The Jew’s Harp in the Pocket -
A music festival of a special kind

For a whole week, from the 22nd – 28th of June, the Jew’s harp was the centre of interest at a unique international festival in Molln/ Upper Austria. Playing this inconspicuous instrument 90 musicians from 20 nations swept along their listeners into a magic world of sound colours and rhythms.
The types of Jew’s harps, the styles and manners of play may differ, but the Jew’s players from Japan, Siberia, Austria, India, USA, Indonesia, Norway … they all speak the same language, the natural tone series.
Made of bamboo, iron, brass or wood, the Jew’s harp unfolds its variety of sounds only within the oral cavity that serves as an amplifier and former.
Jew’s harps made of bamboo, bones, and wood probably existed already several thousand years ago; the oldest one made of iron dates back from a finding in Japan and is more than 1200 years old; in Europe the oldest one stems from the 13th century, for more than 400 years Jew’s harps have been produced in Molln. Molln, the European centre of the Jew’s harp-forging-tradition, was selected for the third meeting of the international Jew’s harp community after the two international Jew’s harp congresses in the USA and Yakutia/ Siberia.
During the first days various aspects of Jew’s harp culture were presented and discussed in lectures and debates: The Jew’s harp in the context of overtone music, various techniques of playing, the manufacture of the instrument, its relation to eroticism, the application of the Jew’s harp in musical therapy. During the week, for all Jew’s harp freaks and those who wanted to become one there was plenty of time to talk to experts and excellent musicians from all over the world, to get acquainted with various styles and techniques of playing and, of course, to use the occasion in order to buy one or two exquisite pieces for the own Jew’s harp collection.
The evening concerts presented successfully the unique musical tradition of the different nations, the individual expression the musicians put into their play, the Jew’s harp’s harmony with the ensemble, and an open-minded meeting of traditional styles and avant-garde experiments.
May I give prominence to a few performances of this fascinating wide range. The group from Sakha-Yakutia (Siberia) arriving with more than a dozen musicians inspired by their masterly and colourful solo- and ensemble-playing giving insight into a culture in which the Jew’s harp (khomus) plays a central role and its forgers are considered to be some of the best in the world. Tran Quang Hai, a Vietnamese musicologist, composer and musician living in Paris, electrified his audience with his dynamic and expressive playing evoking frenzies of enthusiasm. Anton Bruhin (Switzerland) who is known in the scene for his well-contrived playing styles and his tendency to cross musical borders surprised with his witty play and technical refinement, but also with a Jew’s harp stimulated by electromagnetic waves and created by himself. Bolot Bayryshev from Gorniy Altay who had already worked with Joe Zawinul and other international stars fascinated not only on the Jew’s harp, also his overtone singing on unfathomably deep key notes moved his audience.

For me this festival was one of the most intensive and successful of all those that I have experienced so far. Although it focused on one instrument it was still diversified and world-wide and offered the possibility of a vivid exchange among various cultures; the possibility to dive into instead of merely enduring the programme. The “Mollner Maultrommelfreunde” have realised a project of international standards.
The Jew’s harp has freed from the pocket and is on the way to present itself as a global player. It makes you listen attentively and – in the opinion of the Yakuts – it will be the instrument of the 21st century.

Gottfried Schmuck

from the music magazine Rewind: Concerto No. 4

International Jew's Harp Festival 1998 - Plakat

Another important Voice about the International Jew’s Harp Festival in Molln: Frederick Crane, USA

For over 20 years, I have been getting acquainted with the performances of the world’s leading trumpists-on recordings and in person. It has been a history of exposure to ever more variety, as I heard from more geographical styles, and more varied personal styles.

The culmination (so far) came in Molln, with by far the greatest diversity ever heard in one place at one time. There were traditional musics form many places in Asia, from the U.S.A., and, for the first time at an international congress, from a large number of European countries. Among features particularly impressive to me were Ånon Egeland’s subtle and sophisticated Norwegian rhythms, and the amount of excellent playing on wooden trumps by people form many places.

But probably a majority of the trump pieces, from everywhere, were improvisations. Here one hears a preponderance of non-harmonic-series playing techniques, in great variety. I suspect that such techniques have been inspired to a large degree by the playing of the Yakuts and other Siberians; but undoubtedly very many players today are working out their own special sounds, and contemplating how to integrate them into organized improvisations. Another strong trend is to include throat-singing and other Tuvan/Mongolian-type vocalisms together with trumping, sometimes even simultaneously.

