Cimbalom

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Tsymbaly. (Discuss)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

Cimbalom

Playing range
various
Related instruments
cymbalom cymbalum ţambal tsymbaly tsimbl Santouri (disambiguation) hammered dulcimer ţambal tsymbaly cymbal

The cimbalom (most common English spelling),^{[citation needed]} is a concert hammer dulcimer. Other spellings used to describe this instrument and also the instruments in its immediate family include cimbal, cymbalom, cymbalum (see Trivia), ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl, santouri, or sandouri. It is commonly found in the countries of East Europe that previously made up Austria-Hungary which includes present day Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The word "cimbalom" is also used to refer to smaller, related or earlier versions of this instrument.

Contents 1 History 2 Types 2.1 Folk hammer dulcimers 2.2 The concert cimbalom 2.3 Experimental Cimbaloms 3 Compositions for cimbalom 3.1 Classical and Contemporary Music 3.2 Film 3.3 Rock 4 Occurrence and names 5 Schools of Cimbalom performance 5.1 Belarus 5.2 Czech Republic 5.3 Hungary 5.4 Moldova 5.5 Romania 5.6 Ukraine 5.7 United States 6 Cimbalom players 7 Trivia 8 References

[edit] History

(see hammer dulcimer)

The first representation of a simple struck chordophone which we categorise as a hammer dulcimer can be found in the Assyrian bas-relief in Kyindjuk dated back to 3500 BC. The peoples of the Mediterranean all had this instrument under different names, as did many peoples in Asia.

The folk hammer dulcimer was taken by V. Josef Schunda, a master piano maker living and working in Pest, Hungary, as the basis for a concert cimbalom for which he arranged serial production in 1874. The first textbook for the concert cimbalom was published by Geza Allaga, a member of the Hungarian Royal Opera orchestra in 1889.

The instrument became popular within the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was used by all the ethnic groups within the country including Magyar (Hungarian), Jewish, ^[1] and Slavic musicians, as well as Roma (Gypsy) lautari musicians (lăutari). Use of the instrument spread by the end of the 19th century and took the place of the cobza in Romanian and Moldovan folk ensembles.^[2] In Wallachia it is used almost as a percussion instrument.^{[citation needed]} In Transylvania and Banat, the style of playing is more tonal, heavy with arpeggios.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Types

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

[edit] Folk hammer dulcimers

Folk hammer dulcimers are usually referred to by their regional names, but throughout central and eastern Europe they are often referred to as "cimbalom" (cymbalom, cymbalum, ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl, ţambal, cimbál, cimbale etc.); the Greek word is "santouri"^[3]. These instruments can differ from each other in size, tuning, number of strings and method of holding and moving the hammers or "beaters". They are also smaller and more portable than the concert cimbalom. In performance they were (or are) often carried by a single musician, typically using a strap around the player's neck and leaning one edge of the instrument against the waist. Like the cimbalom, the folk hammer dulcimer is played by striking the strings with two beaters, which are, however, generally much shorter than those used with the concert cimbalom(usually half the length), and often without soft coverings over the area which strikes the string. There are also no damper mechanisms therefore the hand, fingers, and even forearms are used for damping. Tunings are often diatonic or incompletely chromatic rather than the full chromatic tuning of the concert cimbalom, and they can vary regionally. Construction of these instruments is closely related to the style of music played on them. In addition to the emergence of the concert cimbalom in Hungary; some other regions in Eastern Europe also further developed their local version of folk dulcimer and more formal schools of playing followed (see Tsymbaly).

[edit] The concert cimbalom

The concert cimbalom was first developed by József Schunda in 1874 in Budapest, Hungary and was closer in pitch, dynamic projection, range, and weight to a small piano than the various folk hammer dulcimers had been. It is played primarily with beaters though other playing techniques are used. Schunda equipped the cimbalom with a heavier frame for more stability and dynamic power. He also added many more string courses for an extended range and included a damper pedal which allowed more dynamic control. Finally, he added four detachable legs to support this now much larger instrument.

Concert instruments from Schunda onward are fully chromatic and have a range of four octaves plus a major 3rd; extending from C to e3. This larger concert instrument eventually found its way to other areas of the Austro-Hungarian empire such as Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. In Romania, the large cimbalom is known as the ţambal mare (literally "great cimbalom"). The cimbalom has continued it's development and modern full size instruments are often further expanded and have numerous refinements beyond Schunda's design. These instruments can now have a range that extends five full chromatic octaves from AA to a3.

Contemporary makers also build smaller instruments. These run the gamut from less weighty versions of Schunda's original concert layout to truly portable fully chromatic cimbaloms (which use Schunda's signature tuning pattern and note layout but with reduced range in the bass). Modern makers also continue to build new and traditional folk style instruments.

