Post by Dick Glasgow on Jun 25, 2007 23:57:10 GMT 1
Gusli - A Russian Folk Psaltery:
The Gusli - handmade Russian folk psaltery
Gusli is a Russian folk psaltery, a kind of a harp.
In Finland Gusli are called "Kantele" or "Kannel", in Estonia "Kannel", in Karelia "Kandele", in Latvia "Kokle" or "Kuokle" and in Lithuania "Kankles".
The Greek historians Theofilact and Theophan were the first to mention the gusli.
In the end of the 6th Century the Greeks took Slavonic prisoners and found a musical instrument named gusli.
Ancient gusli also mentioned in the Russian chronicles (byliny).
In the famous Russian folk epic "The Lay of the Host of Igor" it is played by the eleventh-century court bard Boyan.
Gusli - handmade Russian folk psaltery
Gusli is a Russian folk psaltery, a kind of a harp.
In Finland Gusli are called "Kantele" or "Kannel", in Estonia "Kannel", in Karelia "Kandele", in Latvia "Kokle" or "Kuokle" and in Lithuania "Kankles".
The Greek historians Theofilact and Theophan were the first to mention the gusli.
In the end of the 6th Century the Greeks took Slavonic prisoners and found a musical instrument named gusli.
Ancient gusli also mentioned in the Russian chronicles (byliny).
In the famous Russian folk epic "The Lay of the Host of Igor" it is played by the eleventh-century court bard Boyan.
Gusli - handmade Russian folk psalteryThe Modern Gusli
The gusli became somewhat scarce at the turn of the last century, but the instrument, its music and culture were preserved in time to prevent its loss.
The instrument below is of the 'wing-shaped' style, from early in this century.
(There is also a 'helmet-shaped' style, shown in the image at the top of this webpage.)
It is a trapezoidal box, about 50mm deep and 850-900mm on the longest side.
There are about 15 steel strings.
They are secured over the short end on hooks, then spread as they cross the soundboard (and its soundhole).
Their vibrating length is determined by a bridge floating out over the soundboard, and then the free ends are wound around tuning pins.
Russian Gusli
The gusli became somewhat scarce at the turn of the last century, but the instrument, its music and culture were preserved in time to prevent its loss.
The instrument below is of the 'wing-shaped' style, from early in this century.
(There is also a 'helmet-shaped' style, shown in the image at the top of this webpage.)
It is a trapezoidal box, about 50mm deep and 850-900mm on the longest side.
There are about 15 steel strings.
They are secured over the short end on hooks, then spread as they cross the soundboard (and its soundhole).
Their vibrating length is determined by a bridge floating out over the soundboard, and then the free ends are wound around tuning pins.
Russian GusliThe history of the Gusli
The gusli is one of the oldest musical instruments that have played an important role in the Russian music culture.
The Greek historians Theofilact and Theophan were the first to mention the gusli: Under the war in the end of the 6th Century, the Greeks took Slavonic prisoners and found a musical instrument named the gusli.
This corresponds to what the Arabic authors Al-Masudi and Ibn-Dasta told in the 10th Century.
In the slavonic publications, you find descriptions of the Russian folkinstrument the gusli in the beginning of the 12th - 13th Century.
The instrument is described as an easy 5 stringed box made of wood.
These strings were tuned like this: A, C, E, G, A.
It was played like this: the strings that were not to be used were muted with the left hand, and a playstick was placed in the right hand.
The playstick was used to press the rest of the open strings.
The gusli was only used as accompaniment to the song and especially to the travelling scalds who used their songs to tell about the antiquity and to praise the princes and their relations.
Little by little, more strings were put on the gusli - 10 then 13 - and the way of playing was changed.
You began to use the harp method.
The history of the Gusli
The gusli is one of the oldest musical instruments that have played an important role in the Russian music culture.
The Greek historians Theofilact and Theophan were the first to mention the gusli: Under the war in the end of the 6th Century, the Greeks took Slavonic prisoners and found a musical instrument named the gusli.
This corresponds to what the Arabic authors Al-Masudi and Ibn-Dasta told in the 10th Century.
In the slavonic publications, you find descriptions of the Russian folkinstrument the gusli in the beginning of the 12th - 13th Century.
The instrument is described as an easy 5 stringed box made of wood.
These strings were tuned like this: A, C, E, G, A.
It was played like this: the strings that were not to be used were muted with the left hand, and a playstick was placed in the right hand.
The playstick was used to press the rest of the open strings.
The gusli was only used as accompaniment to the song and especially to the travelling scalds who used their songs to tell about the antiquity and to praise the princes and their relations.
Little by little, more strings were put on the gusli - 10 then 13 - and the way of playing was changed.
You began to use the harp method.
The history of the Gusli