Music of Hungary 247110 224898223 2008-07-10T22:13:39Z Gaius Cornelius 293907 Tidy using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Hungarianmusic}} [[Hungary]] has made many contributions to the fields of [[folk music|folk]], [[popular music|popular]] and [[european classical music|classical music]]. Hungarian folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and continues to play a major part in Hungarian music. Hungarian folk music has been influential in neighboring areas such as [[Romania]], [[Slovakia]], southern [[Poland]] and especially in southern Slovakia and the Romanian region of [[Transylvania]], both home to significant numbers of Hungarians.<ref>Broughton, pg. 159<br><small>Broughton claims that Hungary's "infectious sound has been surprisingly influential on neighbouring countries (thanks perhaps to the common Austro-Hungarian history) and it's not uncommon to hear Hungarian-sounding tunes in Romania, Slovakia and southern Poland".</small></ref><ref>Szalipszki, pg.12<br>Refers to the country as "widely considered" to be a "home of music".</ref> It is also strong in the [[Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg|Szabolcs-Szatmár]] area and in the southwest part of [[Transdanubia]], near the border with [[Croatia]]. The [[Busójárás]] carnival in [[Mohács]] is a major Hungarian folk music event, formerly featuring the long-established and well-regarded [[Bogyiszló orchestra]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pg. 159-167</ref> Hungarian [[European classical music|classical music]] has long been an "experiment, made from Hungarian antedecents and on Hungarian soil, to create a conscious musical culture [using the] musical world of the folk song".<ref>Szabolcsi, ''The Specific Conditions of Hungarian Musical Development''<br><small>"Every experiment, made from Hungarian antedecents and on Hungarian soil, to create a conscious musical culture (music written by composers, as different from folk music), had instinctively or consciously striven to develop widely and universally the musical world of the folk song. Folk poetry and folk music were deeply embedded in the collective Hungarian people’s culture, and this unity did not cease to be effective even when it was given from and expression by individual creative artists, performers and poets."</small></ref> Although the Hungarian upper class has long had cultural and political connections with the rest of Europe, leading to an influx of European musical ideas, the rural peasants maintained their own traditions such that by the end of the 19th century Hungarian composers could draw on rural peasant music to (re)create a Hungarian classical style.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> For example, [[Béla Bartók]] and [[Zoltán Kodály]], two of Hungary's most famous composers, are known for using folk themes in their music. Bartók collected folk songs from across Eastern Europe, including Romania and Slovakia, whilst Kodály was more interested in creating a distinctively Hungarian musical style. During the era of Communist rule in Hungary (1944&ndash;1989) a Song Committee scoured and censored popular music for traces of subversion and ideological impurity. Since then, however, the Hungarian music industry has begun to recover, producing successful performers in the fields of [[jazz]] such as trumpeter [[Rudolf Tomsits]], pianist-composer [[Károly Binder]] and, in a modernized form of Hungarian folk, [[Ferenc Sebő]] and [[Márta Sebestyén]]. The three giants of Hungarian [[rock (music)|rock]], [[Illés]], [[Metró (band)|Metró]] and [[Omega (band)|Omega]], remain very popular, especially Omega, which has followings in Germany and beyond as well as in Hungary. Older veteran underground bands such as [[Beatrice]] from the 1980s also remain popular. == Characteristics == [[Image:Franz Liszt photo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Franz Liszt]], prominent Hungarian composer]] Unlike other Eastern European peoples, the Hungarian people, [[Magyars]], emerged from the intermingling of [[Finno-Ugric]] and Eastern [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]] peoples during the fifth to eighth centuries CE.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> This makes the origins of their traditional music unique in Europe. According to author Simon Broughton, the composer and song collector Kodály identified songs that "apparently date back 2,500 years" in common with the [[Mari]] people of Russia;<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> and, as well as the Mari, the [[ethnomusicologist]] [[Bruno Nettl]] indicates similarities in traditional Hungarian music with [[Music of Mongolia|Mongolian]] and [[Native American music]]al styles.<ref name="Nettl">Nettl</ref> Bence Szabolcsi, however, claims that the Finno-Ugric and Turkish-Mongolian elements are present but "cannot be attached to certain, definite national or linguistic groups". Nonetheless, Szabolcsi claims links between Hungarian musical traditions and those of the Mari, [[Music of Kalmykia|Kalmyk]], [[Ostyak]], northwest [[Music of China|Chinese]], [[music of Tatarstan|Tatar]], [[Vogul]], [[Music of Turkey|Anatolian Turkish]], [[Bashkirian]], [[Music of Mongolia|Mongol]] and [[Music of Chuvashia|Chuvash]] musics. These, he claims, are evidence that "[[Asia]]n memories slumber in the depths of Hungarian folk music and that this folk music is the last [[Western world|Western]] link in the chant of ancient [[Eastern world|Eastern]] cultural relations".<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> According to Broughton, traditional Hungarian music is "highly distinctive" like the "[[Hungarian language]], which invariably is stressed on the first syllable, lending a strongly accented [[Dactyl (poetry)|dactylic]] [[rhythm]] to the music".