|
This article was originally published by the
American Hungarian
Museum,
Passaic,
New Jersey USA
and is re-produced with their permission
'The AMERICAN HUNGARIAN MUSEUM, was established to preserve, exhibit and cultivate Hungarian culture in one of the largest Hungarian communities in the United States. The MUSEUM specializes in the collection of memorabilia from the community, valuable folk art treasures, folk-crafts, and examples of the art.'
Part one is
here.
|
|
Új Pátria
New Patria Series
Volumes 1 to 16
Part of the
'Final Hour - Program'
- a comprehensive folk music collection.
|
|
Uj Patria
'Under the direction of folk music researcher László
Kelemen, the traditional Transylvanian bands still in
existence were brought to Budapest for recording sessions.
Each band was at the disposal of the researchers for five
days during which time is was possible to record from many
of them, almost complete repertoires serving more than one
ethnic group.'
|
|
Téka Ensemble
Various CDs
|
|
Teka
Teka Ensemble play
authentic Hungarian peasant music. Their repertoire
emphasizes the traditional style of playing and the original
feeling of folk music.
|
|
Duvo Ensemble
'4 - Hungarian Village Music'
(BGCD084)
|
|
Duvo
'The ensemble plays Hungarian folk music first and foremost
in a traditional style. It has played as an independent
orchestra in concerts since 1981. Its repertoire contains
all kinds of music of ethnic groups in the Carpathian basin.'
|
|
Új élő népzene
Living Village Music
Volumes 2 to 8
Various Artists
|
|
Living Village
folk music
This is a new series of modern folk music recordings from
Hungary, following the tradition of the Tanchaz revival of
the 1970s. Features: Hegedos Ensemble, Cabar Zenekar, Szabo
Zoltan, Rece-Fice Ensemble, Boglya Ensemble, Zurgo Ensemble,
Bekecs Ensemble, Duvo Ensemble, Pikos Es Bandaja, Teka
Ensemble and others.
|
|
Bela Szerényi
and Judit Kota
Túl A Tiszán -
Beyond The Tisza River
(FA-010-2)
|
|
Bela Szerenyi
Judit Kota
Béla Szerényi, Judit Kóta and a group of outstanding
musicians got together to make this recording of based
around hurdy-gurdy music from the Csongrád and Somogy
counties of Hungary.
With the title track 'Tul a Tiszan' they have attempted to
'reconstruct' the original 1930s style of hurdy gurdy
playing using an original 'Patria' recording of that time.
(It was Bela Bartok who in the 1930s instigated the release
of 78rpm folk records under the title of 'Patria'.
|
|
|
Hungarian Folk
Instruments
Part Two
by
Emese Kerkay
|
|
|
|
This article is reprinted from the publication 'Magyar Nepi
Hangszerek - Hungraian Folk musical Instruments' by Emese Kerkay. It was originally published by the American Hungarian
Museum, Passaic, New Jersey, US and is reproduced here by their
permission.
|
|
Hungarian Folk
Musical Instruments
Part Two (for
Part One click
here)
VIOLIN (hegedü)
SUNFLOWER STALK VIOLIN (kóróhegedü)
REED VIOLIN (nádihegedü)
RATTLE (kereplö)
JUGHORN, JUGPIPE (köcsögduda)
BUGLE, SHEPHERD'S HORN (kürt, pásztortülök)
SHEPHERD'S PIPE (sípok)
OBOE-LIKE SHAWM (tárogató)
HURDY-GURDY, REVOLVING LUTE (tekerö)
SHEPHERD'S PIPE (tilinkó)
OBOE-LIKE SHAWM, TURKISH PIPE (töröksíp)
LYRE (koboz)
Part one
WHIZZER, THUNDERSTICK
(bugattyu)
CIMBALOM, HAMMERED-DULCIMER (cimbalom)
ZITHER
(citera)
DRUM
(dob)
TRUMP, JAW HARP, JEW'S HARP
(doromb)
BAGPIPE, BELLOWS PIPE
(duda)
RECORDER, FLUTE
(furulya)
HIT
GARDON, PERCUSSIVE CELLO (ütögardon)
|
 |
VIOLIN (hegedü)
The most popular and widespread instrument among Hungarians is the violin. It was made popular by the violinist minstrels in the Middle
Ages. In the 1500-s, a traveler reports, that the Hungarian violinists handle their instrument in a very peculiar way, which people of
other nations are unable to do. In the past 200 years the violin became the favorite instrument of gypsy bands. The violin was often
used together with a bagpipe and hit gardon. In Szék, Transylvania a band consisting of a violinist, bass-player and violist
