Mongolia: Traditional Music

UNESCO has identified two elements of traditional Mongolian music as being "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity." They are the urtyn duu, or long song, and the morin-khuur, or horse violin, and both are featured here. The morin-khuur is a two-stringed instrument with a carved horse head on the end of the tuning head. It is played like a cello by men for dance and to accompany singers, particularly for the urtyn duu, or long song. The long song is so named for the singing of each lyric syllable for long durations in single musical notes. In addition to providing examples of urtyn duu and the playing of the morin-khuur, this recording offers examples of other forms of Mongolian traditional music including bongino duu (short songs) and music played on metal and bamboo Jew's harps, flutes, vieles (violins), lutes, and zithers. Two tracks feature an example of diphonic song or khoomly, sometimes referred to as throat singing. This album is part of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music.

Track Listing

101	My speckled bay	Darsüren	02:20
102	Two little ducks	Danzan	05:40
103	Horse with light-grey coat	Darsüren	02:58
104	The beautiful Altaï	Möntöö	02:52
105	View over the Kherelen River	Batbayar	02:58
106	The four seasons	Batbayar	02:51
107	Popular dance of western Mongolia	Batbayar	02:23
108	Dance tune of western Mongolia	G. Nomyer	02:11
109	The black stallion Zhonon of the Khalka Mongols	D. Zhantsanchoy	02:22
110	The brown silk dress	Dashdory	02:12
111	Movements of a blessing	Dashdory	01:53
112	Linked movements	Tsembel	00:56
113	Colours side by side	Tsembel	01:03
114	Beckoning movements	Tsembel	01:00
115	Wave-like dance	Tsembel	00:52
116	Quick, short movements	Tsembel	00:57
117	Sunzhidmaa	Tsendbayar, Sosorbaram	02:33
118	Saddle flaps of Saykhiyu leather	Tseyenkhorloo, Sosorbaram	01:27
119	These shimmering blue mountains	P. Dolzhinkhüü, L. Oyunchimeg	01:42
120	My Darling	C. Amartungalag, S. Narantuya, Z. Badambarav	01:54
121	Song of praise to the horse	D. Purevsuren	02:47
122	Dembee (finger game)	Galragchaa, Batmönkh, Bolormaa	04:38
123	Tömör khuur metal jew's harp	G. Dovchinsuren and his four children	01:26
124	Khulsan khuur bamboo jew's harp	G. Dovchinsuren	01:26
125	Limbe transverse flute	Enkhtayvan	02:50
126	Dörvön chikhtey khuur four-stringed viele	L. Baldan	02:24
127	Shanza lute	A. Oyuntsimeg	01:18
128	Yatga oblong table zither	A. Tsolmaa	02:25
129	The khöömiy lesson	Sundui	02:48
130	The 4-year-old light tan horse	Sundui	01:46