<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> Nettl identifies two "essential features" of Hungarian folk music to be the use of "[[pentatonic scale]]s composed of [[major second]]s and [[minor third]]s" (or "gapped [[Scale (music)|scale]]s"<ref name="Nettl">Nettl</ref>) and "the practice of [[Transposition (music)|transposing]] a bit of [[melody]] several times to create the essence of a song". These transpositions are "usually up or down a [[Perfect fifth|fifth]]", a fundamental [[Interval (music)|interval]] in the [[Harmonic series (music)|series of overtones]] and an indication perhaps of the "influence of [[music of China|Chinese musical theory]] in which the fifth is significant".<ref name="Nettl">Nettl</ref> According to Szabolcsi, these 'Hungarian transpositions', along with "some melodic, rhythmical and ornamental peculiarities, clearly show on the map of [[Eurasia]] the movements of Turkish people from the East to the West".<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> The subsequent influence on neighboring countries' music is seen in the [[music of Slovakia]] and, with intervals of the [[third]] or [[second]], in the [[music of the Czech Republic]]. Hungarian and other Finno-Ugric musical traditions are also characterized by the use of an '''ABBA''' binary [[musical form]], with Hungary itself especially known for the '''A A' A' A''' variant, where the '''B''' sections are the '''A''' sections transposed up or down a fifth ('''A'''').<ref name="Nettl">Nettl</ref> Modern Hungarian folk music evolved in the 19th century, and is contrasted with previous styles through the use of arched melodic lines as opposed to the more archaic descending lines.<ref name="Ministry">[http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)]</ref> == Music history == {{main|Music history of Hungary}} [[Image:Oldhungariansheetmusic.png|thumb|right|15th century manuscript, depicting a movement for two voices]] The earliest documentation of Hungarian music dates from the introduction of [[Gregorian chant]] in the 11th century. By that time, Hungary had begun to enter the European cultural establishment with the country's conversion to Christianity and the musically important importation of [[plainsong]], a form of Christian chant. Though Hungary's early religious musical history is relatively well documented, secular music remains mostly unknown, though it was apparently a common feature of community festivals and other events.<ref name="Ministry" /> The earliest documented instrumentation in Hungary dates back to the [[whistle]] in 1222, followed by the [[kobzos]] in 1326, the [[Bugle (instrument)|bugle]] in 1355, the [[fiddle]] in 1358, the [[bagpipe]] in 1402, the [[lute]] in 1427 and the [[trumpet]] in 1428. Thereafter the organ came to play a major role.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> The 16th century saw the rise of [[Transylvania]] (a north-eastern Hungarian region never occupied by the Turks) as a center for Hungarian music. It also saw the first publication of music in Hungary, in [[Kraków]]. At this time Hungarian instrumental music was well-known in Europe; the lutenist and composer [[Bálint Bakfark]], for example, was famed as a virtuoso player. His compositions pioneered a new style of writing for the lute based on vocal polyphony. The lutenist [[Neusiedler]] brothers were also noted and authored an important early work in music theory, the ''[[Epithoma utriusque musices]]''.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> During the 17th century, Hungary was divided into three parts: an area controlled by the Turks; an area controlled by the [[Habsburg]]s; and Transylvania. Historic songs declined in popularity and were replaced by lyrical poetry, whilst minstrels were replaced by court musicians. Many courts or households maintained large ensembles of musicians who played the trumpet, whistle, [[cimbalom]], violin or bagpipes. Some of these ensemble musicians were German, Polish, French or Italian; the court of [[Gábor Bethlen]], Prince of Transylvania, included a Spanish guitarist. Little detail about the music played during this era survives, however.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> Musical life in the areas controlled by the Ottoman Turks declined precipitously, with even the formerly widespread and entrenched plainsong style disappearing by the end of the 17th century. Outside of the Ottoman area, however, plainsong flourished after the established of Protestant missions in around 1540, while a similarly styled form of folk song called [[verse chronicle]]s also arose.<ref name="Ministry" /> During the 18th century, some of the students at colleges such as those in [[Sárospatak]] and [[Székelyudvarhely]] were minor [[Nobility|noble]]s from rural areas who brought with them their regional styles of music. Whilst the choirs in these colleges adopted a more polyphonic style, the students' [[songbook]]s indicate a growth in the popularity of homophonic songs. Their notation, however, was relatively crude and no extensive collection appeared until the publication of [[Ádám Pálóczi Horváth]]’s ''[[Ötödfélszáz Énekek]]'' in 1853. These songs indicate that during the mid to late 18th century the previous Hungarian song styles died out and musicians looked more to other (Western) European styles for influence. The 18th century also saw the rise of [[verbunkos]], a form of music initially used by army recruiters. Like much Hungarian music of the time, melody was treated as more important than lyrics, although this balance changed as verbunkos became more established.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> == Folk music == {{main|Hungarian folk music}} Hungarian folk music changed greatly beginning in the 19th century, evolving into a new style that had little in common with the music that came before it. Modern Hungarian music was characterized by an "arched melodic line, strict composition, long phrases and extended register", in contrast to the older styles which always utilize a "descending melodic line".