Music CD details

Ardealul Ensemble

'Gypsy Music From Transylvania'

(ETHCD007)

Musicians:



Emil Mihaiu - ceterã (violin)
Urszui Kálmán - contrã (adjusted viola), accordion
Pusztai Aladár - gordon (double bass), cymbalum

Label - Ethnophonie, Romania
Released 2003

28 page booklet in Romanian and English giving details on the music and musicians.

Extract from notes:
'All the pieces on this recording are instrumental: some in the serious, classical Transylvanian formula of a string trio (ceterã–contrã–gordon, i.e. violin–adjusted viola–double bass); others in the more modern formula in which the accordion and the cymbalum, with their specific exuberance, join the strings.

Most songs on this CD are recognized, accepted, and considered to be 'Gypsy' by both Romanian and Hungarian Gypsies.

The Ardealul Ensemble is the traditional elite ensemble of Transylvania. It was set up by Emil Mihaiu, who assembled, as was natural, the best musicians in the region. Each of them has his own wedding ensemble; for refined connoisseurs and their own 'heirs', however, they always perform together. The name of their ensemble, Ardealul [=Transylvania] is symbolic: today, in Transylvania, at least three important ethnic groups cohabit, one of them being the Romanies, and the ensemble is determined to represent all of them. The ensemble lineup is also symbolic: Emil Mihaiu is Romanian, while Urszui Kálmán and Pusztai Aladár are Hungarian-speaking Gypsies.

Emil Mihaiu is a Romanian. Currently, he is considered to be the best fiddler in Transylvania. He comes from a Transylvanian village (Buza) with a mixed population - Romanian, Hungarian and Gypsy. He learned to play the violin from a Gypsy villager - Ferica from Cesari - who also taught him all the musics of the region. Over the years, Emil greatly enriched his repertoire with new local pieces of sundry origins, treating them with equal seriousness and respect. Now mature and trying to understand as much as possible the similarities and differences between the music of the Romanians, Hungarians and Gypsies, he saw fit to consult and critically examine recordings made in Transylvania decades ago, which is quite unusual for a fiddler.

Urszui Kálmán is a Hungarian-speaking Romany from the city of Cluj. The son of a famous musician, Kálmán learned as a child several traditional and modern instruments: violin, viola, accordion and piano. He is concerned, just like Emil, about the value and lastingness of the music he performs. He knows well all the traditional Romanian, Hungarian and Gypsy music from central Transylvania. On this record, he plays the viola and the accordion.

Pusztai Aladár, the son of a Cluj fiddler, is a Hungarian-speaking Romany. In daily life, Ali has an absent-minded, helpless air and seems always ready to entrust himself to somebody else’s careful arms; but he is an excellent bassist and cymbalum player, acknowledged as such. He will play anything to ensure a decent livelihood for his family, but aims to endure in time through the recordings and concerts with his team-mates from Grupul Ardealul. On this record, Ali plays the double bass and the cymbalum.'

GBP 9.97

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Ardealul Ensemble

'Gypsy Music From Transylvania'

(ETHCD007)

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. De meseli song: Sode seia romane - All the Gypsy Girls (3'34")

2. Suite of two slow de cingherit dances: Kalo hin moro ogi - My Heart Is Black (the second with unidentified title) and a quick de cingherit dance from Bonþida (3'20")

3. Quick de cingherit dance: Dikh, mamo, tri bori - Here’s Your Daughter-in-Law, Mom ( 1'43")

4. Suite of two de meseli songs: Kreci besleam pe cear - Last Night I Sat on Grass — alternate title' Te khelas pas-i iag - Let’s Dance Near the Fire (Rom.) and Gule Roji n-aci an-porta - Sweet Roji, Don’t Stand by My Gate , and a slow de cingherit dance (the last on the tune of the song Gule Roji n-aci an-porta) (4'29")

5. Quick de cingherit dance' Pale tute pirani - After You, Sweetie (Rom.) ( 2'18")

6. Suite of two de meseli songs: De man, Devla, but gesa - God, Give Me Many Days and Le romes cialeal e erme - The Gypsy Loves Cabbage (4'13")

7. Suite of two slow de cingherit dances: Beat Me Up Now, God , the second with unidentified title ( 3'04")

8. Two quick de cingherit dances: Miro mui sukar - My Sweet Mouth and O brîsînd hin p-o Cluj vari - Oh My, What A Rain’s Coming Down From Cluj (2'04")

9. Gypsy bãrbunc Tiro mui sar e lulugea - Your Mouth Like Flowers (2'18")

10. De meseli song: Me geanau ke na merau - I Know When I Will Die (4'19")

11. Suite of two slow de cingherit dances: Sar haliom mîrî gesa - You Kill Me by Inches (Hung.) and Mamo, ciumidau tro vast - Mother I Kiss Your Hand (Rom.) (3'28")

12. Suite of two quick de cingherit dances: Geal i raþa p-o pani - The Duck’s Treading Water (Rom.) and Lungo hin tiri roki skurto hin tiri gogi - Your Dress Is Long, Your Brain Is Short (1'40")

13. De meseli song: Anicuþã, mui gulo - Anicuþã, Sweet Mouth (5'36")

14. Slow de cingherit dance: Mîri sucarni - My Beautiful Lady (2'15")

15. De meseli Song: And-e bar - In the Garden 3'21

16. Suite of two quick de cingherit dances: Sucar romni ciumidau - I Kiss a Beautiful Gypsy Woman and O khelibo la boreako - The Dance of the Bride (2'07")

17. De meseli song: Parno gad ileam pe mande - I Put On a White Shirt ( 2'45")

18. Quick de cingherit dance: Gea gea gea kã the me geau - Go and I’ll Go Too (1'23")

19. De meseli song: Gule mamo kai kergean man - Sweet Mother, When You Gave Birth to Me ( 4'58")

20. Slow de cingherit dance: Na ustar man p-o pungro - Don’t Step on My Foot (2'16")

21. Quick de cingherit dance: Kale iakenþa - Dark Eyes (Rom.) (3'07")

Duration (64'22")

Our mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long and of low(ish) quality for a fast download (file size app 300KB)

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