Trembita

Trembita, rare Trembyta (plural Trembity ), Ukrainian Трембіта, is a long endgeblasene natural wooden trumpet in the Carpathian Mountains, is played particularly in the Ukraine by the people of the Hutsul and next by the highlanders in the Polish- Slovak border area.

Design

The Trembita, also called " Carpathian Trumpet" consists of up to three meters, according to other data two to five meters long, cylindrical wooden tube with a diameter of about five centimeters. The lower end expands into a slim, straight funnel, which is in contrast to the Alphorn and not curved smaller. The Trembita is composed as the alphorn of two pieces of wood. A suitable logs are sawed lengthwise in the middle, inside enucleated with the principle of a scraper bracket to train working, U-shaped blade and then glued together again. To protect the pipe is wrapped with thin strips of birch bark.

According to ancient tradition, the Trembita should only be made from the trunk of a widespread in the Carpathian Mountains, known under the name smereka Fichtenart when the tree is knocked down by a lightning strike. The thunderbolt is attributed a magical effect on the far-reaching sound of the later instrument.

Regardless of the material the Trembita one of the brass instruments, because the tones are generated solely by tension of the lips. The player blows into a removable mouth piece of metal. There is no finger holes, consequently, only the tones of the harmonic series can be generated. The range is 2.5 octaves.

Play

In the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the Trembita served as a signaling instrument to warn of a bear and the outbreak of fire; as messaging, to report about the death of a villager or to announce a wedding. This service was an unpaid social obligation, the Trembita players were paid only for their musical performances. Shepherds and cowherds of Hutsul sent earlier with a Trembita on the high pastures ( Polonina ) signals to their herd animals. To the music to entertain themselves and to dance in the market places of the villages played the shepherd on the other hand the bagpipes Duda ( at the Hutsul Dudka ).

In addition, was and is used for the Trembita ceremonial music at funerals in some rural mountain regions today. According to tradition, the deceased wrapped in the house in a towel, placed on a stretcher to the window and buried on the third day. The relatives hang a white cloth on a window of the entrance facade and blow the Trembita to publicize the event of death in the village. In the house some purity laws must be observed, neighbors are commissioned to nail a coffin made ​​of planks together that had been created specifically for this purpose some time ago. On the day of the funeral, the mourners gather with candles and brought out of the church crosses in front of the house until the priest comes and performs prayers and rituals for the dead ( pochoron ).

Always three players accompany the funeral procession. Keep on at some distance from the mourners and occur repeatedly into action when set in motion again after an interruption of the train, and after the priest finished his devotions. The musicians blow with a time offset of the start of polyphonic melodies and occasionally find a unison final together. Multiple, in some areas up to twelve times the procession must be stopped at places that carry a magic power according to popular belief. These special places can be on the side of the road a road crossing, curve, bridge or a cross ( fihura ). Every time cross themselves, participants and one of them says a short prayer before the Trembita players will be active again. Also part of the ceremony that the professional musicians get a loaf of bread in addition to their pay, they bind tightly to her instrument during the game ( in a plastic bag ).

Trembitas come in three distinct after the event Hutsul folk musical genres before music on pasture ( Polonina ), carols ( Koliadky ) and funeral music. Previously played exclusively men Trembita. From the 1970s began a few older players to teach their granddaughters. At funerals still occur on any women. Today the Trembita is sometimes used in folk music and ethno-jazz by composers who appreciate the dark, moody sounds of nature sounds.

Become nationally known is the Trembita as folkloric supplement in popular music. The Ukrainian singer Ruslana Lyschytschko built trembitas effectively in their song Wild Dances one with which they won the Euro Vision Song Contest 2004. In Wild Dances choreographed movements occur, which are derived from Hutsul dances, in Ruslana's performances the Trembita or the Ukrainian longitudinal flute Floyara be used as particular tradition acquisitions to locate a reception are as multicultural pop music style in a national Ukrainian identity. The use of the Hutsul instruments to make the playing style of Ruslana's band in the context of a national Ukrainian culture, which distinguishes it from that of Russia by David -Emil Wickstrom.

Another instrument of Hutsul is the Rih, a curved conical ( bovine ) Horn, which served for an instrumental interlude and as a vocal accompaniment. Three or four simultaneously blowing Rih player and a singer produced a kakophones sound result. In the north- western Ukraine that replaces one or two meters long tapered wooden horn Truba the Trembita. The Truba is played in the same way at funerals.