Zither Me This

[snyprrr]

ok, now I'm just being silly.

Seriously, does anyone have anything to say about the zither? I went to kindergarten in Vienna.

What are all the different types?

[The new erato]

ok, now I'm just being silly.

Seriously, does anyone have anything to say about the zither? I went to kindergarten in Vienna.

Are you Orson Wells?

[Dax]

Out-of-tune autoharps are a seriously underused resource. Harry Partch uses sophisticated versions. And then there's the cimbalom.

[jowcol]

I've been playing the hammered dulcimer for 24 years-- it's similar to the zither except you play with mallets, and it doesn't have quite the range (or damper pedals) of a Cimbalom.  Without a doubt the greatest player is Shivkumar Sharma-- his glide technique kills me.

As long as you are playing with this family of instruments, you should explore the Bowed Psaltry

[Drasko]

http://www.youtube.com/v/VAeYt-swWG0

[Luke]

Amazing! I only knew him as an (absolutely phenomenal) violinist before this. Had no idea he is seriously skilled as a multi-instrumentalist. Thanks!

(his violin playing is well worth checking out on youtube too, may I say?)

[karlhenning]

There was apparently a prejudice against zither music in late-1950s America, as reflected in The Twilight Zone episode "Mr Bevis."

[greg]

I used to have a zither- bought it cheap off of ebay, but never learned how to play it because it was very old and out of tune (I doubt it could have been tuned anyways in the condition it was in). Cool instrument, though.

[Drasko]

(his violin playing is well worth checking out on youtube too, may I say?)

Definitely! Here's few:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GLZ0hXPXZo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUpNP2tp3g8

He is best heard live since he's amazing improviser, but as CDs go '98 concert from Budapest Academy of Music (Zeneakademia) is my absolute favorite. First track is on youtube (audio-only):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmNgxB9_lc

Amazing! I only knew him as an (absolutely phenomenal) violinist before this. Had no idea he is seriously skilled as a multi-instrumentalist. Thanks!

Yes, he plays zither as well. Here you can get short energetic zither piece titled Waking up he wrote as part of music for Serbian movie Tockovi (The Wheels). There are few more pieces in that folder: Hooray and Busting the Bank are collaborations with Boban Markovic brass orchestra and To Love is one of his insanely extended violin solos.

I think he's been experimenting with different set-ups lately but I still think he is at his best in basic trio (violin, viola, double bass), eventually tapan (bass drum).

[Luke]

 Hooray and Busting the Bank are collaborations with Boban Markovic brass orchestra...
[/quote]

yes, I've got a CD of him with them, he's astonishingly good on it

[snyprrr]

I've been playing the hammered dulcimer for 24 years-- it's similar to the zither except you play with mallets, and it doesn't have quite the range (or damper pedals) of a Cimbalom.  Without a doubt the greatest player is Shivkumar Sharma-- his glide technique kills me.

As long as you are playing with this family of instruments, you should explore the Bowed Psaltry

I seem to recall that during my "Indian" phase! Bhiaravi all the way!



I'm slightly surprised by the response here, but then again, the instrument is homey enough to be ubiquitous. Cheers!

[Brian]

Anton Karas' zither playing in The Third Man is so creepy, so hair-raisingly brilliant, that I just listened to Johann Strauss' "Tales from Vienna Woods" (without knowing this thread existed!) in a performance featuring Karas on the zither solo - and his playing made my eyes bulge and my senses go on alert, even though I knew it was harmless waltzing!