The Fifth International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony ...

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Gerda Lechleitner, Nona Lomidze
drum, which was confiscated by missionaries. <strong>The</strong> words of the men are ho-ho-ho and form the rhythm. <strong>The</strong>
women mostly sing ajajajaja.
<strong>The</strong> first song comprises a distinct melody with a distinct rhythm and consists of two parts; the second part
could be seen as a variant of the first, with slight changes in rhythm and melody (fig. 6, 7).
<strong>The</strong> recording situation of these drum songs was unusual from today’s point of view, mostly for ethic
reasons. We no longer feel that we should insist on a performance as Trebitsch did, we have learned to respect
the performers’ will. But at that time such behaviour was quite usual. From an archival perspective and today’s
point of view we might follow Hauser’s conclusion who pointed out that these recordings are unique and thus
represent the only “remaining” recordings of suakattarneq (cf. Hauser 2003: 18-19).
<strong>The</strong> animated picture tries to show the twofold form (two parts) of that song: first shifting from left to
right, and after focussing on the recording machine zooming out again (suggesting a movement from right
to left) (video ex. 2).
4. Soldier Songs of the Austro-Hungarian Army
<strong>The</strong> series of soldier songs was made on behalf of the former Ministry of War (the k. u. k. Kri–
egsministerium), which in November 1915 turned to the Phonogrammarchiv asking whether there already
existed a collection of such songs. This was not the case, and therefore a project was initiated. Leo Hajek,
since 1912 assistant in the Phonogrammarchiv, was chosen to carry out that project. As he wrote in his report,
the commanding officers of the relevant battalions were informed and asked to select qualified singers (cf.
Lechleitner, 2000: 35-36). Hajek had an advanced recording equipment at his disposal, the Archiv-Phonograph
Type IV, which was lighter still as the types before and, above all, easier to handle. He was very skilful in
grouping a choir and a regimental band before the horn so that even songs with brass accompaniment can
be clearly heard. Hajek’s technical ability is one reason for conceding the “best” historical recordings of
multipart music to him.
It is a Slovakian soldier song made by Leo Hajek during WWI in Szászváros (Hungary), featuring
simultaneously a choir and a brass band. This recording took place “indoors”, having the advantage of the
acoustics of a (closed) room (like a studio) and deriving its quality from the cooperation with professional
musicians (audio ex. 3).
This piece of music is a kind of Polka with the chorus made up of onomatopoetic syllables:
/: Neďaleko lesa u vody,
drnky, brnky, drnky, brnky.
Trhala tam moja milá, jahody,
drnky, brnky, drnky, brnky.
Neďaleko lesa u vody,
drnky, brnky, drnky, brnky.
Trhala tam moja milá, jahody,
ajnc, cvaj, drei. :/
In respect of the other Slovakian soldier songs, all of them are old folk songs and sung in unison; this
example is considered to be a curiosity (cf. Elschek, 2000: 45).
Conclusion
<strong>The</strong>se four examples show various types of multipart music from different parts of the world. <strong>The</strong> analysis
reveals multipart singing in form of an improvisation of a melody within a distinct (rhythmic and formal)
frame, a specific kind of women’s overtone-singing (i.e. the amplification of distinct overtones), a song with
one voice singing the melody accompanied by the other singers performing the rhythmic accompaniment by
their voices (imitating the drums), and a typical unison choir accompanied by a brass ensemble in harmonics.