Introducing the digitised dataset of Slovenian folk ballads

Borsan, Vanessa Nina (author), Kovačič, Mojca (author), Giraud, Mathieu (author), Pisk, Marjeta (author), Pesek, Matevž (author), Marolt, Matija (author)

This article introduces a Slovenian folk song ballad dataset consisting of annotated transcriptions of 402 monophonic songs, some of which also come with recordings. It traces the historical trajectory of the materials from their collection to their digitisation, providing a statistical overview of the collection’s structure and outlining the theoretical framework for the analysis of key elements: context (metadata), content (music), and lyrics. The study acknowledges the significance of historical folkloristic and ethnomusicological practices, integrating these into the synthesis of the materials. It addresses issues such as collector bias, divergent transcription styles, and the inaccessibility of certain recordings.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ethnomusicological archives, digital humanities, Slovenian folk ballads, music annotation, computational analysis, transcription practices
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts; FRI - Faculty of Computer and Information Science
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 411-442
• Numbering: Vol. 34, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179031
• UDC: 398.91(=163.6):004
• ISSN on article: 1741-1920
• DOI: 10.1080/17411912.2025.2588780
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262633731
• Publication date in RUL: 03.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ethnomusicology forum
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, British Forum for Ethnomusicology
• ISSN: 1741-1920
• COBISS.SI-ID: 518357785

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: etnomuzikološki arhivi, digitalna humanistika, slovenske ljudske balade, glasbeno označevanje, računalniška analiza, transkripcijske prakse