MUSIC WAS MY FIRST LOVE
Katharina Dustmann specializes in Mediterranean percussion such as the classic Persian Zarb, the Turkish Darbuka and various frame drums, such as the Italian Tamburello.
Teaching materials and courses at the bottom...
Since
1989 She works as a soloist in various ensembles for early and new music and has played in over 70 CD productions in ensembles such as Ensemble Oni Wytars (D), Ensemble Evas Äpfel, Ensemble Kapsberger (D), Unicorn (A), Accentus (A), Renè Clemencic (A), Armonico Tributo (A), Els Trobadors (E), Ensemble Lule (E), Rias Kammerchor (D), Ars Choralis Köln (D), Freiburger Barockorchester (D), Ensemble Resonanz Hamburg (D), Grete Pedersen-Projekt (NOR), Syn.de (D).
Performed in concert halls such as: "Alte Oper Frankfurt" "Phillharmonie Köln" "Konzerthaus Hamburg" "Phillharmonie Essen" "Konzerthaus Berlin" "Konzerthaus Wien" WDR concert hall, Deutschlandfunk, Hessischer Rundfunk, SWR with live recordings.
Since 1999 Private student of Carlo Rizzo, for the Italian tamburello drum.
1993 Frame drum at the Bavarian Music Academy with Glen Velez.
1991 Studied classical Persian Zarb with Naser Mehraver and Reza Samani in Cologne.
Since 1991 Musician and partner of
Ensemble Oni Wytars Since
1989, worldwide concert activity as a soloist in various ensembles
Approximately 70 CD recordings/publications as a soloist and/or composer and active participation in many radio and television recordings.
With Ensemble Oni Wytars – Mediterranean music from 5 centuries
Between the Worlds - Film Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
GiveMyDonne 2024
Concert tour Oni Wytars - Film WDR
WITH ENSEMBLE EVAS ÄPFEL
Ensemble Metamorphonica.
A musical journey through time.
1989 Co-founder and since then partner of the recording studio "Studio Katharco GbR", in collaboration with Marco Ambrosini.
Here she is in charge of various music theatre productions, as well as film and multimedia projects at home and abroad. With a focus on audio, she works in the areas of art, media and communication as a sound engineer, music director, sound designer and composer. See alsoStudio Katharco
1986 AuTraining to become a sound engineer with a focus on audio in the field of art, media and communication.
1983 Musical education and study of various historical woodwind instruments.
Subsequent specialization in Mediterranean percussion.
ALEX Berlin | Ensemble sYn.de LIVE in BERLIN, Creole 2009
Musicians (from L to R): Nils Tannert, Meike Herzig, Katharina Dustmann & Marco Ambrosini
Compositions by: Albrecht Maurer, Nils Tannert, Meike Herzig, Katharina Dustmann & Marco Ambrosini
Since
1990 Lecturer for Mediterranean percussion at various music academies using her own teaching method, such as:
Akademie Burg Fürsteneck.
Book publication
History and playing techniques from tradition and modernity – English and German
Orders can be placed as download, please send your address to: katharina.dustmann@mail.de or under the "Contact" menu.
Payment can be made via PayPal to katharina.dustmann(et)mail.de
or by invoice and bank transfer.
The book including video tutorials as a download costs 20€.
The Tamburello - A Sound Miracle
The Tamburello, originating in Italy, is a percussion instrument from the family of frame drums, which has been known throughout the world for thousands of years and is used in a wide variety of musical styles thanks to its unique variety of sounds.
Anyone who has ever heard the Tamburello or the Tammorra is immediately enthusiastic – about the driving rhythms of the Tammurriata, Tarantella or Pizzica, the exuberance and the joy of life that can be experienced at the many southern Italian festivals.
Everyone wants to learn it and join in immediately – and everyone can do it!
This book provides an easy introduction to the various percussion techniques and rhythms that can be used on the tamburello and tammorra, as well as on other drums, and is ideal for self-study without any prior knowledge.
This book contains:
Detailed instruction on the basics of posture and playing techniques.
Many practical rhythm exercises with which even beginners can find an optimal introduction to rhythm building.
A very simple syllable notation which means no knowledge of music notation is necessary.
Practical exercises with the support of the syllable rhythm language "Takademi", for a safe and tactful implementation.
Methodically designed exercises combine the individual percussion techniques and make it easier to learn the more complex rhythms.
A rich variety of traditional Italian, Arabic, Brazilian and many modern rhythms from different musical traditions.
Informative insights into the history of frame drums, the tamburello and their production.
Including more than 200 accompanying and supplementary video tutorials for easier learning and secure training.