<ref name="Ministry" /> Modern Hungarian folk music was first recorded in 1895 by [[Béla Vikár]], setting the stage for the pioneering work of [[Béla Bartók]], [[Zoltán Kodály]] and [[László Lajtha]] in musicological collecting. Modern Hungarian folk music began its history with the [[Habsburg]] Empire in the 18th century, when central [[Europe]]an influences became paramount, including a "regular metric structure for dancing and marching instead of the free speech rhythms of the old style. Folk music at that time consisting of village [[bagpipe]]rs who were replaced by [[string instrument|string]]-based orchestras of the Gypsy, or [[Roma people]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> In the 19th century, Roma orchestras became very well-known throughout Europe, and were frequently thought of as the primary musical heritage of Hungary, as in [[Franz Liszt]]'s ''[[Hungarian Dances]]'' and ''[[Rhapsodies]]'', which used Hungarian Roma music as representative of Hungarian folk music <ref>Broughton, pg. 160 <small>''Just as bagpipes mean Scotland, so Gypsy bands mean Hungary in the popular imagination. When nationalist composers like Liszt composed... they took as their models the music of the urban Gypsy orchestras.''</small></ref> Hungarian [[Roma (people)|Roma]] music is often represented as the only music of the Roma, though multiple forms of Roma music are common throughout Europe and are often dissimilar to Hungarian forms. In the [[Hungarian language]], 19th century folk styles like the [[csardas]] and the [[verbunkos]], are collectively referred to as ''cigányzene'', which translates literally as ''Gypsy music''.<ref name="Sarosi">[http://www2.4dcomm.com/sarvari/gypsymu.htm Sarosi]</ref> Hungarian nationalist composers, like Bartók, rejected the conflation of Hungarian and Roma music, studying the rural peasant songs of Hungary which, according to music historian Bruno Nettl, "has little in common with" Roma music,<ref name="Nettl">Nettl</ref> a position that is held to by some modern writers, such as the Hungarian author [[Bálint Sárosi]].<ref name="Sarosi">[http://www2.4dcomm.com/sarvari/gypsymu.htm Sarosi]</ref> Simon Broughton, however, has claimed that Roma music is "no less Hungarian and... has more in common with peasant music than the folklorists like to admit",<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> and authors Marian Cotton and Adelaide Bradburn claimed that Hungarian-Roma music was "perhaps... originally Hungarian in character, but (the Roma have made so many changes that) it is difficult to tell what is Hungarian and what is" the authentic music of the Roma.<ref name="Cotton">Cotton</ref> The ethnic [[Csángó]] Hungarians of [[Moldavia]]'s [[Seret Valley]] have moved in large numbers to [[Budapest]], and become a staple of the local folk scene with their distinctive instrumentation using flutes, fiddles, drums and the lute.<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> === Verbunkos === {{main|Verbunkos}} [[Image:Coloredlithograph.png|thumb|right|Early 19th century [[lithograph]] depicting a recruitment with music]] In the 19th century, [[verbunkos]] was the most popular style in Hungary. This consisted of a slow dance followed by a faster dance; this dichotomy, between the slower and faster dances, has been seen as the "two contrasting aspects of the Hungarian character".<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> The rhythmic patterns and embellishments of the verbunkos are distinctively Hungarian in nature, and draw heavily upon the folk music composed in the early part of the century by [[Antal Csermak]], [[Ferdinand Kauer]], [[Janos Lavotta]] and others.<ref name-"Ministry">[http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)]</ref> Verbunkos was originally played at recruitment ceremonies to convince young men to join the army, and was performed, as in so much of Hungarian music, by Roma bands. One verbunkos tune, the "[[Rákóczi march]]" became a march that was a prominent part of compositions by both [[Franz Liszt|Liszt]] and [[Hector Berlioz]]. The 18th century origins of verbunkos are not well-known, but probably include old dances like the [[swine-herd dance]] and the [[Heyduck dance]], as well as elements of Balkan, Slavic and Levantine music, and the cultured music of Italy and Vienna, all filtered through the Roma performers. Verbunkos became wildly popular, not just among the poor peasantry, but also among the upper-class aristocratics, who saw verbunkos as the authentic music of the Hungarian nation. Characteristics of verbunkos include the [[bokázó]] (''clicking of heels'') [[cadence]]-pattern, the use of the interval of the augmented second, garlands of triplets, widely-arched, free melodies without words, and alternately swift and slow tempi. By the end of the 18th century, verbunkos was in use in opera, [[chamber music|chamber]] and [[piano]] music, and in song literature, and was regarded as "the continuation, the resurrection of ancient Hungarian dance and music, and its success signified the triumph of the people's art".<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> The [[violin]]ist [[Panna Czinka]] was among the most celebrated musicians of the 19th century, as was the Roma bandleader [[János Bihari]], known as the "Napoleon of the fiddle".<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> Bihari, [[Antal Csermák]] and other composers helped make verbunkos the "most important expression of the Hungarian musical [[Romanticism]]" and have it "the role of national music". Bihari was especially important in popularizing and innovatin the verbunkos; he was the "incarnation of the musical demon of fiery imagination".<ref>Szabolcsi, ''The “Verbunkos”: The National Musical Style of the Nineteenth Century'' <small>''When around 1800 the leading role of the new dance music was taken over by János Bihari, János Lavotta and Antal Csermák... its melodic and rhythmical enrichment was such that the “verbunkos” immediately became the most important expression of the Hungarian musical Romanticism. It even assumed the role of the representative art of nineteenth-century Hungary, the role of national music.''</small></ref> Bihari and others after his death helped invent [[nóta]], a popular form written by composers like [[Lóránt Fráter]], [[Árpád Balázs]], [[Pista Dankó]], [[Béni Egressy]], [[Márk Rózsavölgyi]] and [[Imre Farkas]].