On some relations between kokles styles and contexts in the twentieth century

The purpose of this paper is to discuss traditional and modern styles for playing the kokles (the Latvian variation of the Baltic psaltery or board zither). To answer questions about the nature of kokles styles today and about their relation to earlier rural traditions, musical events are viewed in their personal, social, and cultural contexts. A scheme for the correlation of different styles is offered, according to which symbolic, artistic, folkloric, and post-folkloric groupings may be distinguished.