The instruments in the programme
Alphorn, zither and singing saw
The instruments in the Gundolf family's Tyrolean programme: alphorn, zither, Hackbrett, singing saw, cowbells and the yodelling voice, with sources.
Pick a night in Innsbruck ↗Why the programme sounds the way it does
Wikipedia describes Alpine folk music as the umbrella name for related styles in the Alpine regions of Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol, originally passed on by ear, with simple major-key melodies, simple harmonies and plenty of improvisation and variation. It lists alphorns, hackbretts and zithers among its typical instruments. That is a fair map of the programme the family publishes, which gives each song or dance its own instrument and its own character.
The alphorn
Wikipedia calls the alphorn a traditional lip-reed wind instrument, a long straight wooden horn of 3 to 4 metres with a cup-shaped mouthpiece, used by rural communities in the Alps. From the 17th to the 19th century, it says, alphorns signalled between high pastures across the valleys, and the sound can carry for several kilometres. The programme the family publishes lists alphorn sounds in the first half.
The zither
Wikipedia says a zither has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body and is played by strumming or plucking, and that the concert and Alpine zithers are traditionally found in Austria among other countries. The programme lists a solo on the zither in its second half. A visitor quoted on the family's page mentions a harp, a saw and a zither among the instruments, adding that the list is long.
The Hackbrett and the Raffele
The family calls the Hackbrett a typical Tyrolean string instrument and the Raffele an old Tyrolean string instrument. Wikipedia places the hammered dulcimer family, which it describes as strings struck with small spoon-like mallets, in Austria and Bavaria among other regions. The programme lists the Hackbrett in the first half and the Raffele in the second, and a wooden xylophone follows later in the second half.
The singing saw
A musical saw, or singing saw, is a hand saw used as an instrument. Wikipedia says it is played by holding the handle between the knees and bending the blade while bowing along the flat edge, producing continuous glissando and an ethereal tone similar to the theremin. It places the saw in the folk music of Russia and rural America and in vaudeville. In the programme the family publishes it has a song of its own in the first half.
Cowbells as instruments
Wikipedia says a cowbell is worn by free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal by its sound when it grazes out of view. The programme lists a solo on specially tuned cowbells and, later, a cowbell dance. The family's chronology adds that Kurt Gundolf, born in 1905, worked as a bell founder, where his musical ear helped in tuning bells.
What to listen for
A visitor quoted on the family's page describes a small group of musicians who play a different instrument depending on the song, including a harp, a saw and a zither, adding that the list is long. That is the best way to listen: the programme changes instrument almost with every piece, so each solo is brief. The family says the songs and dances of its programme are also available on DVD and CD, sold during the interval or after the performance.
A reminder on pieces and players
The family says its programme is subject to alterations, so a given instrument may or may not sound on your night. Reviewers on the ticket page praise the performers as talented and versatile, one noting the playing of some unorthodox instruments. Treat this guide as a description of the range the family publishes, with Wikipedia's descriptions of each instrument alongside, rather than as a list of what you will hear.
The voice
Wikipedia describes yodelling as singing with rapid changes of pitch between the chest register and the head register, and says most experts agree herders used it in the Central Alps to call their flocks and to communicate between villages. The programme places yodel songs in both halves. Reviewers on the ticket page single out the yodelling lead singer, one calling her superb.
Frequently asked questions
Which instruments are in the Tyrolean programme?
The programme the family publishes names a singing saw, a country harp, alphorn sounds, tuned cowbells, the Hackbrett, a zither, the Raffele and a wooden xylophone, besides voices. It is subject to alterations.
Is the singing saw an Alpine instrument?
Wikipedia places the musical saw in the folk music of Russia and rural America and in vaudeville. In this programme it is one of several unusual instruments.
Sources