Verbunkos
Encyclopedia
Verbunkos (ˈvɛɾbunkoʃ, other spellings are Verbounko, Verbunko, Verbunkas, Werbunkos, Werbunkosch, Verbunkoche) 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 name is derived from the German
word Werbung, a noun derived from the verb werben, that means, in particular, "to enroll in the army"; verbunkos—recruiter. The corresponding music and dance was played during military recruiting, which was a frequent event at these times, hence the character of the music.
The Gypsy composer János Bihari
remains the most well-known composer and interpreter of verbunkos. 84 compositions of his remain. Bihari was an accomplished violin
ist during his lifetime, and he played in the court in Vienna
during the entire Congress of Vienna
in 1814. Another composer of verbunkos was József Kossovits
(d. c. 1819).
In the second half of the 19th century verbunkos appeared in opera
. The most successful operas of Ferenc Erkel, namely Hunyadi László
and Bánk bán
were heavily influenced by this genre.
Béla Bartók
's Contrasts
(1938), a trio for clarinet, piano and violin, is in three movements, the first of which is named Verbunkos. His Violin Concerto No. 2
is also an example of verbunkos style.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
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 name is derived from the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word Werbung, a noun derived from the verb werben, that means, in particular, "to enroll in the army"; verbunkos—recruiter. The corresponding music and dance was played during military recruiting, which was a frequent event at these times, hence the character of the music.
The Gypsy composer János Bihari
János Bihari
János Bihari was an influential Hungarian Romani violinist. He is one of the founders of Romani academic music and the musical genre verbunkos....
remains the most well-known composer and interpreter of verbunkos. 84 compositions of his remain. Bihari was an accomplished violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist during his lifetime, and he played in the court in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
during the entire Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
in 1814. Another composer of verbunkos was József Kossovits
József Kossovits
József Kossovits was a Hungarian composer and cellist.Kossovits was employed by various members of the Hungarian nobility, including the Andrássy family. Many of his compositions are dances in the verbunkos style...
(d. c. 1819).
In the second half of the 19th century verbunkos appeared in opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. The most successful operas of Ferenc Erkel, namely Hunyadi László
Hunyadi László (opera)
Hunyadi László is an opera in three acts by the Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel. The libretto, by Béni Egressy, is based on a play by Lörinc Tóth. The opera was first performed at the Pesti Nemzeti Magyar Szinház, Budapest on 27 January 1844...
and Bánk bán
Bánk bán
Bánk bán is an opera in 3 Acts by composer Ferenc Erkel. The work uses a Hungarian language libretto by Béni Egressy which is based on a stage play of the same name by József Katona. The main storyline is based on the assassination of Queen Gertrúd, wife of Andrew II in 1213...
were heavily influenced by this genre.
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...
's Contrasts
Contrasts (Bartók)
Contrasts is a 1938 composition scored for clarinet-violin-piano trio by Béla Bartók . It is based on Hungarian and Romanian dance melodies and has three movements with a combined duration of 17-20 minutes. Bartók wrote the work in response to a letter from violinist Joseph Szigeti, although it...
(1938), a trio for clarinet, piano and violin, is in three movements, the first of which is named Verbunkos. His Violin Concerto No. 2
Violin Concerto No. 2 (Bartók)
Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2, BB 117 was dedicated to the Hungarian violin virtuoso, Zoltán Székely, who requested the composition in 1936, and is a prime example of verbunkos style....
is also an example of verbunkos style.