With the Wednesday evening performances of the Austrian duo Attwenger, we heard the trump strikingly employed in avant-garde pop music. And with an Albrechtsberger concerto, there was even a bit of written-out art music (not to mention Leo Tadagawa’s playing of the William Tell Overture on a mail coupon).

Frederick Crane

Festival, Molln

RITUAL – REDE

der Sacha-Jakuten
beim Sonnwendfeuer in Molln am Donnerstag, 25.Juni 1998

Rotbärtiger!
Rothaariger!
Rotgesichtiger!
Höchstverehrter Geist des großen Feuers!
Kräftiger Temerije (1) !

Wir verbeugen uns vor Dir,
Vor Deiner Hitze,
Vor Deinen springenden Flammen.
Die Zeit ist gekommen,
um Heil zu erbitten.
Hilf uns, daß wir uns an die hellen
Örtlichen Götter wenden können!

Geist der Alpenberge!
Ernähre Dich von den jakutischen Oladja (2)
Und vom Heldengetränk Kumys (3) !
Nimm, Du Geist von Molln!
Nimm, Du Geist der Felder und Wälder!
Sei uns böse gesonnen deswegen,
Daß wir aus einem anderen Land gekommen sind.
Wir bitten darum,
Daß wir in diese fruchtbare Landschaft
Aufgenommen werden wie eigene Kinder.

Wir bitten die acht Gründergöttinnen
Uns zu beschützen.
Wir bitten die sieben Schutzgöttinnen
Uns glücklich zu machen.
Schickt allen Teilnehmern am Festival
Glück und Gesundheit.
Das Festival soll nur von
Friede und Freundschaft geprägt sein.

——————————

1) Name des Feuergeistes in Sacha-Jakutien
2) Jakutischer kleiner Brotfladen
3) Jakutisches Nationalgetränk aus vergorener Stutenmilch

Festival, Geschichte, Molln

At the Solstice-Fire - Sonnwendfeuer in Molln, Austria

RITUAL – REDE
der Sacha-Jakuten
beim Sonnwendfeuer in Molln am Donnerstag, 25.Juni 1998

Rotbärtiger!
Rothaariger!
Rotgesichtiger!
Höchstverehrter Geist des großen Feuers!
Kräftiger Temerije (1) !

Marfa Badajeva (RF Sakha-Yakutia) Foto: Henk Postma

Wir verbeugen uns vor Dir,
Vor Deiner Hitze,
Vor Deinen springenden Flammen.
Die Zeit ist gekommen,
um Heil zu erbitten.
Hilf uns, daß wir uns an die hellen
Örtlichen Götter wenden können!

Jerzy Andrushko (Poland) Foto: Henk Postma

Geist der Alpenberge!
Ernähre Dich von den jakutischen Oladja (2)
Und vom Heldengetränk Kumys (3) !
Nimm, Du Geist von Molln!
Nimm, Du Geist der Felder und Wälder!

Bolot Bayrishev (RF Gornij Altai) Foto: Henk Postma

Sei uns böse gesonnen deswegen,
Daß wir aus einem anderen Land gekommen sind.
Wir bitten darum,
Daß wir in diese fruchtbare Landschaft
Aufgenommen werden wie eigene Kinder.

Heinz Anzinger and Manfred Rußmann (Austria)

Wir bitten die acht Gründergöttinnen
Uns zu beschützen.
Wir bitten die sieben Schutzgöttinnen
Uns glücklich zu machen.
Schickt allen Teilnehmern am Festival
Glück und Gesundheit.
Das Festival soll nur von
Friede und Freundschaft geprägt sein.

——————————

1) Name des Feuergeistes in Sacha-Jakutien
2) Jakutischer kleiner Brotfladen
3) Jakutisches Nationalgetränk aus vergorener Stutenmilch

Christoph Köpf (Mollner Maultrommler, Austria)

R. Sagretinov and M. Sainetdinov (RF Baschkortostan) Foto: Henk Postma

Anton Bruhin (Switzerland) Foto: Henk Postma

Gordon Frazier (USA) and Robert Rußmann (Austria)

Alexander Horsch and Aron Szilagyi (Hungary)