<ref name="Sisa">[http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/hunspir/hsp51.htm Sisa]</ref> Many of the biggest names in modern Hungarian music are the verbunkos-playing [[Lakatos]] family, including [[Sándor Lakatos]] and [[Roby Lakatos]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> === Roma music === {{main|Roma music}} Though the Roma are primarily known as the performers of Hungarian styles like verbunkos, they have their own form of folk music that is largely without instrumentation, in spite of their reputation in that field outside of the Roma community. Roma music tends to take on characteristics of whatever music the people are around, however, embellished with "twists and turns, trills and runs", making a very new, and distinctively Roma style. Though without instruments, Roma folk musicians use sticks, tapped on the ground, rhythmic grunts and a technique called [[oral-bassing]] which vocally imitates the sound of instruments. Some modern Roma musicians, like [[Ando Drom]], [[Romani Rota]] and [[Kalyi Jag]] have added modern instruments like [[guitar]]s to the Roma style, while [[Gyula Babos]]' [[Project Romani]] has used elements of [[avant-garde jazz]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> === Hungarian music abroad === {{main|Music of Transylvania}} Ethnic Hungarians live in parts of [[Romania]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovakia]], the [[United States]] and elsewhere. Of these, the Hungarian population of Romania (both in the region of Transylvania and among the [[Csángó]] people) - being the more rural, outer rims of the kingdom of Hungary - has had the most musical impact on Hungarian folk music. The Hungarian community in Slovakia has produced the rootsy band [[Ghymes]], who play in the táncház tradition.<ref name="CEWtanchaz">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/nemes12.html Central Europe Review]</ref> The Serbian region of [[Vojvodina]] is home to a large Hungarian minority; in this restive area, Hungarian music has been the target of attack by Serbian nationalists.<ref>[http://www.hhrf.org/hhrf/en/vojvodinareport-mar 2005.htm Hungarian Human Rights Foundation]</ref> Transylvanian folk music remains vital part of life in modern Transylvania. Bartók and Kodály found Transylvania to be a fertile area for folk song collecting. Folk bands are usually a string trio, consisting of a violin, viola and double bass, occasionally with a [[cimbalom]]; the first violin, or ''primás'', plays the melody, with the others accompanying and providing the rhythm.<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> Transylvania is also the original home of the '''táncház''' tradition, which has since spread throughout Hungary. {{listen|filename=Muzsikas Szerelem, Szerelem.ogg|title="Szerelem, Szerelem"|description=An a cappella song sung by [[Marta Sebestyen]]}} === Táncház === {{main|Táncház}} [[Táncház]] (literally "dance house") is a [[dance music]] movement which first appeared in the 1970s as a reaction against state-supported homogenized folk music. They have been described as a "cross between a [[barn dance]] and folk club", and generally begin with a slow tempo ''verbunkos'' (recruiting dance), followed by swifter ''[[czardas|csárdás]]'' dances. Csárdás is a very popular Hungarian folk dance that comes in many regional varieties, and is characterized by changes in [[tempo]]. Táncház began with the folk song collecting of musicians like [[Béla Halmos]] and [[Ferenc Sebő]], who collected rural instrumental and dance music for popular, urban consumption, along with the dance collectors [[György Martin]] and [[Sándor Timár]]. The most important rural source of these songs was [[Transylvania]], which is actually in [[Romania]] but has a large ethnic Hungarian minority. The instrumentation of these bands, based on Transylvanian and sometimes the southern Slovak Hungarian communities, included a [[fiddle]] on lead with [[violin]], a kontra (a 3-string viola also called a ''brácsa''), and bowed double bass, and sometimes a [[cimbalom]] as well.<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> Many of the biggest names in modern Hungarian music emerged from the táncház scene, including [[Muzsikás]] and [[Márta Sebestyén]]. Other bands include [[Vujicsics]], [[Jánosi]], [[Téka]] and [[Kalamajka]], while singers include [[Éva Fábián]] and [[András Berecz]]. Famous instrumentalists include fiddlers [[Csaba Ökrös]] and [[Balázs Vizeli]], cimbalomist [[Kálmán Balogh]], violinist [[Félix Lajkó]] (from [[Subotica]] in Serbia) and multi-instrumentalist [[Mihály Dresch]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> == Classical music == Hungary's most important contribution to the worldwide field of [[European classical music]] is probably [[Franz Liszt]],<ref name="Cotton">Cotton</ref> a renowned pianist in his own time and a well-regarded composer of ''[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19 in D Minor|Hungarian Rhapsody]]'' and ''[[Les Préludes (Liszt)|Les Préludes]]''. Liszt was among the major composers during the late 19th century, a time when modern Hungarian classical music was in its formative stage. Along with Liszt and his French Romantic tendencies, [[Ferenc Erkel]]'s Italian and French-style operas, with Hungarian words, and [[Mihaly Mosonyi]]'s German classical style, helped set the stage for future music, and their influence is "unsurpassed even by their successors, because in addition to their individual abilities they bring about an unprecedented artistic intensification of the Romantic musical idiom, which is practically consumed by this extreme passion".<ref>Szabolcsi, ''The Instrumental Music of the Romantic Period: Liszt and Mosonyi: The Programme of Romanticism'' <small>''They are thus, all three of them, “occidentalists”, but the influence of their movement on Hungarian music is unsurpassed even by their successors, because in addition to their individual abilities they bring about an unprecedented artistic intensification of the Romantic musical idiom, which is practically consumed by this extreme passion.''</small></ref> Elements of Hungarian folk music, especially verbunkos, became an important elements of many composers, both Hungarians like [[Kalman Simonffy]] and foreign composers like [[Ludwig van Beethoven]].