The Muotathal Naturjuuz
People have been yodelling in the Muotatal for many generations; the locals call it „juuzen“.
The Muotatal is unique in a great many ways. A Swiss cabinet of wonders that is hard to beat! The magnificent Silberen karst region, the Hölloch cave and the Glattalp with its record-breaking sub-zero temperatures are all part of it. The Bödmerenwald, the largest primeval forest in the Alpine region, and the mystical natural landscapes of the side valleys are no less fascinating. Just as distinctive are the inhabitants, with their pithy, earthy dialect and their rugged yet endearing manner. And one thing characterises the Muotatal above all: the Naturjuuz.
The Muotatal keeps alive a form of Naturjuuz that is probably no longer to be found anywhere else. The formation «Natur pur» devoted itself to it wholeheartedly. The origin and age of the melodies cannot be traced, but over time several distinctive features have developed and endured. Among them is certainly the alphorn fa that surfaces now and again, and also the neutral intonation of the 3rd and 7th degrees, that is, of the third and the seventh. In part singing this produces intervals that are unfamiliar and, to our ears, dissonant. Well-tempered tuning - as used today on almost every instrument - is, however, pushing the handed-down way of singing further and further back.
It can also be said in general that «juuzen» often and quite deliberately puts expression and individuality at the centre rather than «beautiful» singing. Old sound recordings bear this out. The style is unpolished; the notes are sometimes earthy, sometimes wild. This is one reason why the Muotathal Jüüzli at first sound angular, raw and at times surprisingly different to the unaccustomed ear. The listener senses the origin of the juuz out in the open, in the work on pasture and alp. Listen for longer and a sound world of an entirely distinctive character opens up, rich in demanding figures. These are sounds that hint at the proud and headstrong character of the people of this valley.