Gåbdesbakte (Gudefjellet – The Sacred Mountain)

About this piece

Gåbdesbakte ('Gudefjellet – The Sacred Mountain') is a piece by the South Sámi composer Frode Fjellheim, which the score describes as 'based on an old Sámi yoik – as notated by Karl Tirén'. Fjellheim has based several works on Tirén's yoik notations, among them the Tirén Suite (1992) for flute, cello and piano. He recorded Gåbdesbakte with his Frode Fjellheim Jazz Joik Ensemble on the album Saajve Dans (1994) and has issued a version for cello and piano. Marked 'Energic' at eighth note = 240, it opens with a driving 7/8 ostinato in E minor in the piano. The cellist first plays accented rhythms with the palm on the side of the instrument, then enters arco with the yoik melody, moving between 7/8, 4/4 and 3/4. The full score and cello part are a free download for registered members of vuelie.no, Fjellheim's own label and publisher, and public performances should be reported to TONO.

Technical overview

A single movement (the 1994 band recording runs 6:48). Its main demands are steady counting in fast 7/8 with changes to 4/4 and 3/4, percussive palm strokes on the body of the cello, and accented leaps from the D string up to high notes above the staff, which need shifts. Page 1 ends with a glissando up to a high accented note.

Technical focus

• Rhythm
• Shifting
• 2 Note Slurs
• Dynamics
• Hairpin Dynamics
• D String Notes
• A String Notes