(brácsás)
still plays music in the style of many centuries. The three strings of the viola (brácsa) are tuned to a, d, and g. All three strings
are sounded simultaneously with one stroke of the bow which harmonizes with the violin and bass (or cello). |
|
|
|
SUNFLOWER STALK VIOLIN (kóróhegedü)
The body is made of 40-50 cm long sunflower stalks, the two keys are a piece of twig, the bow is a bent rod, the strings and bow-hair
are made of stripped fibers of the sunflower stalks. It is possible to play a simple tune on this violin. |
|
|
 |
REED VIOLIN (nádihegedü)
It consists of two equally structured pieces: one is the violin, and the other is the bow. If the pieces are not completely dry, rubbed
together they give a scraping sound. |
|
|
 |
RATTLE (kereplö)
The simple ripped rattle is made of three pieces of wood. It can be a toy, an instrument in a symphony orchestra and a tool to scare off
the birds when the grapes ripen at Tokaj. |
|
|
 |
JUGHORN, JUGPIPE (köcsögduda)
Leather or parchment is tightened to the top of a large pottery or wooden jug. A reed or horsehair is fastened to the cover. The one
with horsehair is called bull (bika) by the Csángós. A wet hand moved up and down the reed or horsehair creates a unique sound of
percussion. It is used with other instruments. |
|
|
 |
BUGLE, SHEPHERD'S HORN (kürt, pásztortülök)
Ancient Hungarians used the horn as a signaling device and also as a symbol of dignity. The swineherd's horn was made from the 80 cm
long horn of the Hungarian grey cattle. In some regions the herdsmen decorated their instrument. The horns produce an extraordinarily
high tune.
The wooden bugle is called a bugle (kürt) by the Székelys, and a water pipe (víziduda) by the folk of the Great Plain. They are from 50
to 200 cm long and are made of pine, poplar, birch or elder wood. In Transylvania the bark of the linden tree is also used. Both bugles
had to be soaked in water for a good sound. The horns and bugles were used by fishermen, millers, rafters,
sailors for signaling, and by
herdsmen to scare off wild animals. According to folk tradition the custom of noisemaking is a remnant of ancient rituals of cleansing,
keeping sickness and enemies away. Bugles were also used to salute the New Year and Spring or simply to chat with far away neighbors on
quiet evenings. |
|
|
 |
SHEPHERD'S PIPE (sípok)
Pipes, together with drums, are ancient instruments recalling old beliefs of Hungarians. Pipes are made of reed, bone and wood.
Their size and number of holes vary. Some pipe varieties are:
ˇ Willow Pipe, a toy variant of the recorder without holes. It is made in the Spring, when the branches of the willow are still fresh.
ˇ Pottery Pipe, a lip pipe in the shape of bulls, cocks, birds. Some are called cuckoo after the sound they make. They have one or two
holes. Sometimes water is poured into the pipe to get the sound of chirping birds.
ˇ Reed Pipe, an ancient instrument, which can be made easily. It was used, when better instruments, like a recorder or bagpipe were not
at hand. |
ˇ Double Reed Shepherd's Pipe is made of maple, willow or elder. The wood is widened with a hot iron, and polished on the in- and
outside. Sometimes a reed pipe is inserted. The mouthpiece and holes are carved with great care.
ˇ Bagpipe Stalk, a double recorder, without a bag, is made of hard wood. It sounds like a bagpipe.
ˇ Chanter Pipe or Drone Pipe, a double pipe made of elder wood. Double pipes are played simultaneously.
ˇ Gourd Pipe or Recorder, an instrument used by minstrels and folk singers of regös songs. It is made of gourd, and can be considered a
simple version of the töröksíp. |
|
|
 |
OBOE-LIKE SHAWM
(tárogató)
A Hungarian double reed instrument made of wood. It was used by the military as a signaling and guiding device. It was a favorite of
Rákóczi's freedom fighters (1703-1711). Therefore it is believed that the name tárogató is of kuruc origin.