And much more...
A unique visual and learning material that, together with the detailed videos, leads to success quickly and easily.
Major research project commissioned by the Federal Government for Culture and Media
DRUMS, ARCHAIC ANCIENT AND NEW
"Drums, Archaic, Ancient and New"
Part 1
People long for rhythm. A film by Katharina Dustmann about the development of rhythm and the introduction of the drum into European music culture.
"Drums, Archaic, Ancient and New"
Part 2
The frame drum of the shamans. Mythology, archetypes and phenomena
"Drums, Archaic, Ancient and New"
Part 3
Greater knowledge of playing techniques and rhythms
Funded by the NEUSTART KULTUR II programme initiated by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and by the Society for the Exploitation of Performance Rights (GVL) as a scholarship programme for 2021
DRUMS, ARCHAIC ANCIENT AND NEW
The research work:
Part 4 "The development of the drum and its entry into music"
Part 5 "The drum in the wake of Turkish fashion in the 18th century"
Sponsored by:
The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media as part of NEUSTART KULTURe
See Tap Concept Work
Part 4
"The development of the drum and its entry into music"
Part 5
The drum in the wake of Turkish fashion in the 18th century
6b The origin of the term and the understanding of rhythm
Panta rhei "everything flows", this statement is attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus and refers to the constant change of what is. It contains the Greek verb rhein, "to flow", which doesn't actually sound like rhythm, but the verb rhein was converted into the present participle rhytos, "flowing, streaming", which was then translated into the noun rhythmos, "the flow", "the regulated movement" and "the uniformity". The Romans then took over the Greek word and made rhythm from it. The rhythm, which we also know today as beat, originally comes from flow; the word beat in turn comes from the Latin word tactus and actually means "to touch".
6c Rhythmic Understanding and Development in Africa: A Cultural Analysis
Most African societies have not left us any sources that we can study today - as we know from medieval Islam or Europe in the Middle Ages. In many African languages there is no word for rhythm or music, but African musical styles certainly have one thing in common: it is the direct expression, the elementary expression of life, a celebration and an emotional physical expression of musicians and dancers. Beyond that, however, Africa's cultures are too diverse to name precise musical commonalities for the entire continent.
In any case, storytelling, masks, music, dance and, above all, complex rhythms are always connected to a social event in sub-Saharan Africa. Sometimes the dance can be accompanied by a griot, a storyteller, which brings us to the metric meter, which we can recognize all over the world, alongside dance, as the beginning of rhythm and music. The rhythmic understanding in African music is strongly influenced by the connection between music and culture. The rhythms are closely linked to festivals and rituals and have an important function in the social life of the community. Traditionally, the rhythms are passed on orally and are part of the cultural heritage. In West African music, there is a great variety of complex rhythms that consist of a recurrence of cycles that result from melodic motifs, dance, formulas or phrases and are repeated over and over again. There is an elementary pulsation and a regular pulse unit that is played faster than the actual basic pulse. These cycles are made up of 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18 units and form so-called timelines as beat and off-beat. The complex polyrhythm or cross rhythm is one of the most fundamental characteristics of African music.
8b The distribution and use of syllabic language in different cultures and historical periods
The use of spoken syllables to support the formation of rhythmic structures and cycles and the retention of these is widespread in the traditions not only in Indian and Asian traditions, but also in Arabic and Islamic countries. In addition to the maqâm with free rhythmic-temporal organization, there are also various fixed rhythmic-temporal designs. These are usually compositions to which a rhythmic formula is assigned as a "measure".
In Arabic music, the wazn and the mīzan were considered to be a rhythmic formula used as a time measure, and in Turkey, the usul.
The various rhythms were learned with the help of sound-imitating syllables in order to remember them. The Arabic music theorist Al Farabi (died around 950 in Damascus) described rhythm in his work "Great Book of Music" as a tonal movement that should follow an ordering principle of time spans in reasonably limited dimensions and proportions. The time measure should be limited to long and short.
Al Farabi had already described rhythmic formulas in a syllabic language. The main beats consist of the beats dum, a low beat, and tak, a high-sounding beat (see the examples in my films). Almost every rhythmic pattern is made up of these basic elements dum and tak. In practice, further beat variations and decorative elements are then added.
Part 9
Gongs "d'accord" A composition by Marco Ambrosini for 3 nyckelharpa, organ and gongs
Part 11
The basic beats on the frame drum while sitting
11 Greece – union of word, sound and rhythm, until the middle of the 4th century BC
Until the middle of the 4th century BC, the Greeks called the union of word, sound and rhythm "music". Verse, song, dance and instrumental accompaniment were combined into a single unit. They described them as the arts of the mind and the heart.