<ref name-"Ministry">[http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)]</ref> [[Image:Szell.jpeg|thumb|right|George Szell, conductor]] Hungary has also produced [[Karl Goldmark]], composer of the ''[[Rustic Wedding Symphony]]'', composer and pianist [[Ernő Dohnányi]], composer and ethnomusicologist [[László Lajtha]], and the piano composer [[Stephen Heller]]. A number of violinists from Hungary have also achieved international renown, especially [[Joseph Joachim]], [[Jenő Hubay]], [[Ede Reményi|Edward Reményi]] and [[Leopold Auer]]. Hungarian-born [[conducting|conductor]]s include [[Antal Doráti]]; [[Adam Fischer|Adam]], Gyorgy and [[Ivan Fischer]]; [[Eugene Ormandy]]; [[Fritz Reiner]]; [[George Szell]] and [[Georg Solti]].<ref name="Cotton">Cotton</ref> === Hungarian opera === {{main|Hungarian opera}} The origins of Hungarian opera can be traced to the late 18th century, with the rise of imported opera and other concert styles in cities like [[Pozsony]], [[Kismarton]], [[Nagyszeben]] and [[Budapest]]. Operas at the time were in either the [[German opera|German]] or [[Italian opera|Italian style]]. The field Hungarian opera began with school dramas and interpolations of German operas, which began at the end of the 18th century. School dramas in places like the [[Pauline School]] in [[Sátoraljaújhely]], the [[Calvinist School]] in [[Csurgó]] and the [[Piarist School]] in [[Beszterce]].<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> Pozsony produced the first music drama experiments in the country, though the work of [[Gáspár Pacha]] and [[József Chudy]]; it was the latter's 1793 ''Prince Pikkó and Jutka Perzsi'' that is generally considered the first opera in a distinctively Hungarian style. The text of that piece was translated from ''Prinz Schnudi und Prinzessin Evakathel'' by [[Philipp Hafner]]. This style was still strongly informed by the Viennese [[Zauberposse]] style of comedic play, and remained thusly throughout the 19th century. Though these operas used foreign styles, the "idyllic, lyric and heroic" parts of the story were always based on verbunkos, which was becoming a symbol of the Hungarian nation during this time.<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> It was not until the middle of the 19th century that Ferenc Erkel wrote the first Hungarian language opera, using French and Italian models, thus launching the field of Hungarian opera.<ref name="Sisa">[http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/hunspir/hsp51.htm Sisa]</ref> === Bartók and Kodály === ''Main articles: [[Béla Bartók]] and [[Zoltán Kodály]]'' At the end of the 19th century, Hungarian music was dominated by compositions in the German classical style, while Viennese-style [[operetta]]s gained immensely in popularity. This ended beginning in about 1905, when [[Endre Ady]]'s poems were published, composer Béla Bartók was published for the first time, and Zoltán Kodály began collecting folk songs. Bartók and Kodály were two exceptional composers who created a distinctively Hungarian style. Bartók collected songs across Eastern Europe, though much of his activity was in Hungary, and he used their elements in his music. He was interested in all forms of folk music, while Kodály was more specifically Hungarian in his outlook. In contrast to previous composers who worked with Hungarian idioms, Kodály and Bartók did not conflate Roma and ethnic Hungarian music, specifically seeking out the latter at the expense of the former. Their work was a watershed that incorporated "every great tradition of the Hungarian people" and influenced all the later composers of the country.<ref>Szabolcsi, ''New Hungarian Music'' <small>''Their art was not popular art. It was more than that. It was an individual avowal related to the most profound characteristics of their people, an extensive expression of creative forces. These expressions were, as a matter of course, related to every great historical tradition of the Hungarian people.''</small></ref> === Later 20th century === For the first half of the 20th century, Bartók and Kodály were potent symbols for a generation of composers, especially Kodály. Starting in about 1947, a revival in folk choir music began, ended as an honest force by 1950, when state-run art became dominant with the rise of [[Communism]]. Under Communism, "(c)ommitment and ideological affiliation (were) measured by the musical style of a composer; the ignominious adjectives 'formalistic' and 'cosmopolitan' gain currency ... (and the proper Hungarian style was) identified with the major mode, the classical [[aria]], [[rondo]] or [[sonata form]], the chord sequences distilled" from Kodály's works. Music was uniformly festive and optimistic, with every deviation arousing suspicion; this simplicity led to a lack of popular support from the public, who did not identify with the sterile approved styles. The most prominent composers of this period were [[Endre Szervánszky]] and [[Lajos Bárdos]].<ref>Kroó, György <small>''The ideal of popular art is from 1949 gradually replaced by state art, the practice of a controlled and administratively directed musical life. Commitment and ideological affiliation are measured by the musical style of a composer; the ignominious adjectives "formalistic" and "cosmopolitan" gain currency. That the progressive musical style is identified with the major mode, the classical aria, rondo or sonata form, the chord sequences distilled from Kodály works and proclamatory composition becomes exalted into an unwritten law.''</small></ref> Beginning in about 1955, a new wave of composers appeared, inspired by Bartók and breathing new life into Hungarian music. Composers from this era included [[Ferenc Szabó]], [[Endre Szervánszky]], [[Pál Kadosa]], [[Ferenc Farkas]] and [[György Ránki]]. These composers both brought back old techniques of Hungarian music, as well as adapting imported [[avant-garde]] and modernist elements of Western classical music.