Tsymbaly

Tsymbaly
Classification	Chordophone;
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	314.122-4
Playing range
	various
Related instruments
	Chang; cimbal; Cimbalom; cymbalom; cymbalum; Hackbrett; Joqin; Kanun; ţambal; tsymbaly; tsimbl; Qanun; Santir; santouri; santur; hammered dulcimer; ţambal; Tamthap-luk; Tsintsila; Tympani;

Thetsymbaly(Ukrainian:цимбали) is the Ukrainian version of thehammer dulcimer.It is achordophonemade up of a trapezoidal box with metal (steel or bronze) strings strung across it. The tsymbaly is played by striking twobeatersagainst thestrings.

The strings are strung in groups of 3–5, which are tuned in unison. The bass strings may have 1 or 2 wrapped strings tuned in union. The beaters were quite short in comparison to those used by the Cymbalom although not as short as those of theBelarusvariety. Traditionally they had leather wrappings rather than the cotton wrap used by Hungarian and Romanian players.

Under theHornbostel-Sachssystem of classification of musical instruments, it has the catalog number 314.122-4,5.^[1]

History

A small multi-stringedchordophonewas first was depicted onAssyrianfrescoes dating back to 3500 B.C. It is thought to have developed from thePersian santur,which entered Europe in theMiddle Agesduring theCrusades.

Eastern Europe

With the rise of piano manufacturingViennain the 19th century, access to metaltuning pinsand strings became much easier. Thehammered dulcimerbecame popular throughout theAustro-HungarianEmpire, where it was quickly spread by itinerantJewishandRomani(Gypsy) musicians. It spread toRomania,Moldavia,Hungary,Slovakia,UkraineandBelarus,where a variety of regional folk versions and concert instruments were developed. These instruments differed in size, tuning, number of strings and method of holding and playing the hammers.

Ukraine

According toHnat Khotkevych,^[2]thetsymbalyhas existed in Ukraine since the 9th century. The first documented evidence of thetsymbalyin Ukraine dates to 17th century, where it appears in various dictionaries.^[3]

Thetsymbalywere relatively easy to make and quite forgiving in its manufacture. With access topiano wireand metal tuning pegs, an instrument could easily be constructed in the village environment. The instrument spread in popularity among the population in theCarpathiansinSouthwestern Ukraineparticularly among theHutsulsandBukovinians.It also became relatively popular inBoikivshchyna,Transcarpathia,Podolia,BessarabiaandEastern Ukraine.

The instrument is often used in folk ensembles known asTroyista muzyka,usually made up of 3 instruments played in an ensemble with theviolin,basolia,sopilkaorbubon.

Tsymbaly in the Ukrainian diaspora

Tsymbalyplaying is popular in Western Canada among theethnic Ukrainian diaspora there.^[4]Numerous music competitions exist, and the instrument defines what "Ukrainian-ness" is in the local music scene.

Types of Ukrainian Tsymbaly

1) The Hutsultsymbaly:a small instrument usually carried by the musician, using a strap around the player's neck and leaning one edge of the instrument against the player's waist. These instruments usually have 12-13 courses of strings.

2) A semi-concerttsymbaly:manufactured by theChernihiv Musical Instrument Factoryin three sizes designed byOlexander Nezovybat'koandIvan Skliar.These instruments were manufactured from 1950 to 1986.

3) Concertcimbaloms:originally developed in Hungary byJózsef Schundain the 1870s. These instruments stand on four legs, have many more strings, and a damping pedal. The concert cymbalom has replaced most of the smaller folktsymbalypreviously used in Ukrainian orchestras and in Academic Conservatory courses. These instruments are fully chromatic and have a range of over four octaves.

Use of the Tsymbaly in Ukrainian music

Concert works have been composed for thetsymbalyby professional Ukrainian composersV. Shumeiko,Volodymyr Zubytsky,Anatoliy Haidenko,Bohdan Kotiuk,Izydor Vymer,Dezyderiy Zador,Myroslav SkorykandYevhen Stankovych.

Tsymbaly manufacturers in Ukraine

Among the first concerttsymbalyto be manufactured in Ukraine were made by theMelnytse-Podilsk workshopin WesternUkrainebyVasyl Zuliak.These instruments had two pedals and were slightly smaller than the concert Hungarian instruments, although the range was the same. Zuliak later made three different types of instrument.

Instruments were also made by theChernihiv Musical Instrument Factory.These instruments were designed byIvan Skliaraided by O. Nezovybat'ko. They were made in 3 sizes: prima, alto and bass.^[5]

Prominent Tsymbaly players of Ukraine

Some notable Ukrainiantsymbalyplayers are:

Taras Baran:Professor oftsymbalyat theLviv Conservatory.
Gheorghe Agratina:Professor oftsymbalyat theKyiv Conservatory.
Dumitru Popiciuc:One of the firsttsymbalygraduates from the Kyiv Conservatory.
Oleksander Nezovybatko:One of the pioneers oftsymbalyplaying in Eastern Ukraine.

Footnotes

^Baran, T. The Cimbalom world, Lviv: Svit, 1999 P. 15
^Khotkevych, H. Instrumenty Ukrainskoho narodu, Kharkiv: DVU, 1930 p. 78
^Humeniuk p. 107
^Bandera p. 6
^Mizynec,p. 19

Sources

Bandera, M. J. The Tsymbaly maker and His Craft, The Ukrainian Hammered Dulcimer in Alberta. Edmonton: CIUS. 1991
Baran, T. The Cimbalom world, Lviv: Svit, 1999
- The Cimbalom player Taras Baran, Lviv: Kobzar, 2001
Humeniuk, A. Ukrainski narodni muzychni instrumenty, Kyiv:Naukova dumka,1967
Ivanov, P. Orkestr ukrainskykh narodnykh instrmentiv, Kyiv: Muzychna Ukraina, 1981
Khotkevych, H. Instrumenty Ukrainskoho narodu, Kharkiv: DVU, 1930
Mizynec, V. Ukrainian Folk Instruments, Melbourne: Bayda books, 1984
Nezovybat'ko, O. Shkola hry na ukrainskykh tsymbalakh, Kyiv: Mystetsvo, 1966
Nezovyba'ko O. Ukrainski tsymbaly, Kyiv: Muzychna Ukraina, 1976.
Cherkaskyi, L. Ukrainski narodni muzychni instrumenty, Tekhnika, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2003 - 262 pages.ISBN 966-575-111-5

External links

[1] Baran, T. The Cimbalom world, Lviv: Svit, 1999 P. 15

[2] Khotkevych, H. Instrumenty Ukrainskoho narodu, Kharkiv: DVU, 1930 p. 78

[3] Humeniuk p. 107

[4] Bandera p. 6

[5] Mizynec,p. 19

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