Kzmr music
Kzmr music refers to the various musical traditions, past and present, of the Kkzmrš, as well as other music written within the borders of Kzmr. Music is a highly important part of Kzmr culture, with many of the most famous examples of cultural heritage of the nation, such as reading of ššzþ, Kzmr geomancy, and Kzmr wrestling, entailing music to some degree. Beyond this, music in Kzmr is often written and performed for its own sake in a wide variety of genres ranging from traditional liturgical music, to modern popular forms such as the song poem or sentimental ballad. In the contemporary era, Srn has become an epicenter of musical experimentation, with a flourishing noise music scene and the development of unique variants of Baphian-influenced genres such as stuttercore and Baphian breakcore.
Traditional music
The traditional music of Kzmr is divided into several subgenres with their own unique traits, often so divergent from one another that it is difficult to name characteristics that encompass all Kzmr folk music. A few illustrative and particularly influential types will be discussed here.
Šzþ recitation
The šzþ, or epic poem, is Kzmr's most ancient literary form, and the musical tradition that stems from it is thought to also be the oldest style of Kzmr music. Recitation of a šzþ is typically done in a sung fashion with unmetered time – emphasis can be given either by drawing out a syllable or perhaps adding a melisma, or by speeding through a long sequence of syllables in a short time to convey a feeling of agitation. The melody itself is sung with each syllable (or each division of a melisma) being assigned to to a successive note in a repeated trdrtu (lit. wheel), a concept corresponding to the color in an isorhythmic composition. Often, the trdrtu consists of a number of notes which is not a factor of the number of syllables in the line, which would cause the following line to start on a different note from the last. Three different strategies are commonly used when starting a new line:
- starting over at the beginning of the trdrtu,
- allowing the trdrtu to continue in the next line, often used for a enjambment-like effect,
- or adding a rapid melisma at the end of the line to ensure that the first syllable of the next line is aligned with the first note of the trdrtu.
Over time, a repertoire of semi-standardized ttrdrtu has developed, and each one is associated with its own mood and symbolism. Some are irrevocably tied to a single epic, or even a single scene, such as the trdrtu tnnk'agbhki, which is almost exclusively used in performances of the stanzas of the Epic of Sntp'ukžri in which Sntp'ukžri kills the mythical dragon Þksamrn. Typically, a šzþcš (reciter of epic poetry) will only switch from one trdrtu to another when moving from one stanza to the next, although exceptions exist for various purposes.
Recitation is almost always unaccompanied, but there are rare cases in which a šzþcš will self-accompany using a vbþ, a Kzmr percussion instrument in the talking drum family.