<ref>[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/11.html Kroó, György]</ref> [[György Ligeti]] and [[György Kurtág]] are often mentioned in the same sentence. They were born near each other in Transylvania and studied in [[Budapest]] in the 1940s. Both were influnced by Stockhausen. Kurtág's modernism borrowed many influences from the past. By contrast Ligeti invented a new language with chromatic tone clusters and elements of parody. Both were multi-lingual and became exiles. This is reflected in the texts for their works. The foundation of the [[New Music Studio]] in 1970 helped further modernize Hungarian classical music though promoting composers that felt audience education was as important a consideration as artistic merit in composition and performance; these Studio's well-known composers include [[László Vidovszky]], [[Barnabás Dukay]] and [[Zoltán Jeney]].<ref name-"Ministry">[http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)]</ref> == Popular music == Hungarian popular music in the early 20th century consisted of light [[operetta]]s and the Roma music of various styles. [[Nagymező utca]], the "[[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] of [[Budapest]]", was a major center for popular music, and boasted enough nightclubs and theaters to earn its nickname. In 1945, however, this era abruptly ended and popular music was mostly synonymous with the patriotic songs imposed by the Russian Communists. Some operettas were still performed, though infrequently, and any music with Western influences was seen as harmful and dangerous.<ref name="CEWtanchaz">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/nemes12.html Central Europe Review]</ref> In 1956, however, liberalization began with the "three Ts" (''tűrés'', ''tiltás'', ''támogatás'', meaning''toleration'', ''prohibition'', ''support''), and a long period of cultural struggle began, starting with a battle over [[African American]] [[jazz]].<ref name="CEWtanchaz">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/nemes12.html Central Europe Review]</ref> Jazz became a part of Hungarian music in the early 20th century, but did not achieve widespread renown until the 1970s, when Hungary began producing internationally known performers like the [[Benko Dixieland Band]] and [[Bela Szakcsi Lakatos]].<ref name-"Ministry">[http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)]</ref> Other renowned performers from the younger generation are the Hot Jazz Band and the Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band. === Rock === {{main|Hungarian rock}} In the early 1960s, Hungarian youths began listening to [[Rock and roll|rock]] in droves, in spite of condemnation from the authorities. Three bands dominated the scene by the beginning of the 1970s, [[Illés]], [[Metró (band)|Metró]] and [[Omega (band)|Omega]], all three of which had released at least one album. A few other bands recorded a few singles, but the [[Record-Producing Company]], a state-run [[record label]], did not promote or support these bands, which quickly disappeared.<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> In 1968, the [[New Economic Mechanism]] was introduced, intending on revitalizing the Hungarian economy, while the band Illés won almost every prize at the prestigious [[Táncdal Fesztivál]]. In the 70s, however, the Russians cracked down on subversives in Hungary, and rock was a major target. The band Illés was banned from performing and recording, while Metró and Omega left. Some of the members of these bands formed a supergroup, [[Locomotiv GT]], that quickly became very famous. The remaining members of Omega, meanwhile, succeeded in achieving stardom in Germany, and remained very popular for a time.<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> Rock bands in the late 1970s had to conform to the Record Company's demands and ensure that all songs passed the inspection of the [[Song Committee]], who scoured all songs looking for ideological disobedience. LGT was the most prominent band of a [[classic rock]] style that was very popular, along with Illés, [[Bergendy]] and [[Zorán Sztevanovity|Zorán]], while there were other bands like [[The Sweet (Hungarian band)|The Sweet]] and [[Middle of the Road]] who catered to the desires of the Song Committee, producing rock-based [[pop music]] without a hint of subversion. Meanwhile, the [[disco]] style of [[electronic music]] produced such performers as the officially-sanctioned [[Neoton Familia]], and [[Beatrice (band)|Beatrice]] and [[Szűcs Judit]], while the more critically acclaimed [[progressive rock]] scene produced bands like [[East (band)|East]], [[V73]], [[Color (Hungarian band)|Color]] and [[Panta Rhei (band)|Panta Rhei]].<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> In the early 1980s, economic and cultural depression wracked Hungary, leading to a wave of disillusioned and alienated youth, exactly the people that rock, and the burgeoning worldwide field of [[punk rock]], spoke to the most. Major bands from this era included Beatrice, who had moved from disco to punk and folk-influenced rock and were known for their splashy, uncensored and theatrical performances, [[P. Mobil]], [[Bikini (band)|Bikini]], [[Hobo Blues Band]], a bluesy duo, [[A.E. Bizottság]], [[Európa Kiadó]], [[Sziámi]] and [[Edda művek]].<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> The 1980s saw the Record Production Company broken up because Hungary's authorities realized that restricting rock was not effective in reducing its effect; they instead tried to water it down by encouraging young musicians to sing about the principles of Communism and obedience. The early part of the decade saw the arrive of punk and [[New Wave music]] in full force, and the authorities quickly incorporated those styles as well. The first major prison sentences for rock-related subversion were given out, with the members of the punk band [[CPg]] sentenced to two years for political incitement.<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> By the end of the decade and into the 1990s, internal problems made it impossible for the Hungarian government to counter the activities of rock and other musical groups. After the collapse of the Communist government, the Hungarian scene become more and more like the styles played in the rest of Europe.