GMG Classical Music Forum

The Music Room => Great Recordings and Reviews => Topic started by: Reverend Bong on November 12, 2012, 08:04:14 AM

Title: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: Reverend Bong on November 12, 2012, 08:04:14 AM
Can anyone recommend a recording of serious music on the hammered dulcimer?  I do like the sound of it but all I can find is mellow new age easy listening stuff or Celtic folk music...
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: Mirror Image on November 12, 2012, 08:14:25 AM
Many classical composers have used this instrument: Liszt, Dutilleux, Stravinsky, among others. Listen to Dutilleux's Mystère de l'instant.

Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: kishnevi on November 12, 2012, 08:36:27 AM
Not only do I not know of any recordings of the hammered dulcimer, I know of no recordings of the sober dulcimer.

:D  :D ;D


(Is that joke as obvious to non-Yanks?)
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: david johnson on November 12, 2012, 10:12:40 PM
joe jewell plays superbly.  i do not know if he dabbles out of the usual folk styles.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: The new erato on November 12, 2012, 10:46:31 PM
Try Harry Lime's theme. That's all I know of.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: Brian on November 13, 2012, 04:49:18 AM
Quote from: The new erato on November 12, 2012, 10:46:31 PM
Try Harry Lime's theme. That's all I know of.
Is the hammered dulcimer the same as the zither? Cuz that's a zither.

The Hungarian cimbalom is a concert-sized relative of the dulcimer and has prominent roles in Liszt's orchestrated Hungarian Rhapsodies and Kodaly's Hary Janos suite.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: The new erato on November 13, 2012, 05:17:45 AM
Quote from: Brian on November 13, 2012, 04:49:18 AM
Is the hammered dulcimer the same as the zither? Cuz that's a zither.

The Hungarian cimbalom is a concert-sized relative of the dulcimer and has prominent roles in Liszt's orchestrated Hungarian Rhapsodies and Kodaly's Hary Janos suite.
I thought it was the same.....but what do I know? I've only been to Hungary once and dulcimer, zither and cimbalon wasn't on the menu.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: Opus106 on November 13, 2012, 05:24:53 AM
Quote from: Brian on November 13, 2012, 04:49:18 AM
Kodaly's Hary Janos suite.

It plays a prominent role towards the end and that's my favourite part of the suite. I just didn't recommend it since the music didn't seem serious enough to me. ;)

There's also Bartók's second rhapsody for violin and orchestra. Nothing like a solo part or anything, but it's there.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: Scarpia on November 13, 2012, 06:25:54 AM
Quote from: The new erato on November 13, 2012, 05:17:45 AM
I thought it was the same.....but what do I know? I've only been to Hungary once and dulcimer, zither and cimbalon wasn't on the menu.

dulcimer is hammered, zither has pluck.
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: SonicMan46 on November 13, 2012, 06:51:29 AM
Quote from: Reverend Bong on November 12, 2012, 08:04:14 AM
Can anyone recommend a recording of serious music on the hammered dulcimer? I do like the sound of it but all I can find is mellow new age easy listening stuff or Celtic folk music...

Well, cannot really point you to the statement in bold above, but I have dozens of hammered dulcimer recordings of 'non-serious' music -  :D ;D

The instrument is alive & well in the Appalachian Mtns of Virginia & North Carolina; I've been listening to & collecting the music for 40 yrs - one of the best performers in this area is John McCutcheon, his retrospective CD below is a nice start for those wanting some non-classical music on the instrument; there are also a number of music places selling the instruments in the vicinity - one place a few hours from us near Asheville is Song of the Wood (http://www.songofthewood.com/hammer_dulcimers.htm) in Black Mountain - click on the name for a look @ some beautiful 'hand-made' hammered dulcimers - one pictured below!

Probably not the information desired, but hopefully some will become interested in listening to this beautiful instrument - :)

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41UiZNkQlqL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)  (http://www.songofthewood.com/images/Hammer%20Dulcimers/DS-D550_copy(2).JPG)
Title: Re: Are there any good recordings of the hammered dulcimer?
Post by: listener on November 13, 2012, 12:26:55 PM
Dmitri SMOLSKI wrote 2 concertos, I have a recording of  no.1 on the Olympia label  OCD 551