Folk music of Switzerland

Due to the lack of the detailed documents, little is recognized about the Swiss traditional music previous in the 19^th century. Some of the 16^th century lute tablatures have reconstructed into authentic instrumental arrangement, though, the first main source of information arrival during in the 19^th century repertories of the traditional chants, and composition done by musicologist like Hanny Christen. One of the oldest types of the traditional music was the Swiss chant known as Kujreihen; it is an agricultural Alpone chant in the Lydian mode. The folk instruments include hammered dulcimer, shawm, alphorn, fife, castanets, rebec, cittern, bagpipe, castanets and hurdy-gurdy.

source of picture: www.tritonus.ch 

In the beginning in the 19^th century, Swiss traditional music was vastly done by ensembles made of traveling artists and solo performances using an instrument, with only a few duos. In the 30s, though, the Swiss military was known, dominating to the creation of brass ensembles that utilized current instruments. These instruments, extremely is brass or wind, and it was created much better than those played by nomadic, and artists introduced them back to their locality. Indigenous players incorporated these bands, which played dance music for festivals and other festivities. Dance pattern which include mazurka, polka, waltz and schottische.

In the year 1829, the accordion was innovated in Vienna, and it was extensive to Switzerland by the year 1836. The accordion was renowned because it was relatively easy to play and cheap to get, and took only one artist to play the song and supplement. During in the 1850s, the accordion was an essential section of Swiss traditional music, and semi- professional bands were emerging to play at large social dances. Couple with the brass ensembles come cord instruments such as the double bass and violin; cord ensembles later started to replace the older brass ensembles. The accordion, though, did not make an emergence in these dance ensembles until around the year 1903, and it finally substituted the two violins which had become standard.

Following the World War II, Switzerland became more heavily developed, and music shifted from the cities like Zurich. Rural traditional music became the very renowned pattern for middle-level spectators, and artists like Stocker (Stocker Sepp) became popular over the country. Stocker knew his spectator liked the exotic acclaim of the rural music, and so he introduced the folk costumes from Unterwalden for his ensemble. This was the starting of laendlermusic.

In the urban region of the Switzerland, traditional music started to combine with the current patterns, like the jazz and the foxtrot, while the saxophone substituted the clarinet. In the beginning in the 1930s, the Swiss government started to inspire a national uniqueness which was different from Germany other neighbouring countries. Laendlermusic became related with this uniqueness and increased even more famous.

Following the World War II, though, laedlermusic rapidly increased less famous with the influx of imported patterns. The filed also increased less different, with more standardized ensemble methods and only four or five dance kinds in the collection. In the 60s, trios made up of two accordions and a double bass were the most popular method, and many Swiss people felt it was civic rights to preserve this custom and protect it against evolve. They have vastly achieved in stopping the change, but the filed has increased stagnant and much less renowned. There are still famous artists such as Carlo Brunner, Markus Flueckiger, Res Schmid, Willi Vzalotti, and Dani Haeusler, but also the total supporter base has shrunk hugely

During in the late 1990s, and particularly in the 2000s from around the year 2008 to the present, the family ensemble known as Oesch’s die Dritten, a yodeling family from the Bernese Oberland, have been enjoying achievement. Their method is a Schwyzeroergeli (small accordion) which is played by Hans Oesch, a guitar, an electric bass, and a large accordion.

The rural Appenzell area is a main point of the traditional music. Whilst other sections of the Switzerland accepted the accordion (Langnauerli and Schwyzerorgeli) during in the 19^th century, Appenzell kept the violin and hammered dulcimer. Cord music from Appenzell is famous all over the Switzerland. In its initial plan (two violins, cello, dulcimer and contrabass) is of great importance, while the accordion and piano are also featured in some of the creations.