Re: Hungarian/Romanian

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

"B.J. Adrezin" <BJ99 (at) concentric(dot)net> said:

> Could anybody describe the essential differences between hungarian
> and romanian music?

    I guess I'll swallow the bait.  But first let's define "Hungarian"
as Hungarian Gypsy music, meaning the typical music in restaurants 
played by Gypsies who are musicians by hereditary profession, and
Romanian Gypsy music as played at restaurants and weddings in 
Bucharest, also played by Gypsies who pass the music from one 
generation to the next.  They are called "lautari" ("lautar" = 
klezmer = Spielmann = fiddler or minstrel).  

    The classic Hungarian ensemble is led by a "primas," or lead
fiddler.  There may be a "tenor" violin, who plays harmony, mostly
thirds or sixths with the melody.  Most likely there will be a 
"kontra" part played on the viola, mostly double stops that sound
like "do-va, do-va," etc.  The cimbalom is important, and the player
improvises a second part and may take solo breaks.  The clarinetist
plays an obligato, improvised part, also taking solo breaks.  
Finally, there is a bass.  The repertoire consists of popular 
Hungarian songs and csardases, as well as hits from operettas and
Broadway shows, Strauss waltzes, "international" tunes, etc.  

    From a Jewish perspective, it should be noted that klezmorim,
playing violins, cimbalom, and bass, were present in Hungary soon
after 1700, and it appears that Gypsies only became established in
this genre after 1750.  A Hungarian klezmer, Markus Rosenthal (later
Roszavolgyi) became a leading music publisher in Budapest and had
a lot to do with the development of the form.  There have been Jewish
"Gypsy" musicians as well, including in the U.S.----the most recorded
was Aladar Sio and his orchestra, of NYC; Emery Deutsch was another
violinist; Meyer Davis led his own Hungarian orchestra, later going
into society music; and Julius Klein went to Hollywood in the '30s
and played his cimbalom in quite a few movies.  There were a couple
who played at Hungarian bars in Detroit with true Gypsy orchestras
in the '50s, one a clarinetist named Gabor Zingenlaub.

    Romanian styles vary widely in different parts of the country, but
let's look at lautari music in Bucharest, since it's the most 
accessible outside of Romania.  Instrumentation is more variable than
in Hungary.   The violin, nai (pan pipes), and cobza (small, metal-
strung lute) have been in use since the late 18th century at least.
In the late 19th century, a small tsambal (coming from Jewish 
tradition in Moldavia) was added, and this replaced the cobza, which
is now virtually extinct in Bucharest.  Beginning in the '20s or so,
the large Hungarian cimbalom began to replace the small tsambal.  Bass
and cello were sometimes added to the more refined ensembles by the 
'30s, playing in "cafe-concert" situations.  After the war, the piano 
accordion became the most popular instrument, gradually driving out
the violins.  Clarinet and trumpet were other possible instruments.  
The nai or muscal (pan pipe) has dropped out of Gypsy music, except
for a couple of players.

    Romanian Gypsy music is mainly played at lautari weddings, which
are the chief social events.  The repertoire includes table songs, 
drinking songs, love songs, horas, maneas, and sirbas (I'm talking
strictly about the Gypsy repertoire).  There is usually a female 
singer, who might be accompanied by accordion, tsambal, and bass.
The songs are sung during the meal.

    The older, more refined style of Romanian Gypsy music, like that
of Grigoras Dinicu (1889-1949), shows Hungarian influence, with
classical techniques on the violin, use of cello, etc.  This music
was especially popular in Russian restaurants between about 1890 and
1917.  

    A recent trend among  lautari in Bucharest is the so-called 
"oriental" style, using electric keyboard, guitar, drums, etc., but
I don't know if the music they play is really from Turkey or not.  I 
hear that Hungarian Gypsy orchestras are into a serious decline
now, and a similar situation exists in Bucharest.  Too bad.

Paul Gifford