Vassili Väli, Mihkel Alt, Bärni Tuulik and Villem Saarik. Photo by E. Mihkelson 1974. ERA, Foto 10851.
The main aim of the collection expedition to the Muhu island was to record local village songs and collect data about them. We were struck by good fortune with the opportunity to record old men’s songs in its natural environment. We recorded a group of men, who has previously sang together and who had a lot of shared repertoire. /---/ Truth be told, handwritten song notebooks were used to recall the words of the songs. The most knowledgeable of the songs and directing singers were Villem Saarik, Bärni Tuulik, August Vokk, Vassili Väli, Mihkel Alt and Vassili Oidekivi. (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 28)
One of the singers with rich repertoire, who often took the roll of the directing singer, even half-way through the song, was Mihkel Alt (Pendu Mihkel). (Men’s songs’ music and performance styles, Rüütel 2016: 101)
Pendu Mihkel was one of a kind man – he preferred songs with “poetic” words and “melodies”. (According to local singers’ terminology “melody” was the opposite term for the tunes of local village songs and alliterative songs. The “melody” had a wider range and was mostly of foreign origin.) Pendu Mihkel even wrote songs himself, one of them begins with the words “Liiva, the heart of Muhu...” [He actually wrote it with Villem Voss /---/.] (On collection circumstances and purposes, Rüütel 2016: 21)
Mihkel Alt, 1905–1980, Liiva village. Recorded by I. Rüütel, O. Kõiva, K. Salve and O. Kiis in Suuremõisa village in 1974.
Editors Janika Oras, Kadi Sarv
Translation into English Inna Feldbach, Olga Ivaškevitš
Project co-ordinator Risto Järv
Web design Lorem Ipsum
Cover photo “Kuivastu Harbour in the early 20th century. Steamship “General Suvortsev” (on the left) and Muhu sailboat uisk (on the right)”. 1910–1919, Saaremaa Museum, SM F 3761:1514 F.
Published materials originate from following archives: Estonian Folklore Archives of Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian National Museum, Saaremaa Museum, Film Archives of National Archives and Estonian Film Institute.
We would like to thank the following contributors for their help in personal information specification: Mihkel Jürisson, Martin Kivisoo, Meelis and Marti Mereäär, Muhu Pärandikool, Helmut Noot, Airi Nõmm, Leena Peegel, Ago Rullingo, Irena Tarvis, Heiske Tuul, Tiiu Tuust, Kadri Tüür and Viia Väli.
Ensemble Trad.Attack!
Ministry of Education and Research (IUT22-4)
The European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies)
The Cultural Endowment of Estonia
ELM Scholarly Press, 2018
© and ℗ Estonian Literary Museum, 2018
© Ingrid Rüütel
ISBN 978-9949-586-77-6
[CD, DVD and textbook]
Sound production and CD mastering Jaan Tamm
DVD editing and mastering Jaan Kolberg
Editor Janika Oras
Translation into English Inna Feldbach
Language editors Olga Ivaškevitš, Kadri Tamm
Design Krista Saare
Print Kruul
Replication Baltic Disc AS
Editor Asta Niinemets
Music transcription Janika Oras, Ingrid Rüütel, Ludmilla Toon
Notation editing Ingrid Rüütel, Edna Tuvi
Sheet music graphics Edna Tuvi
Texts transcription Erna Tampere, Riina Rehe, Alviine Schmuul, Ingrid Rüütel
Dialectic texts editor Alviine Schmuul
Translation of summary Inna Feldbach
Layout and design Krista Saare
Print Greif
