Tegernseer Zwoagsang

Zither (as a genre) refers to the traditional Central European practice of composing and performing music centered on the concert and Alpine zither family, especially in Austria and southern Germany. The sound is defined by a fretted melody section picked with a thumb-ring plectrum and a bed of open accompaniment strings plucked by the fingers, yielding a bright, bell-like melody over resonant drones and arpeggios. Stylistically, zither repertoire spans rustic dance forms (Ländler, Boarischer, Polka, Waltz), lyrical salon pieces, and reflective folk songs. It is performed solo or in small ensembles with guitar, harp, clarinet, accordion, and hammered dulcimer, and it often features regional tunings and idioms that evoke Alpine landscapes and village life.

Polka is a lively Central European couple dance and musical style in a brisk 2/4 meter, characterized by its buoyant “oom‑pah” bass-chord accompaniment and bright, diatonic melodies. Originating in Bohemia (today’s Czech Republic) in the early 19th century, it quickly became a pan-European craze before taking root across immigrant communities in the Americas. Ensembles typically feature accordion or button box/concertina, clarinet or saxophone, trumpets/trombone, tuba or string bass, and drum kit, with regional variants highlighting different lead voices and rhythmic feels. While the classical ballroom tradition codified polka into formal strains (often AABB with a contrasting trio), folk and popular styles favor singable tunes, simple I–IV–V harmonies, and tempos commonly around 115–135 BPM, inviting upbeat social dancing and communal celebration.