<ref name="CEWrock">[http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html Central Europe Review: Rock]</ref> === Electronic dance music === Clubbing and electronic dance music started gaining popularity in Hungary following the system change of 1989<ref>{{cite web |title=Még mindig "Tilos" - beszélgetés Palotai Zsolttal |url=http://www.palotai.hu/cikkek/meg_tilos.html |work=palotai.hu |language=Hungarian |accessdate=2007-08-24}}</ref> and corresponding to [[Electronic music]]'s increasing popularity in the worldwide musical mainstream. The history of Electronic Dance Music and Techno culture in Hungary is documented in Ferenc Kömlődy's book "Fénykatedrális", (1999 in Hungarian). Important contemporary formations with notable popular success to date are [[Anima Sound System]], [[Korai Öröm]][http://www.korai.hu], [[Yonderboi]], [[Žagar]], and [[Neo (band)|Neo]]. === Hip hop === {{main|Hungarian hip hop}} Hip hop and rap have been developing in Hungary with two scenes, underground and mainstream, which is mostly popular among young people in Hungary. Underground rappers condemn the mainstream for "selling" their music and usually provide deeper message. Mainstream hip hop is dominated by the pioneer of Gangsta rap in Hungary, Ganxsta Zolee, and there are also other famous ones including Sub Bass Monster, Dopeman, and LL Junior. Mainstream hip-hop is extremely popular among the [[Roma people|Roma]] youth. The Belga formation started as an offshoot hiphop project at [[Tilos Rádió]]. As lyrical innovators and phenomenal parodists, they gained wide popularity for an extremely explicit criticism of [[Budapest]] public transport company [[BKV]], as well as hilarious wordplays and self-irony. Their lyrics are significant beyond the hip-hop scope as a cultural documentation of turn-of-the-millennia [[Culture of Hungary]].<ref>[http://www.belga.hu/lite/index.html belga<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Hungarian Slam sessions are rare and few, and still a novelty for the mainstream, but are gaining popularity with literary performers, emcees and audiences alike.<ref>[http://www.hlo.hu/object.86d3fd9e-ee81-4812-858d-047a7b414dfe.ivy | hlo - Hungarian Literature Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> === Hardcore, Metal === Despite being unknown for common Hungarian people, [[hardcore punk|hardcore]] and [[list of heavy metal genres|metal]] are flourishing styles of music in Hungary. * [[hardcore punk|Hardcore]] and [[metalcore]] are most common in Budapest and Western Hungary, in towns like [[Győr]], [[Csorna]], [[Szombathely]] and [[Veszprém]], but Eastern Hungary and [[Debrecen]] is getting into a more and more important place in the hardcore scene. First Hungarian acts tagging themselves [[hardcore punk|Hardcore]] -[[AMD]], [[Leukémia]], [[Marina revue]]- emerged in the late '80s and since there have always been a lot of hardcore acts around. There should be mentioned [[Dawncore]] and [[Newborn]] of the late '90-s gaining also some international success. Members of these bands went on to form [[Bridge to Solace]] and [[The Idoru]]. Other important, active bands: [[Hold X True]], [[Fallenintoashes]], [[Embers]], [[Subscribe]], [[Shell Beach]], [[Hatred Solution]], [[Stillborn (Hatebreed tribute)]] * Metal bands are formed all over the country. Dominant styles are [[death metal]], [[black metal]] and [[thrash metal|thrash]]. There are also [[power metal]], [[folk metal]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] groups. An internationally known band is [[Ektomorf]]. === Punk === * The Punk Scene was alive and kicking during the 1980s when Hungary was still under [[Communist]] Rule. Bands were underground affairs and they faced more than moral outrage - prison was a serious possibility. Two members of Hungarian punk band “C.P.G.” were found guilty and sent to prison for two years because of making jokes about Communist leaders. After having stayed in prison the members of “C.P.G.” had to leave Hungary as did Auróra’s lead singer. * Today the Hungarian Punk Scene is low profile, but vibrant with several high quality bands singing in Hungarian and touring through the country and beyond. Summer brings a slew of punk and alternative festivals where they can all be sampled. * Top venues around Budapest are [[Vörös Yuk]], [[Borgödör]], [[Music Factory]] and [[A38 Hajó]]. The origins of the Hungarian punk movement go back to the early Eighties, when a handful of bands like ETA, QSS, CPG and Auróra emerged as angry young men playing fast and raw punk rock music with anti-Communist lyrics. It's ironic that while British bands like the Clash toyed with Communist ideology, punks in Hungary had to live under the reality of communism and were part of a national movement to reject it. When the change of system arrived in 1989 it brought a new situation and the punk bands, such as veterans Auróra and newcomers PICSA revolted against corruption and the americanization of the country. The new system retained the bad things from the previous one, but lacked that good things that people expected - organized crime appeared right away, but the standard of living hasn't risen. * [[Auróra]], who are the oldest Hungarian punk band with fifteen years of history, come from the Northwest Hungarian town of Győr and their originally U.K. Subs-type music has been recently updated with a NOFX-like flavor by using a trumpet in some of their ska-influenced tunes. * [[PICSA]], from the town of Pécs in the Southwest became infamous a few years ago, when they wrote a song entitled 'Hang István Csurka'. Csurka is an extreme right wing politician. To cut a long story short, PICSA (aka. HétköznaPI CSAlódások meaning Everyday Disillusionments) became the second most well-known punk act due to the media coverage they got. National radicals hate them (and all the other punks) because of their anarcho-communist nation-traitor beliefs and lyrics. * [[Prosectura]] is Hungary's third major punk act, a fun-punk four-piece who sound a bit like the [[Dead Milkmen]]. Similarly to PICSA, they have also been going on for about ten years. Their hometown is Szekszárd, which also has to offer another punk band similar to Prosectura: [[Fürgerókalábak]]. * Out of the newer bands, two Northeast Hungarian bands are the most known, both playing California punk: [[Alvin és a mókusok]] come from Nyíregyháza, while [[Macskanadrág]] are from Salgótarján. == Festivals, venues and other institutions == [[Budapest]], the capital and music center of Hungary,<ref name="Cotton">Cotton</ref> is one of the best places to go in Hungary to hear "really good folk music", says world music author [[Simon Broughton]]. The city is home to an annual folk festival called [[Táncháztalálkozó]] ("Meeting of the Táncházak", literally "dance houses"), which is a major part of the modern music scene.