Johann Majoleth

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This illustration from 1856 is probably the Gigerhannes von Untervaz.

Johann Majoleth (also majolet or majolet) (* 1774 ; † September 12, 1856 ) was a Yenish violin player from the Swiss canton of Graubünden and known under the name Gigerhannes von Untervaz (also Gigerhannesli ). As one of the founding fathers of Graubünden folk music and the founder of the Untervaz family of musicians, Majoleth, he is the first folk musician in Graubünden to be known by name.

Live and act

Johann Majoleth's ancestors migrated from France to the canton of Valais in the second half of the 17th century . Johann Peter Majoleth, Gigerhannesli's grandfather, moved on to the Principality of Liechtenstein in the middle of the 18th century . Gigerhannes emigrated with his family to Untervaz in the canton of Graubünden in 1817.

Johann learned to play the violin at an early age and was out and about making music with his parents. In addition to music, his father Anton also taught him the broom making trade . In 1810 he married Anna Maria Röschler from Triesen . In the following years his wife accompanied him on the dulcimer .

Münchhausiaden

A journalist from the only four year old Bündner Tagblatt portrayed Gigerhannes in 1856 as "Bündner Münchhausen ". According to this, he is said to have had an exceptional memory and superhuman strength. A reference to his love and art of telling stories can only be found around three weeks after the article was published in a concise obituary: "No brooms or bears for the audience are bound by him anymore."

progeny

The grandson of Gigerhannes, Lorenz ( Gigerlenz ), born in 1848, played the violin as well as the clarinet and double bass . Gigerlenz was best known as a virtuoso clarinetist with his Vazer music . His son, who was born in 1879 and was also called Lorenz, is probably the most important representative of the Majoleth family of musicians. A large number of compositions originate from this Gigerlenz II and are still played today. In Gigerlenz music , Lorenz played the clarinet for 20 years and was accompanied on the violin by his brother Christian. Soon the Untervazer Musikanten released their first record , which had been recorded in Milan . Two of Lorenz's sons played with their father and carried on the tradition: Beni (1905–1992) and Josef (1910–1986), where Beni played the accordion , double bass, clarinet and saxophone . Beni also appeared as a composer and collected the pieces from his father (or his ancestors), which he had written down. With his sons Beni (* 1928, double bass) and Ernst (born 1931, accordion), he joined as a chapel Valbella Untervaz , later as Chapel Majoleth on.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Foundation Future for Swiss Travelers: Swiss Travelers Past and Present.
  2. ↑ Bündner Tagblatt dated August 21, 1856 ( transcribed by the Untervaz Castle Association, 2008). The article, which is structured as a self-portrait in the first-person form, is in fact hardly likely to have come from Gigerhannesli himself - it is unlikely that he was capable of writing.
  3. ↑ Bündner Tagblatt of September 16, 1856.
  4. ↑ a b Elisabeth Krättli: History of the Bündner Ländlermusik with special consideration of the Majoleth family of musicians from Untervaz. In: Anno Domino. Supplements to the annual reports of the Untervaz Castle Association, 1995.
  5. ↑ A total of 37 records on majoleth, mayoleth and majolet can be researched on the website of the Swiss National Sound Archives (as of September 19, 2014).
personal data
SURNAME Majoleth, Johann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gigerhannes; Gigerhannesli; Maiolet; Maioleth; Maiolett; Mayolet; Mayolet; Mayolette; Majolet; Majolet
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss violinist
DATE OF BIRTH 1774
DATE OF DEATH September 12, 1856
Place of death Untervaz GR