Ensemble Keremet (Kirgistan) Foto: Henk Postma

Koichi Makigami (Japan) and Bolot Bajryschev (RF Gornij Altai) Foto: Henk Postma

The Jew’s Harp in the Pocket
A music festival of a special kind

For a whole week, from the 22nd – 28th of June, the Jew’s harp was the centre of interest at a unique international festival in Molln/ Upper Austria. Playing this inconspicuous instrument 90 musicians from 20 nations swept along their listeners into a magic world of sound colours and rhythms.
The types of Jew’s harps, the styles and manners of play may differ, but the Jew’s players from Japan, Siberia, Austria, India, USA, Indonesia, Norway … they all speak the same language, the natural tone series.
Made of bamboo, iron, brass or wood, the Jew’s harp unfolds its variety of sounds only within the oral cavity that serves as an amplifier and former.
Jew’s harps made of bamboo, bones, and wood probably existed already several thousand years ago; the oldest one made of iron dates back from a finding in Japan and is more than 1200 years old; in Europe the oldest one stems from the 13th century, for more than 400 years Jew’s harps have been produced in Molln. Molln, the European centre of the Jew’s harp-forging-tradition, was selected for the third meeting of the international Jew’s harp community after the two international Jew’s harp congresses in the USA and Yakutia/ Siberia.
During the first days various aspects of Jew’s harp culture were presented and discussed in lectures and debates: The Jew’s harp in the context of overtone music, various techniques of playing, the manufacture of the instrument, its relation to eroticism, the application of the Jew’s harp in musical therapy. During the week, for all Jew’s harp freaks and those who wanted to become one there was plenty of time to talk to experts and excellent musicians from all over the world, to get acquainted with various styles and techniques of playing and, of course, to use the occasion in order to buy one or two exquisite pieces for the own Jew’s harp collection.
The evening concerts presented successfully the unique musical tradition of the different nations, the individual expression the musicians put into their play, the Jew’s harp’s harmony with the ensemble, and an open-minded meeting of traditional styles and avant-garde experiments.
May I give prominence to a few performances of this fascinating wide range. The group from Sakha-Yakutia (Siberia) arriving with more than a dozen musicians inspired by their masterly and colourful solo- and ensemble-playing giving insight into a culture in which the Jew’s harp (khomus) plays a central role and its forgers are considered to be some of the best in the world. Tran Quang Hai, a Vietnamese musicologist, composer and musician living in Paris, electrified his audience with his dynamic and expressive playing evoking frenzies of enthusiasm. Anton Bruhin (Switzerland) who is known in the scene for his well-contrived playing styles and his tendency to cross musical borders surprised with his witty play and technical refinement, but also with a Jew’s harp stimulated by electromagnetic waves and created by himself. Bolot Bayryshev from Gorniy Altay who had already worked with Joe Zawinul and other international stars fascinated not only on the Jew’s harp, also his overtone singing on unfathomably deep key notes moved his audience.

For me this festival was one of the most intensive and successful of all those that I have experienced so far. Although it focused on one instrument it was still diversified and world-wide and offered the possibility of a vivid exchange among various cultures; the possibility to dive into instead of merely enduring the programme. The “Mollner Maultrommelfreunde” have realised a project of international standards.
The Jew’s harp has freed from the pocket and is on the way to present itself as a global player. It makes you listen attentively and – in the opinion of the Yakuts – it will be the instrument of the 21st century.

Gottfried Schmuck
from the music magazine Rewind: Concerto No. 4

Ursula Leitner and Robert Rußmann (Austria)

Leo Tadagwa (Japan) Foto: Henk Postma

Magdalena Rußmann (Austria)

Mike Seeger (USA) Foto: Henk Postma

Tobias Ott (Germany)

Phons Bakx and Enno Meijers (Netherlands) Foto: Henk Postma

Hans Pomaßl (Austria) Foto: Henk Postma

Ivan Alexej and Spiridon Shishigin (RF Sakha-Yakutia) Foto: Henk Postma

Sibylle Starkbaum (Austria) and Bolot Bajryschev (RF Gornij Altai) Foto: Henk Postma