Poetry, music and rhythm were closely linked from a very early stage. Rhythm was used in poetry in the metric alternation of long and short passages. For this, music and language naturally had to be rhythmically linked. This does not mean, however, that linguistic and musical rhythm, i.e. the metron and the beat, were identical, but rather that it was precisely the differences and shifts that made up the rhythmic diversity of ancient Greek vocal music and rhythm.
12 China
Musical instruments, musical concepts and ideas have also reached us along the ancient trade and caravan routes of the Silk Road, which has connected East, Central, West and South Asia with the countries of the Mediterranean and Europe for more than two thousand years. Islam later transformed the huge trading region between China and Spain into a flourishing cultural community in which Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims all participated equally with their music.
13 The Tala in Indian Music
Classical Indian music has ancient roots in the recitation of sacred texts. It has continued to develop over the centuries and has produced a wealth of different styles and instruments. Fortunately, these have been made palatable and accessible to us Europeans in various ways.
Here, too, we find numerous verses that are partly similar to the ancient metrics of the Greeks and Africans and that mostly result from the spoken division of long and short sounds. This rhythmic language was, and still is, accompanied by clapping hands, various hand signs, counting the joints of the fingers and toneless beats.
This is also described in Bharata's Nātyaśastra, the oldest Indian textbook, from the period 200 BC - around 200 AD. It reports on the arts and the time of the tāla. The tāla is the cyclically repeated rhythmic structure in classical Indian music and, along with the concept of raga, which determines the melodic structure, is one of the basic principles of Indian music.
Raga and tala, melody and rhythm, are the soul and heart of the Indian classical music tradition.
The Sanskrit word raga is derived from the verb “ranj,” which means “to color.” Ragas are melodic structures for improvisation and composition.
Tala, from which the word tabla may also be derived, literally means “clap” and describes the rhythmic level, the living pulse in which the music unfolds.
Talas are not straight like the bars in Western music, but circular – the beginning and end coincide, so that the movement essentially continues forever.
The total number of regular pulses in the Tala is usually between six and sixteen, divided into subgroups of 2s, 3s or 4s. In this structure, each pulse is assigned a specific sound. This gives the Tala not only its mathematical clarity but also a very sensual and emotional movement.
Similar to the Arabic wazn, here too – albeit on the basis of other theoretical rules – individual beats (mâtrâs) are combined into larger beat periods.
Examples of Tâla periods:
The rhythm “rupak”, for example, consists of 7 mâtrâs (beats), 3 2 2 and the “âdi-tâla” of 8 mâtrâs, 4 2 2
14 Konnakol
The South Indian Konnakol also combines clapping with rhythmic syllables and has often been mentioned as a sacred practice in various Hindu myths. It is notation, art form, language and teaching method all in one and is called the South Indian syllabic or drum language.
Konnakol is now used by numerous musicians all over the world to learn rhythms and microtiming. This technique of clapping the hands simultaneously to syllables that are sometimes spoken very quickly is perhaps a precursor to today's rap.
syllabic language of the Konnakol
1 = TA
2 = Taka
3 = Takita
4 = Takadimi
5 = Tadiginadum
6 = 2 * 3 [Takita Takita]
7 = 4 3 [Takadimi takita]
or 3 4 [Takita takadimi]
rare 8 = Takadimi takajono
12
The Journey of Kettle and Vase Drums and Rhythms into European Music Culture: Their Application and Sound in Early Music
Kettle and vase drums have been an integral part of the musical traditions of many cultures for thousands of years. They still play an important role in medieval music today and make a significant contribution to the sound. This research paper examines kettle and vase drums in more detail and takes a closer look at their origins, history and current applications in early music.
The kettle and vase drums have a long history that goes back to ancient times. It is believed that they were first used in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt as part of cultic rituals. Over the centuries, the drums spread across the Middle East and eventually reached Europe.
A picture from the 17th Egyptian dynasty shows the musician Emhab with his large standing priestly drum lilissu from the Old Babylonian period (12000–9500 BC), which is considered to be the oldest kettle drum and the forerunner of today's kettledrum. From the time of ancient Egypt to the early Islamic period, various large double-headed barrel drums were widely used by men for military purposes.
The presence of various kettle drums can also be seen in large parts of Africa, for example in the Sudan region, from the Arab naqqāras.
From the 13th century onwards, it can be seen in the ceremony of the whirling dervishes of the Sufi order, as a development in Turkish art music.
