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Hail, Noble Scholar! I have a question for you, if your studies allow you a second to spare towards the idle musings of your fellows. Given the similarities between Dwarves and Diaspora Jews, how would you say our Noble folk feel about Klezmer music? Understandably, accordians are not chronologicaly sound in Middle Earth, but otherwise... Thoughts?
Well met!
For those not familiar with the type of music talked about here, Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. It’s (usually) the type of lively dance tune (or instrumental pieces) often played at Jewish weddings and other celebrations. Sadly, we don’t know that much about dwarvish music, but we know enough to discuss it a bit more and compare it with Klezmer I think.
“Now for some music!” said Thorin. “Bring out the instruments!” – The Hobbit, Chapter I An Unexpected Party
Let’s first have a look at the instruments and sounds both of these musical genres are known for. The details listed below on “Dwarvish Music” are plucked directly from Chapter I of The Hobbit by the way. Though there may very well be other instruments used by the dwarves, only these were mentioned to have been used by the company. These were the instruments as well the Company used to perform “Far over the Misty Mountains Cold”.
Klezmer: Violin, Cymbalom, Clarinet, Accordion, Trombone, Trumpet, Piano, Double Bass, Cello, Flute (Generally instrumental)
Dwarvish Music: Fiddle, Flute, Drum, Clarinet, Viol, Harp (with Deep-Throated Singing)
One big difference we see when we look at the above list is the lack of vocals in Klezmer. Now, it must be said that at weddings a Klezmer band is traditionally accompanied by the vocal stylings of the badkhn (wedding entertainer), but that seems to be the general exception and not the rule. Dwarvish Music has an emphasis on singing, which Klezmer generally lacks.
This illustration of the dwarves making music in Bilbo’s hobbit hole is by The Brothers Hildebrandt.
“And suddenly first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes”
The above line from The Hobbit tells us a lot about Dwarvish music. Firstly, that it likely used perpetual canon (round) - where a minimum of three voices sing the same melody, but with each voice beginning at different times (which they nailed in the movie I think). Secondly, it tells us that this is likely an ancient tradition. Seeing that non-dwarves were around on this particular occasion, and the secrecy dwarves have for their own tongue, it is logical that they would sing in the common tongue (as they did); but I would fully expect the dwarvish language to be preserved in this ancient musical mode (as is the case often with a language that has become a language or lore largely) - and sung in that tongue when the audience would be all dwarves. Another element we mustn’t just glance over is the “Deep-Throated singing”. When most of us hear “deep-throated singing” we think of Tuvan or Mongolian throat singing. Here there is no mention though of the typical simultaneous pitch singing that is so characteristic of Tuvan throat singing (nor is this kind of Throat singing known for its perpetual canon in choir).
With that in mind, I am more inclined to believe it refers to very deep singing or (at best?) a deep-throated singing that has one pitch. When we look around in the world for such deep-throated singing that often uses canon we find only a few examples of it. One such example is The Sardinian “cantu a tenòre”, where each singer has a distinct role in the deep-throated chorus and the repeated canon is a distinct feature. Listen for a moment to the next fragment of a typical “cantu a tenòre” and as you do, in your head replace the Sardinian latin sounds (and the nonsense syllables - for example bim-bam-boo) with the lyrics of Far over the Misty Mountains cold (maybe even in Khuzdul)… I’m no musician, but I for one could see this work, especially if we add the instruments to the mix.
Ballu Seriu starts with single voices (Oche, Bassu, Contra, Mesu Oche).Tenores di Bitti Mialinu Pira. Live recording in Modena, June 2011.
Food for thought… but we are being carried away here, back to our topic at hand. Looking at the instruments here we clearly see a few similarities between Klezmer and Dwarvish music (flutes, violin/fiddle, clarinet, etc…). But on the other hand, many of the instruments that are so typical about Klezmer and its sound are lacking completely from Dwarvish music.
I think we can safely say with the above in mind that Dwarvish Music (at least the genre played by the company - as we have no idea IF there are other dwarvish musical genres) is distinctly different from Klezmer.
So on that note, though Tolkien ensured Dwarves have much in common with the Jewish people, their music seems to be of a slightly different style. Then again, we can’t rule out that Dwarves would not have played a more lively (typical Klezmer) tune at a wedding or other celebration, after all, the meeting at Bilbo’s house was hardly cause for celebration and their song was a solemn moment.
Ever at your service,
The Dwarrow Scholar
Artwork outtake from blue twenty-nine: Abysmal Growls of Despair
http://bluetapes.co.uk/product/blue-twenty-nine-abysmal-growls-of-despair
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We did some great work this year 2019: A year in tapes! (And one CD)
2019 sucked but we did some good stuff. Here's a reminder!
blue thirty-two: Stuart Chalmers and Taming Power
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blue thirty-one: Thank You, Merciless Onlookers / Helen and Gavin The A side is a live set from me at Café OTO, with harmonium, piano, glockenspiel, laptop and rain sound entwining in a meditative drone thing. B side is Sussex Christmas carols and Indian chanting - unpretentious, lo-fi, fun.
blue thirty: Ratkiller Brilliant, surreal, abstract electronic mindgames from Estonian scene leader Mihkel Kleis. Strange, psychedelic music from the outer reaches.
blue twenty-nine: Abysmal Growls of Despair Unbelievably epic kargyraa-doom. So heavy and unrelenting that it becomes transcendent. Has to be heard - FELT - to be fathomed. Available on CD and tape!
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Artwork outtake from blue twenty-nine: Abysmal Growls of Despair
Artwork outtake from blue twenty-nine: Abysmal Growls of Despair
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Buy here on tape or CD: http://bluetapes.co.uk/product/blue-twenty-nine-abysmal-growls-of-despair
blue twenty-nine: Abysmal Growls of Despair
Incredible, penetrating psychedelic doom with kargyraa throat singing vocals.
Buy from bluetapes.bandcamp.com
Throat-singing, a guttural style of singing or chanting, is one of the world's oldest forms of music. For those who think the human voice can produce only one note at a time, the resonant harmonies of throat-singing are surprising. In throat-singing, a singer can produce two or more notes
The Smithsonian Folkways gives an overview of throat singing as practiced by the Tuvans in rural Russia and Mongolia, the Inuit in Northern Canada, and the Xhosa people of Bantu origin in South Africa. Check out this article to read more, and watch videos showing the practices in action.