A smaller more portable version of the concert cimbalom was produced in Ukraine during the 1950-80s that came with detachable legs and dampers, but could be carried more easily than the larger concert instrument. These instruments were produced by the Chernihiv factory and the Melnytso-Podilsk folk instruments workshop which also produced many types of other folk instruments.

[edit] Experimental Cimbaloms

Harry Partch made a serie of zithers called Harmonic Canons. Glenn Branca made electric hammered table zithers he called Mallet Guitars and Yuri Landman built an electric hammered 24-string zither for Liam Finn he called the Tafelberg. The Boredoms also have a stage instrument which is used as a Cimbalom.

[edit] Compositions for cimbalom

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

[edit] Classical and Contemporary Music

Many composers have written for the cimbalom. Zoltán Kodály made extensive use of the instrument in his orchestral suite Háry János which helped make the cimbalom well known outside Eastern Europe. Igor Stravinsky was also an enthusiast. He owned a cimbalom and included one in his ballet Renard (1915-16) and also in his original (1917) scoring for Les Noces. Franz Liszt used the cimbalom in his Ungarischer Sturmmarsch (1876) and in the orchestral version of his 6th Hungarian Rhapsody. Bela Bartok used it in his Rhapsody #1 for violin and orchestra (1928). Other composers like Pierre Boulez, Peter Eötvös, György Kurtág, Frank Zappa and Louis Andriessen have made a great use of cimbalom in their works. Henri Dutilleux used it in Mystère de l'Instant for chamber orchestra. Elvis Costello's orchestral ballet score Il Sogno includes several extended cimbalom passages. Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Minotaur (2008) requires a cimbalom as well. Debussy used a cimbalom in his "La plus que lente."

[edit] Film

The cimbalom has occasionally been used in film scores, especially to introduce a "foreign" feel. The cimbalom appears in Christmas in Connecticut in a scene in Felix's (S.Z. Sakall) Hungarian restaurant in Manhattan. Cimbalom was used in the film score for the movie In the Heat of the Night. Composer Carmine Coppola made heavy use of the cimbalom in his soundtrack for The Black Stallion to accentuate the Arabian heritage of the majestic horse. John Barry used it in the title theme for the film The Ipcress File, as well as in the main theme of the 1971 TV series The Persuaders!. In addition, John Williams has made less prominent use of the instrument in scores such as Raiders of the Lost Ark. More recently, Howard Shore used the cimbalom as well to express Gollum's sneaky nature in Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

[edit] Rock

The cimbalom was used by Alan Parsons on his "I Robot" ^[4] and "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" ^[5] albums and is included in the guest musician acknowledgments. The experimental rock group Mr. Bungle made use of the cimbalom on the "Disco Volante" ^[6] and "California" ^[7] albums. It is included in the guest musician acknowledgments. The experimental performance organization Blue Man Group has used prepared cimbalom in its productions ^[8]

[edit] Occurrence and names

The instrument is known by different names in different countries and when played in different styles. A partial list follows:

• Belarus: tsymbaly (цымбалы)
• Czech Republic: cimbál (pronounced [ˈtsɪmbaːl])
• France: cymbalum
• Georgia: tsintsila
• Germany: Zymbal
• Greece: sandouri (σαντούρι)
• Holland: cimbaal, hakkebord
• Hungary: cimbalom
• Iran: santur
• Klezmer & Jewish music (Yiddish): tsimbl also known as a "hakhbreydl"
• Latvia: cimbole
• Lithuania: cimbolai
• Mongolia: joqin
• Poland: cymbały węgierskie
• Romania: ţambal (the large cimbalom is called ţambal mare)
• Russia: tsymbaly (цимбалы)
• Slovakia: cimbal
• Slovenia: cimbale
• Sweden: hackbräde
• Ukraine: tsymbaly (цимбали)
• Uzbek: chang
• Vietnam: tam-thap-luk

[edit] Schools of Cimbalom performance

[edit] Belarus

In Belarus a cimbalom school was established in 1948 by J. Zynovych. The Belarusian musicians however play on small portable folk style instruments.

[edit] Czech Republic

In Moravia, a part of the Czech Republic, the instrument is used as a basis for folk music ensembles.

[edit] Hungary

Besides the main Cimbalom centre in Budapest, there is a very strong school of performance in Debrecen in Hungary.

[edit] Moldova

In 1952, cimbalom classes were opened at the Chisinau conservatory in Moldova.

[edit] Romania

A strong performance school was established in Bucharest.