Ensemble Tapani Varis (Finland) Foto: Henk Postma

International Jew´s Harp Festival 1998
PREFACE

“According to its atmosphere and its musical quality it was one of the best and most interesting music festivals of its kind” was the unanimous opinion of the critics about the International Jew’s Harp Festival in Molln/Upper Austria, June 20-28 1998.
The now available double CD does not only reflect this atmosphere but also gives a comprehensive survey of the phenomenon of a world-wide Jew’s harp boom, a new peak in the eventful history of this fascinating instrument.
At the beginning of the 20th century the Jew’s harp, which has existed for about 5,000 years and is thus one of the world’s oldest instruments, almost disappeared from the musical scene for various reasons: At the beginning of the 19th century in Molln/Austria 35 family businesses still produced 2.5 million Jew’s harps per year. In the Age of Romanticism its esoteric sound captured the drawing rooms of European artists and rulers. At the end of the 19th century the artistic playing on up to 10 Jew’s harps had lost its appeal. The invention of the harmonica had created a competitor for the popular pocket instrument of the inhabitants of the Alps. As a result of industrialisation, mechanisation, and competition in production, quantity had triumphed over quality. During the 20th century (with the exception of the Alpine countries, North America, and some parts of Asia) the Jew’s harp sank to the level of a souvenir and a children’s instrument.

During the Stalinist era among the Turkic people of the Soviet Union who have a pronounced tradition of playing and producing the Jew’s harp the instrument was forbidden as a national peculiarity and prohibited because of its close relationship to shamanism.
During the 1960s while in Eastern Europe de-Stalinization proceeded, there grew an opposition against the affluent society and the naive belief in progress in Western countries. A renaissance of Jew’s harp music connected with new esotericism, shamanism, natural sounds and authentic Eastern and Western folk music developed independently at different places.
Many of the central figures of this renaissance are both musicians and scientists: Fred Crane in the USA, Leo Tadagawa in Japan, Ivan Alexeyev in Sakha-Yakutia/Russian Federation, Ånon Egeland in Norway, Phons Bakx in the Netherlands, Anton Bruhin in Switzerland, Manfred Russmann in Austria. During the 1990s the progress in sound and communication technology furthered an intensive world-wide exchange of views among all Jew’s harp freaks via e-mail as well as a prolific relationship between the Jew’s harp and electronic music.
The First International Jew’s Harp Festival took place in Iowa City/USA in 1984. Although its main focus centred on Northern American Jew’s harp music also some European musicians participated in the festival and for the first time the Western musicians had the chance to listen to tapes of the Jew’s harp music of the Siberian peoples.
In 1991 at the Second International Jew’s Harp Congress and Festival, which was held in Yakutsk/ Sakha-Yakutia/Russian Federation, all the leading Jew’s harp musicians, scientists, and makers of the Soviet Union met at one place for the first time. The USA and Europe presented about five participants each.

David Holt (USA) and Helga, the fastest driver of the Festival

Wayne Hankin (USA) Foto: Henk Postma

Anneliese Brandstätter and Günther Arnold (Germany)

Walter Schulz and Tom Bienzle (Shruti Box, Germany)

Attwenger (Austria)

Anon Egeland (Norway) Foto: Henk Postma

The aims of the Third International Jew’s Harp Congress and Festival in Molln/Austria in 1998 were to have a balanced proportion among the participants of the leading Jew’s harp cultures in Asia, Europe, and America, to give a survey of the various styles of classical music, folk, rock, and electronic music, to present the latest insights and scientific works on the Jew’s harp and its relationship to various aspects of overtone music, eroticism, and music therapy.
The Fourth and Fifth Jew’s Harp Congress and Festival will take place in Amsterdam/Netherlands and in Norway.
Because it’s simple and complex at the same time the Jew’s harp is the instrument of the 21st century – as Yakutian people would say.

Enjoy the journey through the world of the Jew’s harp, the small medium for the great totality.

Genießen Sie die Reise durch die Welt der Maultrommel, dem kleinen Medium für das große Ganze.

Dr. Franz Kumpl
Chairman of the ”Austrian Jew’s Harp Society”
President of the International Jew’s Harp Association”

Festival, Fotos, Geschichte, Maultrommel, Molln

International Jew´s Harp Festival 1998
3rd Jew’s Harp World Congress

Program

Monday: 3 p.m. Opening of the 3rd Jew´s Harp

22. 6. 1998 World Congress

overtone music, mouth bow, overtone singing

8 p.m. big Opening ceremony of the
Jew´s Harp Festival:
Opening and moderation Franz Kumpl and Manfred Rußmann. Grand entrance of the members of the traditional costumes-group. Speech of Mrs. Angela Ortner (president of the provincial government) and Mr. Erich Dirngrabner (mayor of Molln).
The participating countries (16 nations) present themselves with a short piece of music. Speech of Mr. Ivan Alexejev, president of the International Jew´s Harp Center in Jakutsk.

