Gsätzli

The effect produced when the human voice rapidly skips across a large melodic interval between the lower chest and head register (falsetto), is commonly known as Yodeling. The change is often exaggerated to create a specific sound and timbre. Although the technique is associated predominantly with singing traditions in the Alpine countries, where the word ‘Jodeln’ originates, it is present in many different cultures around the world, such as minstrel singing in the United States, the songs of the Shona community in Zimbabwe or Hawaiian music. Gsätzli (the Swiss word for ‘Yodelsong’) is a new work for voices and field recordings/electronics written for the ensemble which brings the brightness and humour in this vocal technique to the foreground, and which will be developed and performed for the first time at festival Odrathek.