In Tunisia and in the area around the Algerian city of Constantine, the double-shell drum is also one of the instruments used in classical music ensembles.
After the Arab conquest of Sindh in 712, kettle drums also reached India. They were played in military bands together with oboes and trumpets. The name "naqqāra" first appeared in 1192 in the Muslim Sultanate of Delhi. The Persian court orchestra "naubat", which only played its music at certain times of the day and night, could also be heard in the Mughal palaces.
The historiography of Akbar's reign, which lasted from 1556 to 1605, contains detailed descriptions of the instruments of the naubat orchestra, a collection of musical instruments played on special occasions such as processions, receptions and religious celebrations.
The instruments of the naubat orchestra included 18 pairs of low-pitched drums, the kuwarga or damāma, 20 pairs of kettle drums, naqqāra, 4 duhul, large barrel drums, 9 surnā, the forerunners of today's oboes, 3 long trumpets, nafīr, and 3 pairs of cymbals. These were played by musicians who were specially employed for this purpose and were paid for their work like the soldiers.
Naubat music was considered a symbol of royal power and prosperity during the Mughal period. It was played not only in the court of the emperor, but also in the palaces of the nobles and at public festivals.
As Islam spread to India, the Persian court orchestra called naubat also found its way to the Malay Archipelago. In the 13th century, the first small Muslim kingdoms with a nobat orchestra appeared, probably in Pasai on the northern tip of Sumatra and on the island of Bintan in the Riau Archipelago.
Under the third regent, Mohammed Shah (1424-1444), the nobat orchestra was institutionalized in the Kingdom of Melaka after he converted to Islam. It became part of the traditional "customs and ceremonies" (adat istiadat) that belonged to the Sultan's rule. The drum orchestra retained its ceremonial function, which was adopted from Persia and India.
Over time, the nobat orchestra found its place in various ceremonial occasions and became an important part of many cultures. Although the instruments and playing techniques were refined over the centuries, the basic function of the nobat orchestra remained the same and it continued to be played at special occasions such as weddings, funerals and religious festivals.
Musical instruments and various musical concepts were also distributed around the world on the ancient trade and caravan routes of the Silk Road, which connected East, Central, West and South Asia with the countries of the Mediterranean and Europe for more than two thousand years. Later, Islam transformed the huge trading region between China and Spain into one of the most flourishing cultural communities, in which Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims all contributed equally with their music.
During the first half of the Middle Ages, music was mostly only heard at courts and in churches. But this changed with the beginning of the Crusades.
Many later epics tell of heroic knightly stories, which served as the basis for many Baroque operas. Economic expansion efforts towards the west as far as Vienna later brought not only the "fear of the Turks" but also the "Alla Turca", the Turkish fashion and thus also a fundamental part of our present-day musical culture to Europe.
The kettle drums and vase drums were used in various ways in medieval music. They not only served as rhythm instruments, but were also used to accompany singing and dancing. In addition, they played an important role in court music and were often played at official occasions such as festivals and ceremonies.
Over time, the kettle drum evolved, becoming larger and deeper to produce a loud and powerful sound.
In the Renaissance, kettle drums and rhythms were integrated into classical music and used in orchestras, and have now also found their place in contemporary music. The unique sound of the kettle drum still has a firm place in the music world today and is appreciated by many musicians.
December 2020 Participation as a musician in the project "North Hessian Organ Landscape"
Funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art. Starts in December 2020.
https://www.katharco.eu/projekt-nordhessische-orgellandschaft/
and
studio/CD recordings
Recording, Mix & Mastering of the Grieg CD "Norwegian Dances" in Konstanz for Sony Classical / Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
courses 2025
https://altemusik.burg-fuersteneck.de/
"Communication with the Drum"
rhythm ensemble
Director: Katharina Dustmann
Drumming is one of the oldest forms of musical expression and communication, because rhythm connects people, and has done so for thousands of years in a wide variety of cultures and traditions - including at carnival. In Cologne, drumming was first mentioned during carnival in 1341. With wild masks and lots of rhythmically beaten drums, people wanted to drive away the evil spirits of winter and awaken spring.
In this course we will focus on a shared and unifying sense of rhythm, where listening to each other and, above all, grooving together are the main focus. In this way we will become a powerful rhythmic unit that not only drives away evil spirits and winter, but also symbolizes unity. We also plan to play with carnival masks to experience the rhythm and the players in a new, exciting way.