4 – 8 p.m.  Special Post-Office on our festival area with the special
post-mark “International Jew´s Harp Festival”

Tuesday: 9 a.m. Congress: Techniques of trump playing, history, trump production,

23. 6. 1998 discussions, round tables, presentation of the book of
Angela Mohr
9 a.m. Presentation of films: The Shaman
The Song of Harmonics from Tran Quang Hai
Film about Spiridon Shishigin from Gerd Conradt
The Trump in the Trouser Pocket (Video)

7 30 p.m. Concert: “The Trump in the Trouser Pocket”
alpine style (Austria, Europe), moderator Mikl Phillipp
with:

Mittenwalder Maultrommler (Germany)
Maultrommeltrio Hüttlinger (Germany)
Leitner Ursula (Austria)
Mollner Maultrommler (Austria)
Raschhofer Terzett (Austria)
Weerberger Maultrommler (Austria)
Jocher Hans (Italy)
Ramoner Michael (Italy)
Zauchenseer Viergesang (Austria)

Wednesday: 9 a.m. Congress: Trump and eroticism, music therapy, the trump in popular
24. 6. 1998 music, classic and literature

8 p.m. Concert: Attwenger, live-groovin´-downbeat-slang-sound (Austria)
About Attwenger

Thursday: „Trump is Liberty” 7 p.m. in the evening big fire of summer
25. 6. 1998 solstice, free performances, international sessions

2 – 6 p.m. We have a special Post-Office on our festival area with the special
post-mark “3rd Jew´s Harp World Congress”

„A Jew’s Harp Journey
around the World”

from Friday to Sunday: Concerts with Jew´s Harp Players
from all over the world !

* Friday: 6 p.m. – 12 p.m. USA, Europe

26. 6. 1998
Brandstätter Annelies (Austria)
Günther Arnold (Germany)
Conradt Gerd (Germany)
Anton Bruhin (Switzerland)
Frko D.L. (Slovakia)
Alexander Horsch (Hungary)
Miklos Paisz (Hungary)
Aron Szilagyi (Hungary)
Calanduccio Emanuele (Italy)
Frederick Crane (USA)
Gordon Frazier (USA)
Janet Gohring (USA)
Bill Gohring (USA)
Larry Hanks (USA)
David Holt (USA)
Mike Seeger (USA)
Mollner Maultrommler (Austria)
Paulus Albin (Austria)

festival area

* Saturday: 3 p.m. – 12 p.m. Europe, Russian Federation

27. 6. 1998
Shruti Box (Germany)
Tapani Varis and Band (Finland)
Phons Bakx (Netherlands)
Enno Meijers (Netherlands)
Anon Egeland (Norway)
Folke B. Nesland (Norway)
Vadutov Rajap (RF Bashkortostan)
Zagretdinov Robert (RF Bashkortostan)
Zainetdinov Mindigafur (RF Bashkortostan)
Bairyshev Bolot (RF Gonij Altai)
Alexeyev Ivan (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Badayeva Marfa (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Borisov Kim (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Burtsev German (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Gotovtsev Innokenti (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Ivanov Alexandr (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Kalachev Leonid (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Shishigin Spiridon (RF Sakha-Yakutia)
Kuular Anatoli (RF Tuva)

Hans Pomassl (Austria)
Christian Fennesz (Austria)
special compositions of electronic Jew´s Harp sound

* Sunday: 10 30 a.m. – 12 a.m. Traditional morning pint and concerts

28. 6. 1998 of the Molln hometown brass orchestras

3 p.m. – open end Asia

Yedil Khusainov (Kasachstan)
Ensemble Keremet (Kirgistan)
Tran Quang Hai (Vietnam)
Isomija Emiko (Japan)
Leo Tadagawa (Japan)
Shigiko Teshi (Japan)
Toko Midori (Japan)
Toyama Saki (Japan)
Yamamoto Eiko (Japan)
Banay Mulu (Taiwan)
Ramesh Shotam (India) and Tobias Ott (Germany)

Bodo Hell (Austria) with Anton Bruhin (Switzerland)
Jew´s Harp and Poems

Sibylle Starkbaum (Austria)
Jew´s harp and dance

Festival, Molln