Hungarian folk music
Encyclopedia
Hungarian folk music includes a broad array of styles, including the recruitment dance verbunkos
, the csárdás
and nóta
.
During the 20th century, Hungarian composers were influenced by the traditional music of their nation which may be considered as a repeat of the early "nationalist" movement of the early 19th century (Beethoven) but is more accurately the artists' desire to escape the hegemony of the classical tradition manifold at that time. Béla Bartók
took this departure
into the abstract musical world in his appropriation of traditional Hungarian as the basis for symphonic creations.
Béla Bartók
observed that Hungarian "peasant music" use isometric
(with an even number of structures) stophe structure and certain pentatonic (five tone) formations, along with a liking for tempo giusto
(rhythm consisting chiefly of equal values). These features jointly may be considered as altogether typical, and differentiate "Hungarian peasant music" from that of any other nation. Bartók studied over 300 melodies, and noted that more modern tunes used for dancing featured pentatonic turns with frequent leaps in fourths.
Old style Hungarian folk song and bagpipe music, Verbunk style tune and dance, New style folk song and czardas, Hungarian nóta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFHQCKF2HY
Selected clips from SEA to demonstrate authentic Hungarian folk music
Verbunkos
Verbunkos is an 18th-century Hungarian dance and music genre. Erroneously, this genre was sometimes attributed to Gypsies, because usually they were the musicians, although the Magyars themselves were sometimes performers,as well....
, the csárdás
Csárdás
Csárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from csárda . It originated in Hungary and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat...
and nóta
Nóta
Nóta is a form of 19th century Hungarian popular song. It is one of a number of styles collectively referred to as cigányzene, which literally means Gipsy music but is used to refer to a number of styles of Hungarian folk music that are played in a typical Gipsy musical style...
.
During the 20th century, Hungarian composers were influenced by the traditional music of their nation which may be considered as a repeat of the early "nationalist" movement of the early 19th century (Beethoven) but is more accurately the artists' desire to escape the hegemony of the classical tradition manifold at that time. Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
took this departure
into the abstract musical world in his appropriation of traditional Hungarian as the basis for symphonic creations.
Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
observed that Hungarian "peasant music" use isometric
Isometric
The term isometric comes from the Greek for "having equal measurement".isometric may mean:* Isometric projection , a method for the visual representation of three-dimensional objects in two dimensions; a form of orthographic projection, or more specifically, an axonometric projection.* Isometry and...
(with an even number of structures) stophe structure and certain pentatonic (five tone) formations, along with a liking for tempo giusto
Tempo giusto
Tempo giusto is a musical term that means “in exact time,” often directing a return to strict time following a rubato or to play in “strict time” or “suitable time”-General:...
(rhythm consisting chiefly of equal values). These features jointly may be considered as altogether typical, and differentiate "Hungarian peasant music" from that of any other nation. Bartók studied over 300 melodies, and noted that more modern tunes used for dancing featured pentatonic turns with frequent leaps in fourths.
Videos
The following layers of Hungarian folk music are demonstrated consecutively in this short video:Old style Hungarian folk song and bagpipe music, Verbunk style tune and dance, New style folk song and czardas, Hungarian nóta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFHQCKF2HY
Selected clips from SEA to demonstrate authentic Hungarian folk music
- Hungarian tambura music from Great Hungarian PlainGreat Hungarian PlainThe Great Hungarian Plain is a plain occupying the southern and eastern part of Hungary, some parts of the Eastern Slovak Lowland, southwestern Ukraine, the Transcarpathian Lowland , western Romania , northern Serbia , and eastern Croatia...
: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etyd5mV9HJM, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HzsX7bIcUs - Bagpipe music and song (sung by István Pál shepherd): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POPSUjWYIOU
- Bagpipe imitation on fiddle (interpreted by Hungarian gipsy musician from Gúta, SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQBaDY676U - Kaval (flute) music from MoldovaMoldovaMoldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
by a Hungarian sekler-csango musician: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fyKwdOkdyc - "Fast Hungarian" dance tune from Klézse village Moldova, Romania: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqZxU55gvXU
- Mountain horn signal from GyimesGhimes-FagetGhimeş-Făget is a commune in Bacău County, Romania. It is the only commune in the county that lies in the historical region of Transylvania.- Component villages :The commune, the seat of which is Făget village, is composed of six villages:- History :...
, Romania by a Hungarian csango villager: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlTdyWWu9d0 - Couple dance tune from Gyimes, Romania by Hungarian csango musicians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN1MMwo3KMg
- Old style Hungarian folk song NE Hungary by Hungarian village gipsy band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9zu1lpNz0s
- The Rákóczi march from KalotaszegKalotaszegKalotaszeg is a region in Romania, belonging to the area of Transylvania which was formerly part of the Hungarian Kingdom. It is one of the few areas in Western Romania with a significant Hungarian population, and it is a stronghold of old Transylvanian Hungarian folk traditions.- Geography...
, TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Romania (by Miklos Nonika and his band): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFs8G8iTNWg - The Rákóczi march from SzékSic, ClujSic is a commune in Cluj County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Sic.-Demography:The commune has 2,754 inhabitants, of which 95.75% identify as ethnic Hungarians, 3.99% as ethnic Romanians, and 0.25% as Roma. By religion, 74.98% are Hungarian Reformed, 10% Seventh Day Adventists, 6.6%...
, Transylvania, Romania performed on a Hungarian wedding by Hungarian village band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEAiqQDLv-s - Hungarian nóta tunes from NE Hungary by Hungarian village gipsy band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhDZmTeveW4
External links
- Cimbalom.nl – Urban Hungarian folk (Magyar Nóta) and Hungarian folk (Népdalok)
- Folkradio – Internet radio
- MR7 – Internet radio
- Magyar népdalok a Világhálón - Népdalok
- Magyarnóta.com Magyar Nóta and Népdalok
- Nepzene.hu (with Internet radio service)
- Recordings of Hungarian folk songs Népdalok
- Sonidus Archives – Folk music selection playlist on YouTube