Playing alphorn music or playing music with the alphorn – a montage

“Respecting tradition means blowing on the embers to rekindle the fire, not worshipping ashes. A phrase attributed without confidence to Gustav Mahler.

If interpretation is the act of appropriating a piece of music, a work born from the soul of a composer, it’s the interpreter’s job to grasp the very essence of the message that the creator of the work is trying to convey. Stick to the information noted by the composer on the score, the unspoken words that everyone should know, and technical mastery. If he’s still alive, don’t hesitate to talk to him!

In any case, it is essential not to betray the work by too great an approximation of the text, even if it is traditional (cf. A-L Gassmann, to whom we’ll return) not to play the alphorn as one would play the trumpet in a brass band, but to maintain a “flexibility” called “RUBATO”.

• Written information: For each part, look at the performance information (“Calm”, “Dancing”, “Sad”, “Reigenmässig”; “tempi” etc.).
• The “unspoken” aspects of a score. Interpretation “codes”. Applying what’s left unsaid: upbeats – downbeats, phrasing due to style (waltz, mazurka, polka, etc.).

Ten recommendations for alphorn players

Here’s my free translation of Gassmann’s ten recommendations . What the alphorn player needs to know about his “natural” instrument [note: this article was originally written in French and contains a translation of the original text by Gassmann; here’s the original in German; for an alternative translation, see here]

1. The alphorn belongs in the mountains. So first make sure you’re well placed to produce a beautiful sound and distance effect (echoes).

2. If you’re not sure what you’re playing, first try the 6 “basic” notes ¹. In any case, start with a deep breath.
3. Take your time! Don’t rush the tempo (trumpet) ². Once you’ve started, take inspiration from the line of the Swiss mountains. Let every sound be clean and balanced, full and round. And don’t fake it.³
4. Play in a style the fits the alphorn⁴; Slow and free from time.⁵
   Not like a brass band musician clinging to his “tempo”. Listen to the “echo”.⁶ . Enjoy your musicality, it will give you pleasure. Hold the last notes for a long time and gradually let the sound disappear. Let your soul express itself. A slight vibrato can accompany this expression.
5. Don’t be afraid to play the F (7) of the alphorn. It belongs to the category of natural instruments. Play the F and A only if you recognize them well by ear. Play them quickly and not on a starting beat. ⁷
6. Don’t waste your time trying to play inappropriate music and melodies. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.⁸
7. Don’t mercilessly cut short the beautiful melodies of the mountain heart. Play the complete piece.
8. Not a day goes by without practice. That way you’ll be safe from “squeaks” and false sounds, and won’t fall prey to know-it-alls and sniggers.⁹
9. Just listen! Try something personal once in a while. Don’t underestimate your creative power.¹⁰ Try out MINOR turns of phrase and modulations.¹¹ You’ll find a virtually unexplored field.
10. Obviously attend festivals to seek distinction and recognition. But, as a good Swiss, you’ll also take part, if you have to, in more humble patriotic events, even if it means doing it for free. Man does not live by bread alone.¹²

Remarks

This notebook of compositions and compilations of tunes heard and notated by A-L Gassmann is a veritable source of inspiration for every alphorn player. Having noticed (in his own time) that the codes of interpretation (phrasing, nuances, inhabited silences, etc.) had disappeared or were in the process of disappearing, A-L Gassmann noted down as closely as possible what he heard or what he wanted in his compositions. Like the , the composers of the 19th century, a time when musicians started to play not only the works of their era, but but also old composers (cf. Mendelssohn-Bach). It’s important to put these “recommendations” into context, and as we’ll see later, to put them into perspective. They are nonetheless highly relevant, and certainly appropriate for the times in which they were written.

There is a 2011 “translation” by AMR-Villars-Bozon that deserves to be rethought and updated (here).

1. We don’t know which notes he’s talking about. Some people translate this as “the 6 authorized sounds”
   which means nothing. ↩︎
2. You can’t play an alphorn phrase like a trumpet player. It should be remembered here that the first series of alphorns, which had been made to perpetuate the playing of the instrument, had been given to brass band musicians after the 1805 Unspunnen Festival had only 2 players. This may explain Gassmann’s remark. ↩︎
3. Some have translated it as: “no frills”. This is an absolute error and a complete misunderstanding of the playing style of the time (c.f. Arias da Capo). ↩︎
4. Some people have translated “Gemäss” as “tradition”. This is a mistake. There wasn’t any tradition at that time. It’s a ex-post justification of a “false/invented tradition” they’ve since created. ↩︎
5. Which doesn’t mean “without Tempo” and with a random, whimsical rhythm. ↩︎
6. Take advantage of the acoustics of the venue you’re playing in. ↩︎
7. Note that he is not referring here to Bb, which he uses extensively in his compositions. Only F (far removed from the F of tempered music exclusively used in his time) is concerned. Some have translated this as “never on a strong beat” (Gassmann says: “Starte Taktzeit”), which would contradict bars 3 and 4 of No. 16 “Von der Rigi III” on page 40, or bars 2 and 3 of No. 33 “Alter Welsscher Kuhreihen” on page 50 (in 3/8, the 3rd beat is a strong beat). The examples could be multiplied. When translating, just don’t make the original
   say what you’d like it to say! ↩︎
8. I’m thinking here in particular of the many players who absolutely must play “Amazing Grace”, “Le vieux Chalet” or any other song. It’s not possible – the “A” is missing, and rigging the melody becomes disrespectful and pointless. ↩︎
9. The usual translation of: “This will also prevent you from being one of those who believe themselves to be alone in all knowledge and power” is totally false and inappropriate. It’s the opposite that we need to
   understand. ↩︎
10. But don’t just do anything! Music has rules that must be respected (form, harmony, etc.) You have the right to deviate from these rules, but only knowingly and justifiably. Get help from a connoisseur! ↩︎
11. The usual translation speaks of “modulation with flat. But in German, Moll means minor! ↩︎
12. As far as I’m concerned, Gassmann doesn’t mean “competitions” by the word “Feste”. These are to be avoided at all costs, as the judges hold to “traditionalist” positions, wanting to play the pieces in the manner in which the “false tradition” decreed and decided by the Yodeling Association is still very (too) much in force. Gassmann says just the opposite. ↩︎

Uf dä Bänklialp

By dint of being played a thousand different ways, with or without sheet music, this piece has gradually become distorted. We’ve added notes, breaths all over the place, organ points and so on… The trick is to get everyone to play the same version.

I propose here 4 versions, one of which is quite daring and for which I take full responsibility.

Original version

See also the Aregger sheet music here.

Version traditionally played by

Swiss Yodelling Association version 1976

Reviewed by P. Bielser

Since the second part doesn’t start with a lift, I dared, much to the chagrin of some, to consider the last quarter note of the 4th bar of the original version as a bar ending on the dominant, and thus to think of the continuation as a response.