This paper examines the problems of writing down music of non-literal musical cultures, the transformation of musical sounds and performances into written form in general, the different [difficulty?] of approaching such documents, and the problems arising. A "music-culture" model by ethnomusicologist Jeff Todd Titon is used as a theoretical paradigm in order to present different elements of the non-literal musical world to which old Welsh harp music, including that by Robert ap Huw, also belongs. The four levels of Titon's model are: affect, performance, community, and memory/ history, and each of these is discussed not only in relation to Robert ap Huw, but also to early music in general, including different folk music and non-European music-cultures. With regard to music research, the approach in this paper is strongly influenced by ethnomusicology, although it also aligns to some extent with the precepts of poststructural or critical musicology. Taking music, including that of Robert ap Huw, to be in an ambiguous and dynamic state as are the people who make (or have made) it, forms the conceptual base for musical culture. The problems and pitfalls caused by over-ready acceptance of written documents as such, especially those written by outsiders, to the culture under discussion, is also examined. Finally, the last part of this article is centred around the dilemma of translation; re-editing early (and other) music to suit modern needs at the expense of its own cultural context. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the best way to access the core of the musical culture represented by Robert ap Huw is derived from exploring his musical and cultural conceptual base.
Mae'r papur hwn yn astudio problemau nodi cerddoriaeth diwylliannau cerddorol anllythrennol, trawsffurfio synnau a pherfformiadau cerddorol i ffurf ysgrifenedig yn gyffredinol, a ffyrdd a phroblemau gwahanol y dasg o ymgymryd â'r fath ddogfennau. Defnyddir model diwylliant cerddorol yr ethnogerddoregwr Jeff Todd Titon fel cynllun theoretig er mwyn cyflwyno gwahanol elfennau byd cerddoriaeth anllythrennol y perthyna hen gerddoriaeth telyn Gymreig iddo hefyd, gan gynnwys honno gan Robert ap Huw. Pedair lefel y model yw effaith, perfformio, cymuned a chof/ hanes, a thrafodir bob un ohonynt nid yn unig mewn perthynas â Robert ap Huw, ond hefyd â cherddoriaeth gynnar yn gyffredinol, gan gynnwys cerddoriaeth werin wahanol a diwylliannau cerddorol an-Ewropeaidd. Gan ystyried ymchwil cerddorol, dylanwadir yn fawr ar duedd y papur gan ethnogerddoreg, er mae hefyd yn cyfunioni i raddau i reolau cerddoreg ôl-strwythurol, neu feirniadol. Mae ystyried cerddoriaeth, gan gynnwys un Robert ap Huw, yn gymaint o stad amwys a dynamig â'r bobl sy'n ei chreu (neu a'i creodd), yn ffurfio sylfaen syniadaeth diwylliant cerddorol. Trafodir hefyd broblemau a pheryglon a greir trwy dderbyn dogfennau ysgrifenedig mewn modd sydd, fel y cyfryw, heb fod yn rhy feirniadol, yn arbennig y rheini a ysgrifennwyd gan rai o'r tu allan i'r diwylliant yr ymchwilir iddo. Yn olaf, canolbwynt rhan olaf yr erthygl hon yw cyfyng-gyngor cyfieithu; ailolygu cerddoriaeth gynnar (neu arall) i gwrdd ag ofynion modern ar draul ei chyd-destun diwylliannol ei hun. Prif bwrpas y papur hwn yw dangos y tardda'r ffordd orau o fynd at galon y diwylliant cerddorol a gynrychiolir gan Robert ap Huw o ymchwilio i'w sylfaen syniadaeth gerddorol neu ddiwylliannol.