FINNPOSIUM: Baltic Bowed Lyres with Dr. Alice Margerum

Imagine making a bowed instrument, if you had never seen a violin. Baltic bowed lyres, like the jouhikko (Finnish), talharpa or stråkharpa (Swedish), and hiuu kannel (Estonian), developed separately from the violin family. For centuries, bowed lyres were played in countries around the Baltic Sea and developed their own traditions. Not only are the playing techniques different from the violin but so are the structures of the instruments. In the 19th century, Baltic bowed lyres began to be influenced by the louder (and more versatile) violin. Some of the features adopted worked, and some didn't.
Join musicologist and instrument maker Dr. Alice Margerum as she talks about the creativity and skill displayed by historic makers of Baltic bowed lyres. She will use photos, taken while examining instruments in Finnish, Swedish, and Estonian museums, to show some of the inventive solutions to the challenges of building a bowed instrument.
She is joined by Finnish American Folk School Director Clare Zuraw.
This program was live in June 2024.

[@deniseengel1451]

Thank you Alice and Clare. Very interesting presentation.