The Schunda-Tárogató known and used today, was only designed in 1890. It is a manufactured clarinet-like instrument with stops and a
single reed. It has a funnel shaped pipe while the one of the clarinet is cylindrical-shaped. |
|
|
 |
HURDY-GURDY, REVOLVING LUTE
(tekerö)
It was developed in the 13th century and spread from Spain. In Hungary it is mentioned and illustrated in the kuruc era (17th century)
for the first time. The resonance box has a string for the tune and two for accompaniment. The strings are sounded by rotating a
resinated wooden disc. On the outside of the box a system of wooden keys serve to communicate stoppings, which were completed with a
chromatic row of keys. These keys are used to depress the melodic string. The hurdy-gurdy is still played in dances along with melodic
instruments (violin, clarinet) in the Szentes and Csongrád regions. |
|
|
|
SHEPHERD'S PIPE
(tilinkó)
It is a 70-80 cm long pipe made of willow bark, wood or metal. It has no openings and flute. The different sounds are made with the
tongue and with a finger by opening and closing the bottom of the pipe. Today, only the Csángós of Moldova use the tilinka or
csilinka. |
|
|
 |
OBOE-LIKE SHAWM, TURKISH PIPE
(töröksíp)
It has an oboe-like double-tongued pipe, and is made of maple. The töröksíp was probably made known to Hungarians by the Turks. However
it is known to all Asiatic people, from Tibet to Japan. It was especially popular during the Rákóczi
freedom-fight. The töröksíp was a pipe used by the military, but is was also popular - together with the bass drum - for dances in Transylvania in the 17th and 18th
centuries. |
|
|
 |
LYRE (koboz)
It is an ancient Hungarian minstrel instrument of Central Asian origin. Minstrel song (énekmondás) is an inner process and there are
persons in Hungary who still live and practice this form of music making. It is part of our Oriental musical inheritance. According to
the widely traveled Kobzos Kiss Tamás, people of the Orient - Central Asians, Turks from Anatolia, peoples in the Caucasus, Japanese,
Mongolians - consider Hungarians their relatives and a Folk of the East. The lyre (koboz) is a short necked, round bellied percussion
instrument. It has 4-5 or more strings. In the remote past it was an instrument of soldiers. It is not known if the lyre, used by the
Csángós, is the same as used in the 16th to 18th centuries. Szepcsi Csombor Márton writes, that according to French
tradition, after the
battle of Catalaunum, one-thousand lyre players accompanied the dead Huns to their graves. This made such an impression on the French,
that in this single village they play the koboz since Atilla's time. |
|
|
Part One click
here
|
Special thanks to Emese Kerkay and American Hungarian Museum, Passaic, New Jersey
for the use of this article. |
|
This article was originally published by the
American Hungarian
Museum,
and is re-produced with their permission
'The AMERICAN HUNGARIAN MUSEUM, was established to preserve, exhibit and cultivate Hungarian culture in one of the largest Hungarian communities in the United States. The MUSEUM specializes in the collection of memorabilia from the community, valuable folk art treasures, folk-crafts, and examples of the art.'
|
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bagossy Liszlo, ed., Encyclopaedia Hungarica, I-IV, Hungarian Ethnic Lexicon Foundation, Calgary, 1992-1998
Balassa - Ortutay, Magyar neprajz, Corvina Kiado, 1980
Czako Elemer, ed., Amagyarsag neprajza 1-IV., Kiralyi Magyar Egyetemi Nyomda, Budapest
Viski Karoly, A magyarsag targyi neprajza, A
hagyomanytdrgyai, II.
Kodaly Zoltan, A magyarsag szellemi neprajza, Zene, IV.
Hofer Tames - Fel Edit, Magyar nepmuveszet, Corvina Kiado, 1975
Rajeczky Benjamin, Hungarian Folk Music, Magyar Nepzene I, II,
Qualiton.
In co-operation with UNESCO, Budapest, 1972
Kobzos Kiss Tamas eloadasa, Kelet nepe, Fillmore 1989
Kosa - Szemerkenyi, Aparol flura, Mora Ferenc Konyvkiado, Budapest, 1975
Magyar Neprajzi Lexikon, I-V., Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, 1977
Magyar Tortenelmi Szemle I.1., A kievi osi magyar otvosmuhely... 91. oldal, New York, 1969
Malonyay Dezso, A magyar nep muveszete, III., Franklin-Tarsulat, Budapest, 1911
Mangy Janos, Hungarian Folksong and Folk Instruments, Corvina Press, Budapest, 1975 Ortutay Gyula, ed., Magyar neprajzi lexikon I-V., Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, 1977 Platthy Gyorgy - Dr. Ronai
Bela, Nepmuveszet, Tankonyvkiado, Budapest, 1978
Sarosi Balint, Magyar nepi hangszerek,Tankonyvkiado, Budapest, 1978
Kiszely Istvan, A Magyarsag Ostortenete, Puski,Budapest 1996
back to top
|
