Annotation:Crystal Schottische

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CRYSTAL SCHOTTISCHE. AKA and see "Old South," "Old Southern Schottische." American, Schottische. USA; Missouri (presumably Ford's version), Pennsylvania. G Major ('A' and 'C' parts), D Major ('B' part), & C Major ('D' part). Standard tuning (fiddle). AABCDD (Ford): AABB (Bayard). Bayard (1944) identifies this tune as a favorite schottische, in various forms (some of which differ markedly from the sheet music), all over western Pennsylvania. See also Henry Reed's "Kiss Waltz (2)" (a schottische, despite the title) which employs part of "Crystal Schottische" as the third part. The time was recorded as "Two-Step Schottishe" by Leizime Brusoe (who played in his early days in Canada) on 78RPM. Folk versions of "Crystal Schottische" (albeit differing markedly from the original) can be traced to the "Crystal Schottische" composed by William Byerly and published in New York in 1853, around the time the schottische was introduced to America as a dance form (from Germany, where it was loosely based on Scottish dance). American songster Stephen Foster included in a collection called The Social Orchestra (1854), arranged for violin and flute, with accompaniment by a second violin and bass; his only known venture into strictly instrumental music, aimed at a parlor audience. The second strain of "Mountain Schottische (The)" seems to be derived from the first strain of "Crystal Schottische."

Sources for notated versions: Mrs. Sarah Armstrong, (near) Derry, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1943 [Bayard, 1944]: Thoma Patterson (Elizabeth, Pa., 1930's), Steffy (1949), Levi Hall (Fayette County, 1944), James Taylor (Greene County, Pa./Wetzel, W.Va., 1930's) [Bayard, 1981].

Printed sources: Bayard (Hill Country Tunes), 1944; No. 36 (listed as untitled "Schottische"). Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 422, pp. 399-401. Ira Ford (Traditional Music in America), 1940; p. 157. Henry Ford (Good Morning), 1941; p. 79. Howe's (Diamond School for the Violin) 1861; p. 54.

Recorded sources: Rounder CD1518, Various Performers - "American Fiddle Tunes" (1971. Played by Leizime Brusoe).




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