Journal Article

American Fiddle Tunes and Their German Connection

Hadamer, Armin

2010

Overview

Melvin Wine (1909-2003) from West Virginia, for example, expressed this connection occasionally7, and Ed Haley (1885-1951), a fiddler from the same state, sometimes referred to himself as »Dutch-Irish«, with »Dutch« standing for »Deutsch«.8 Jake Hockemeyer (1919-1997) from Missouri was known as the »left-handed Dutchman«9, and the lesser known Peter Krouse (dates unknown) from Berks County, Pennsylvania, who recorded for the Library of Congress, still used the German names for some of the tunes he played. 10 The same has been true, and less surprisingly so, for fiddle players in the Upper Midwest such as fiddle champion Karl »King Tut« Schwanenburg (dates unknown) and his culturally mixed repertoire.11 In the same way, many regions across the United States are known for their hybrid traditions that include musical material from the British Isles alongside German or African-American elements. [...]we cannot reshape musical history to match patriotic or cultural ideals. [...]we cannot accept that a significant cultural influence simply bowed to others and retreated into obscurity.20 The scattered pieces of evidence from primary and secondary sources regarding the German background of American fiddling and fiddle tunes will ultimately challenge these »cultural ideals«, that is, the paradigm mentioned above, when taken together to form a more complex picture. Here he also worked with Max Zorer, another German-American minstrel, yodel virtuoso and composer of polkas, and also with singer and »Dutch« banjoist Dave S. Wambold (1836-1889) as part of the San Francisco Minstrels around 1865·50 Donniker was active as a minstrel and musical director in New York until about 1873·51 After the Civil War, the minstrel performer and »Dutch« star of the early Broadway musical stage, Joseph Kleinfelter Emmet (1841-1891), delivered his famous German stage characters not only with singing and yodeling, but also with accomplished guitar playing and fiddling, including playing German folk tunes.52 Another important and possible way for German tunes to enter the repertoire of American fiddling was its close association with fifing, particularly the music played by fifes in military bands in Europe and later in the United States where during the Federal Era many European musicians including Germans were also employed as bandmasters.53 But perhaps more importantly, British military bands had frequently enlisted German musicians since the 1 740s and »it is obvious that many of the musicians of the ninety-five British regiments in America during the 18th century were of German origin, and that a number of these remained to find their fortunes in the New World«.54 In addition, the Hessian and Brunswick troops who were known for their musicianship imported their own fifers, drummers and trumpeters to North America. Besides the minstrel connection and the strong similarity between the American and German forms, we have to trust Bayard when he says: »I have always suspected the tune to be German [...]

• Publisher: Waxmann,Waxmann Verlag GmbH
• Subject: Composers / Dance / Fiddle music / Fiddle tunes / Fiddles / Folk music / Folksongs / German language / Immigration / Melody / Minstrels / Music / Music composition / Musical instruments / Noncitizens / Repertoire / Traditional dance / Traditions