<ref name="Broughton">Broughton, pgs. 159 - 167</ref> The [[Sziget|Sziget Festival]], held annually in July or August, is one of Europe's largest cultural festival, with a wide range of musical performances. The [http://festivalcity.hu/btf2008/?l=en Budapest Spring Festival] along with the [http://bof.hu/ Budapest Autumn Festival] are large scale cultural events every year. The [[Budapest Festival Orchestra|Budapesti Fesztivál Zenekar]]<ref>[http://www.bfz.hu/hirek/bfz_hirek_en.php News of the Orchestra<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (Budapest Festival Orchestra) has recently been awarded the Editor's Choice [[Gramophone Awards|Gramophone Award]].<ref>[http://www.bfz.hu/hirek/bfz_hirek_bontas_en.php?id=238 News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Long-standing venues in Budapest include the [[Philharmonic Society]] (founded 1853), the [[Opera House of Budapest]] (founded 1884) the [[Academy of Music in Budapest|Academy of Music]], which opened in 1875 with President Franz Liszt and Director Ferenc Erkel and which has remained the center for music education in the country since.<ref name="Szabolcsi">[http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html Szabolcsi]</ref> The Hungarian [[Ministry of Culture]] helps to fund some forms of music, as does the government-run [[National Cultural Fund]]. Non-profit organizations in Hungary include the [[Hungarian Jazz Alliance]] and the [[Hungarian Music Council]].<ref>[http://www.ontheglobe.com/notes/notes84.htm On the Globe]</ref> {{CentralEuropeanmusic}} {{Finno-Ugric music}} {{Music of Europe}} == References == * {{cite book|title=Rough Guide to World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East|first=Simon|last=Broughton|chapter=A Musical Mother Tongue|pages=159-167|coauthors=Mark Ellingham with James McConnachie and Orla Duane, Eds.|id=ISBN 1-85828-636-0|year=2000|location=London | publisher=Rough Guides}} * {{cite web|first=Bence|last=Szabolcsi|title=A Concise History of Hungarian music|url=http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/index.html| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} * {{cite web|title=From Táncház to concert band|work=Central Europe Review|url=http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/nemes12.html| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} * {{cite web|title=Beat and Rock Music in Hungary|work=Central Europe Review|url=http://www.ce-review.org/00/12/bladerunner12.html| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} * {{cite book |last=Cotton|first=Marian|coauthors=Adelaide Bradburn|title=Music Throughout the World|year=1953|publisher=Summy-Birchard Company}} * {{cite web|work=Hungarian Human Right Foundation|title=Hand Grenade Explodes Outside Home of Ethnic Hungarian Leader in Vojvodina, Serbia| accessdate = 2007-08-24|url=http://www.hhrf.org/hhrf/en/vojvodinareport-March 2005.htm}} * {{cite web|title=Hungarian Music Since 1945|last=Kroó|first=György| accessdate = 2007-08-24|url=http://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02172/html/11.html}} * {{cite web| accessdate = 2007-08-24|last=Szalipszki|first=Endre, ed.| url=http://www.mfa.gov.hu/NR/rdonlyres/3ABC5A7B-8D4A-4E5F-A414-800ECD1F88E4/0/zeneang.pdf|title=Brief History of Music in Hungary (pdf)|work=Ministry of Foreign Affairs Budapest}} * {{cite book |author=Nettl, Bruno|publisher=Prentice Hall, Inc|year=1965|title=Folk and Traditional Music of the Western Continents}} * {{cite web|title=Hungarian Gypsy Music: Whose Heritage?|last=Bálint |first=Sárosi|work=The Hungarian Quarterly| accessdate = 2005-09-24|url=http://www2.4dcomm.com/sarvari/gypsymu.htm}} * {{cite web|title=Hungarian Music|last=Stephen |first=Sisa|work=The Spirit of Hungary|url=http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/hunspir/hsp51.htm| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} * {{cite web|title=Improvising in the dark: Hungarian jazz on long road to mass appeal|work=On the Globe|url=http://www.ontheglobe.com/notes/notes84.htm| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} * {{cite web|title=Hungarian Music|work=Hungary.hu|url=http://www.magyarorszag.hu/angol/orszaginfo/kultura/zene/zene_a.html| accessdate = 2007-08-24}} == Notes == {{reflist|2}} == Further reading == *{{cite book|author=Bartók, Béla|title=Hungarian Folk Music|publisher=Ams Pr|year=1981|id=ISBN 0-404-16600-8}} *{{cite book|author=Dobszay, László|title=A History of Hungarian Music|publisher=Corvina|year=1993|id=ISBN 963-13-3498-8}} *{{cite book|author=Káldy, Gyula|title=History of Hungarian Music|publisher=Reprint Services Corp|year=1902|id=ISBN 0-7812-0246-9}} *{{cite book |author=Kodály, Zoltán|title=Folk Music of Hungary|publisher=Barrie and Rockliff|year=1960}} *{{cite book|author=Sárosi, Bálint|title=Folk Music: Hungarian Musical Idiom|publisher=Corvina|year=1986|id=ISBN 963-13-2220-3}} *{{cite book|author=Szemere, Anna||title=Up From the Underground: The Culture of Rock Music in Postsocialist Hungary|publisher=Penn State University Press|year=2001|id=ISBN 0271-02-133-0}} *{{cite book|author=Szitha, Tünde|title=A magyar zene századai (The Centuries of the Hungarian Music)|publisher=Magus Kiado|year=2000|id=ISBN 963-8278-68-4}} == External links == *[http://www.magyarorszag.hu/angol/orszaginfo/kultura/zene/zene_a.html Hungarian music] summarized at the administrative website of Hungary {{Hungary articles}} [[Category:Hungarian music| ]] [[es:Música húngara]] [[hu:Magyarország zenéje]] [[nl:Hongaarse volksmuziek]] [[pl:Muzyka węgierska]] [[zh:匈牙利音樂]]