All types of drums are welcome. However, participants should be able to play the basic beats on their drum. Please bring your own mask. (Not required)
concerts in 2025
30.05.2025 at 18:00 with the ensemble Evas Äpfel in the Franz-Hitze-Haus in Münster.
courses 2024
The frame drum in early music
from 20 to 24 September in Wittenberg/Lutherstadt at the Wittenberg Renaissance Festival
https://www.wittenberger-renaissancemusik.de/workshops/ framingtrommel-tamburello.html
English below
The frame drum in early music: The Wittenberg Renaissance Music Festival is offering five intensive drumming days with Katharina Dustmann! The course is aimed at beginners as well as advanced students. The simple frame drum and the tamburello are the main instruments to be rediscovered - anyone who wants to expand and refine skills they have already acquired is also welcome. Part of the work is carried out in two groups in order to do justice to the different levels of knowledge of the participants and to create optimal conditions for the lessons: The first group of beginners learns the basic beats on the drums and some easy rhythms, as well as the formation and use of rhythms specifically in early music. In the second group, what has been learned is refreshed, and work is done on any ambiguities and on expanding various techniques and rhythms.
The most important thing is of course the fun and enjoyment of drumming and playing together. Don't have a frame drum? No problem, there are loan instruments available in the course! You can also bring other drums.
https://www.wittenberger-renaissancemusik.de/.../ framingtr...
https://www.wittenberger-renaissancemusik.de/.../ framingtr...
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Concerts and Courses 2023
As a lecturer at the Akademie Burg FürsteneckMarch 3rd- 05.03.2023
On the historical traces of drumming women
Further information athttps://altemusik.burg-fuersteneck.de/
13. 04. 2023 in Mürzzuschlag, Festival of Early Music
Cantar d'amore Ensemble Oni Wytars
May 26, 2023 at the Kultur Forum Amthof, Feldkirch, with Ensemble Oni Wytars
»MEDITERRANEUM - from a swimmer's dream«
Medieval Improvisational Worlds between Orient and Occident
The Song of the Angels (Concert)
Songs from the Hidden World | Ensemble Oni Wytars
Renaissance Festival Wittenberg Fri, 29.09.2023 - 19:00 Uhr
https://www.wittenberger-renaissancemusik.de/konzerte/der-gesang-der-engel.html
Concert with Oni Wytars, "CANTAR D AMORE" in Neuss, Zeughauskonzerte
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March 17, 2022
Le Havre (F)
LES 17ÈMES PRIEURALES
"MEDITERRANEUM"
info: https://francois77.wixsite.com/lesprieurales
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May 13, 2022
Trollhättan, Sweden
"CANTAR D'AMORE"
LOVE SONGS FROM THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE AND ORAL TRADITION
info: http://trollhattanstidigmusikdagar.se
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June 12, 2022
Werdenberg (CH), 6:00 pm,
"RETROUVÈ"
Ensembles Oni Wytars & Syn.de
info: https://schlossmediale.ch/programm/retrouve
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July 7, 2022
Graz (A), Styriarte 2022, Minoritensaal, 8:00 p.m.
"MEDITERRANEUM"
info:https://styriarte.com/produktionen/mediterraneum
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July 31, 2022
Eppingen (D),
"IL PARADISO DELLA MUSICA"
info: https://events.gartenschau-eppingen.de/event/res-oni-wytars/
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September 25, 2022
Wittenberg (D), Wittenberg Renaissance Music Festival, 5:00 p.m.
"PENTAMERON"
LEGENDS, MAGIC AND LOVE IN MUSIC AT THE TIME OF THE »HISTORY OF HISTORIES«
info: https://www.wittenberger-renaissancemusik.de/konzerte/pentameron.html
THE NEW PROGRAM, THE NEW CD! NOW AT SONY/DHM!
» PENTAMERON «
Legends, magic and love in music at the time of
Giambattista Basile's "The Tale of the Tales"
Legends, Magic and Love in Music
at the time of the "History of Stories
concerts in 2021 and 2022
Concert on 12.09.2021 in Santiago de Copostela with Ensemble Oni Wytars
Participation as a musician in the project "North Hessian Organ Landscape"
Funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art. Starts in December 2020.
Concert 17 18 July 21 with Ensemble Oni Wytars in Klöch, Festival Styriate Austria
Concert in Napoli Cappella de'Tuchini, federica. Program: Pentameron Magia, leggende e amore ai tempi de “Lo cunto de li cunti” in musica, parola e danza. No date yet.
Concert on July 31, 2022 in Eppingen
Concert with Ensemble Oni Wytars “Il Paradiso della Musica” Musica Antiqua Italica.
Concert with Ensemble Evas Äpfel on November 17th in Stuttgart
Concert with Ensemble Oni Wytars on October 10th in Bochum