Hungarian folk music

Hungarian folk music includes a broad array of styles, including the recruitment dance verbunkos, the csárdás and nóta.

During the 20th century, Hungarian composers were influenced by the traditional music of their nation which may be considered as a repeat of the early "nationalist" movement of the early 19th century (Beethoven) but is more accurately the artists' desire to escape the hegemony of the classical tradition manifold at that time. Béla Bartók took this departure into the abstract musical world in his appropriation of traditional Hungarian as the basis for symphonic creations.

Béla Bartók observed that Hungarian "peasant music" use isometric (with an even number of structures) stophe structure and certain pentatonic (five tone) formations, along with a liking for tempo giusto (rhythm consisting chiefly of equal values). These features jointly may be considered as altoghter typical, and differentiate "Hungarian peasant music" from that of any other nation. Bartók studied over 300 melodies, and noted that more modern tunes used for dancing featured pentatonic turns with frequent leaps in fourths.

Videos

The following layers of Hungarian folk music are demonstrated consecutively in this short video: Old style Hungarian folk song and bagpipe music, Verbunk style tune and dance, New style folk song and czardas, Hungarian nóta [2]

Selected clips from SEA to demonstrate authentic Hungarian folk music

• Hungarian tambura music from Great Hungarian Plain: [3], [4]
• Bagpipe music and song (sung by István Pál shepherd): [5]
• Bagpipe imitation on fiddle (interpreted by Hungarian gipsy musician from Gúta, Slovakia) : [6]
• Kaval (flute) music from Moldova, Romania by a Hungarian sekler-csango musician: [7]
• "Fast Hungarian" dance tune from Klézse village Moldova, Romania: [8]
• Mountain horn signal from Gyimes, Romania by a Hungarian csango villager: [9]
• Couple dance tune from Gyimes, Romania by Hungarian csango musicians: [10]
• Old style Hungarian folk song NE Hungary by Hungarian village gipsy band: [11]
• The Rákóczi march from Kalotaszeg, Transylvania, Romania (by Miklos Nonika and his band): [12]
• The Rákóczi march from Szék, Transylvania, Romania performed on a Hungarian wedding by Hungarian village band: [13]
• Hungarian nóta tunes from NE Hungary by Hungarian village gipsy band: [14]

External links

• Cimbalom.nl – Urban Hungarian folk (Magyar Nóta) and Hungarian folk (Népdalok)
• Folkradio – Internet radio
• MR7 – Internet radio
• Magyar népdalok a Világhálón - Népdalok
• Magyarnóta.com Magyar Nóta and Népdalok
• Nepzene.hu (with Internet radio service)
• Recordings of Hungarian folk songs Népdalok
• Sonidus Archives – Folk music selection playlist on YouTube