands for bagpipes with a fundamental and drones in G (sol). (drones in fifths tuning D (Re) may have to be stopped. Possible keys: G major / G minor and C major / C minor. These systems can be played by hurdy-gurdies in G/C.
20p
20 pouces stands for bagpipes with fundamental and drones in D (Re). (drones in fifths tuning A (La) must be switched off when playing with 16p instruments. Possible keys are D major / D minor (not used here) and G major / G minor. These systems can be adopted by hurdy-gurdies in “Bourbonnais tuning”, i.e. D/G.
23p
23 pouces stands for bagpipes with fundamental and drones in C (Do). Drones in fifths tuning G (Sol) can be used in combination with 16p instruments. Possible keys C major/c minor and F major / F minor (not used here). Hurdy-gurdies in D/G can only be used after retuning the strings from D (Re) to C (Do).
Vc
Violoncello stands for any suitable bass instrument.
My thanks go to the well-known musicians Jean Blanchard, Frédéric Bordois, Gilles Chabenat, Eric Elsener, J.-F. “Maxou” Heintzen and Félicie Verbruggen for the right to use their melodies with my arrangement in this volume. Once again, I would like to thank Hans-Georg Lenzen for his kind offer to use some of his drawings to decorate and design the following pages.
Michelbach, December 1999
Jürgen Obermeier
Author:in
Jürgen Obermeier
Jürgen Obermeier is an author who specializes in traditional music, especially in the field of drone music. He has published a number of works dealing with traditional and new drone music. His publications, such as the series “Obermeiers Bordun-Polyphonie”, contain interesting traditional and newly composed melodies for polyphonic bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy ensembles, which can also be played on many other instruments. Jürgen Obermeier’s books offer a valuable resource for musicians and those interested in the tradition and renewal of drone music.