[edit] Ukraine

In Ukraine, the concert Cimbalom was first formally used in the Orchestra of Ukrainian Folk Instruments organized and directed by Leonid Haydamaka from 1922 by Oleksandr Nezovybatko. In time it was replaced by 2 smaller-sized instruments in order to facilitate transportation. Music for the cimbalom has been published in Ukraine from 1930 on. With the serial manufacture of tsymbaly by the Chernihiv Musical Instrument Factory cimbalom playing became popular in Eastern Ukraine in the post war years. Textbooks for the tsymbaly were published in 1966 by O. Nezovybatko, and initially players played on semi-concert instruments manufactured by the Chernihiv Musical Instrument Factory. In recent times most professional performers have switched over to the Schuda system of playing on concert-size instruments. Classes for the instrument exist in the Lviv, Kiev and Kharkiv conservatories. Currently most Ukraine folk instrument ensembles and orchestras such as the Orchestra of Ukrainian Folk instruments and the State Bandurist Capella usually have 2 concert cimbaloms.

[edit] United States

The American Cimbalom Festival, (also known as CimbFest), founded by American cimbalomist Richard Grimes, is a primary proponent of this school of performance.

[edit] Cimbalom players

This section contains information which may be of unclear or questionable importance or relevance to the article's subject matter. Please help improve this article by clarifying or removing superfluous information.

Some notable cimbalom players are:

• Kálmán Balogh: contemporary Hungarian cimbalom virtuoso ^[9]

• Stuart Brotman of the American klezmer band Brave Old World^[10]

• Marcel Comendant within Pacora trio^[11]

• Luigi Gaggero: classical and contemporary cimbalom player; professor at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg^{[citation needed]}

• Alex Udvary: Cimbalom master. His repertoire ranges from American and European contemporary and classic pieces to Hungarian and Roma works. His biography and credentials measure up with the best recognized in the industry. His talents shine through on his recording called Hungarian Virtuoso in which he plays multiple sets with legendary violin player Laszlo Berki (former founding leader of the 100 Member Budapest Gypsy Orchestra) without any rehearsal.

• Richard Grimes: American classical cimbalom virtuoso; inventor of the electric cimbalom^{[citation needed]}

• Viktória Herencsár: Hungarian classical cimbalom virtuoso and soloist in the Hungarian Opera and Broadcasting Company; President of the Cimbalom World Association.^[12] Professor (lecturer) at the Music Department of the Academy of Culture in Banská Bystrica^[13]

• Vékony Ildikó: classical and contemporary Hungarian cimbalom player^[14]

• Toni Iordache: Romanian ţambal player

• Laurence Kaptain: American symphonic/chamber cimbalom artist

• Joshua Horowitz: American tsimbl player; founder of the Klezmer group Budowitz^[15]

• Per Karang: Norwegian cimbalom player

• Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen[1]: Norwegian cimbalist and percussionist. Cimbalom-soloist with the German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen (Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen), Norwegian Chamber orchestra, Oslo Military Band. He premiered the performance of "Isternia" for solo-cimbalom by Per Nørgård in 2008.

• John H. Leach of Britain played the cimbalom in John Barry's theme music for The Ipcress File and the theme music to The Persuaders, as mentioned in Barry's autobiography.^{[citation needed]}

• Giani Lincan: contemporary Romanian virtuoso^[16]

• Jenő Lisztes: Gypsy cimbalom player from the Roby Lakatos ensemble

• Michael Masley: contemporary American who plays the instrument with ten self-designed bowhammers^[17]

• Ion Miu: contemporary Romanian virtuoso^[18], ^[19]

• Joseph Moskowitz: Father of klezmer "tsimbl"; one of the first to be recorded^[20]

• Pete Rushefsky: American klezmer tsimbl player^{[citation needed]}

• Sandu Sura: Moldavian ţambal player^{[citation needed]}

• Balázs Unger: Hungarian cimbalom player, who plays with The Hun Hangár Ensemble, who recently made an album with US folk duo A Hawk and a Hacksaw, And the Hun Hangar Ensemble^{[citation needed]}

• Katerina Zlatníková: Czech cimbalom player with numerous appearance with such notable orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic. Winner of Johann Wenzel Stamitz Prize. Founding member of the Cimbalom World Association.^[21]

[edit] Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2008)

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2008)

• Cimbalom was used in the film score for the movie In the Heat of the Night (1967).

• The surname Zimbalist means "one who plays the cimbalom".

• A "cymbalum" is not the same instrument as a cimbalom. A "cymbalum" is a part of a medieval instrument, one of a set of 4-8 small bells, made in graded sizes and hung together in a frame, aka "tintinabula" or "campanae"

[edit] References