You Tube Album of Swiss Folk Music and Dance with Edelweis
Contents
Looking for some great Swiss folk music and dance? Look no further than Edelweis! This You Tube album features some of the best traditional Swiss tunes, perfect for getting your feet moving.
Introduction
Edelweiss is a small white flower that grows in the Swiss Alps. It has become a symbol of Switzerland and is often used in Swiss folk music and dance.
This album contains a selection of Swiss folk music and dance, featuring the Edelweiss flower. The music is upbeat and cheerful, making it perfect for dancing. The dances are performed by traditional Swiss dancers wearing traditional Swiss clothing.
Swiss Folk Music
Alpine horns, yodelling, and always in perfect harmony: that’s Swiss folk music for you! The alphorn, a wooden horn made from a single piece of pine, is probably the most iconic instrument associated with this genre of music. Join us on a musical journey through the Swiss Alps with the Edelweis band!
Types of Swiss Folk Music
Swiss folk music is an important part of the country’s cultural heritage. Traditional Swiss folk music includes a wide variety of genres, from yodelling and alphorn music to Alpine folk songs and contemporary polka.
The Swiss have a strong tradition of folk music and dance, which has been preserved in the many different regions of the country. There are four major types of Swiss folk music: Alpine, Bernese, Basel and Ticino.
Alpine folk music is characterized by its use of the alphorn, a traditional Alpine horn. This type of music is often played at festivals and other celebrations.
Bernese folk music includes a wide variety of genres, from traditional yodelling songs to more modern polka tunes. This type of music is typically played on the accordion and often features several different instruments playing together.
Basel folk music is distinguished by its use of the fiddle, which is a traditional stringed instrument from Switzerland. This type of music often has a lively tempo and is popular at dances and parties.
Ticino folk music is typically slower and more relaxed than other types of Swiss folk music. It often features mandolins and guitars, as well as softer percussion instruments like castanets.
Swiss Folk Music Instruments
There are many different types of Swiss folk music instruments, and each has its own unique sound. The most common instrument is the accordion, which is used in many different styles of music. Other popular instruments include the fiddle, the clarinet, the trumpet, and the drums.
Swiss Folk Dance
The album contains Swiss folk music and dance with Edelweis. It was released in 1991 by BIS Records and features the vocal and instrumental ensemble Edelweiss.
Types of Swiss Folk Dance
Swiss folk dance is as varied as the country itself. Swiss folk dances include circle, pair, and line dances that are danced to the music of alphorns, accordions, or cowbells. Some Swiss folk dances are hundreds of years old, while others are contemporary.
Allemande: This dance originated in Germany, but is popular in Switzerland as well. The dance involves partners holding both hands and circling each other clockwise.
Bundschuh: This is a five-person line dance that is danced to alphorn music. The dance involves linked arms and stomping feet, and often tells a story.
Jodler: The jodler is a type of yodeling that is often done while dancing. Jodlers use their voices to imitate the sound of Alpine horns and cowbells.
Schottische: The schottische is a Scottish dance that was brought to Switzerland by soldiers who were stationed there during the 19th century. The dance involves partners holding each other’s waists and kicking their feet out to the side in time with the music.
Walzer: The Walzer is a popular ballroom dance that originated in Austria, but is also popular in Switzerland. The dance involves partners rotating around each other as they hold each other’s hands or waists.
Swiss Folk Dance Steps
Most Swiss folk dances are danced in a circle. Some have fixed patterns while others are improvised. There are also partner dances, but these are less common.
Here are some of the more common moves you’ll see in Swiss folk dancing:
The allemande is a move where one person turns another by the right hand, then goes back to their original place in the circle.
The doppelschritt is a double step forwards and backwards.
The polka is a staple of Swiss folk dancing, and it’s simply two steps forwards then two steps back, done quickly.
The Ländler is a slow dance where couples holding each other’s waists spin around in a circle.
In the Schwyzerörgeli-stoss, dancers hold each other by the shoulders and push each other gently with their hips as they move around in a circle.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this album of Swiss folk music and dance. The Edelweiss dancers are some of the most talented and skilled performers in the world, and we are privileged to have them here with us. We hope you will come back and visit us again soon. Thank you for your time.
