> A little bit more than a bass line actually, but basically you're right.
> Bellman's songs were all published in piano arrangements (by Olof
> �hlstr�m) and his own versions were never written down. From
> descriptions we know that he kept his accompaniments very simple (even
> by that time's standard) and it's also clear that he kept on changing
> things around to fit the occasion (being a performer first and
> foremost). It's safe to assume he didn't play continuous bass lines to
> his songs.
>
> Facsimiles of all of Bellman's published books can be found at
> http://bellman.net btw.
Thanks, this is very interesting. Is this information from a biography of
Bellman?
> It's hard to think of anything more authentic than a French 18th C
> cistre for this really. Bellman's music has a very strong French
> connection and if his cittern wasn't actually built in France, it was at
> least closely modelled after French instruments.
I'd be interested to follow this up too. What is the French connection? Are
there any sources of info - in English?! The only Bellman songs I know are on
an old Martin Best LP and I haven't listened to it in years. But I've been
playing through some French cistre music recently and I'm a bit surprised that
this is was a big influence on Bellman.
> That's not a problem since both of Bellman's citterns still survive
> today. I'm not sure, but I think they're even in somewhat playable
> condition.
> One of them is a bell cittern he apparently inherited from his
> grandfather, the other is a smaller one - if memory serves me right he
> had it specially built for his needs when grandpa's old cittern started
> to show its age. It's the latter one Bellman holds in the picture you're
> probably referring to.
>
> I have a photocopy of a picture of them somewhere. I'll see if I can
> find it if you're interested.
>
Yes, I'd like to see a picture of them. On this old LP of Martin Best, he plays
a reproduction instrument, perhaps modelled on one of Bellman's instruments.
I'd have to dig out the LP, but it was an odd looking thing - not much like a
cistre.
I know almost nothing about bell citterns - but think of them a small,
thin-bodied instruments (played with a plectrum?) but the one Bellman has looks
big and fat-bodied. Maybe you could say more about bell citterns? (Including
the tuning - I sort of remember, c,e,g,b)
> It seems the "sittra" Kenneth Sparr refers to appeared towards the end
> of Bellman's carreer and there's no evidence suggesting that he played
> it (thought it's of course more than likely he at least tried one once
> or twice) - nor can I find Sparr making such a claim. It wouldn't
> surprise me if there's a connection going the other way though. The fact
> that Bellman played the cittern might well have helped considerably in
> popularising this new Swedish variant.
>
Interesting too! So Bellman and his instrument are more or less independent of
the sittra/cister/sister fad in Sweden - which presumably came from France (and
maybe Britain).
Thanks for all this. If you know of any sources I could find more information,
I'd be grateful too.
And do you know anything about the distinctive Norwegian variant? I have a
photocopy of a chapter from a book on these instruments - written, of course,
in Norwegian. I can't read Norwegian.
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