Verbunkos
| Music of Hungary: Topics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
| History: (Samples) | |||||
| Genres | Classical - Folk - Hardcore - Hip hop - Opera - Operett - Pop - Reggae - Rock - Wedding pop - Wedding rock | ||||
| Organisations | Mahasz | ||||
| Awards | Golden Giraffe | ||||
| Charts | MAHASZ TOP 40 album, MAHASZ Kislemez TOP 10, Dance TOP 40 | ||||
| Festivals | Sziget Festival, Balaton Sound, VOLT Festival, Hegyalja Festival, Táncháztalálkozó, Miskolc Opera Festival, Kaláka Folk Festival | ||||
| Media | Radio Petőfi, Hungaroton, VIVA, Class FM, Neo FM, Juventus Radio, Tilos Radio | ||||
| National anthem | "Himnusz" | ||||
| Hungarian minorities' music abroad | |||||
| Transylvania, Vojvodina, Slovakia, Transcarpathia | |||||
Verbunkos (Hungarian pronunciation: [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 violinist 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.
