Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov Series VIII: Art • Sport • Vol. 5 (54) No. 1 - 2012

THE , A MUSIC GENRE AND MUSICAL SYMBOL OF

Lujza TARI1

Abstract: The verbunkos music, this special genre, which is an alloy of art and folk music, showed up as a symbol of the past since the moment of its development around 1780-90. It spread quickly after its style was firmly established. Some earlier features from the old Hungarian music of this style can be found in late 18 century music, but a new folk trend came to life during this period as well. The author here approaches to the topic as an ethnomusicologist and relies on the verbunkos sources to summarize the significance of this musical symbol of the national history of Hungary.

Key words: verbunkos, verbunk, national music, folk and art music, gypsy musicians.

1. The name and origin of the used parallel with or in place of the Verbunkos corresponding Hungarian toboroz, toborzás. The verbunkos this typical Hungarian Following the period of germination in musical genre [10.] arose around the 1730s the 18th century, the verbunkos as a new the earliest and unfolded as a Hungarian genre is registered from the last third of the th dance form in the last third of the 18 century. Its efflorescence was in the early century. This dance music form lent its 19th century and it spread wide from the name to the style of the entire instrumental mid-1820s through the ‘30s. The period crop of the period and the age between lasting from these years until the mid-19th 1780 and 1830-50 called the period of century witnessed the consolidation of the verbunkos music in Hungarian music specific national dance types (first of all history. It is a musical (and with the name the ) and their spread in broad verbunk a dance) genre of great importance social strata, and the strengthening of the which became a national symbol in the popular art song (magyarnóta) which th 19 . During the Austrian domination of emerged in these years parallel with and Hungary, after 1715 the customs of independently of the verbunkos, recruiting conscripts for the regiments of developing partly together with the latter the imperial army at tavern carousals with before taking a diverging course. This drinking and dancing also became popular style spread and was moulded like customary. The Hungarian word verbunk folklore to become urban civilian popular (verbuvál) derives from German Werbung music. meaning also ‘recruitment’, and it was

1 Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Scientific Section: Institut of Musicology Budapest. 82 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 5 (54) No. 1 - 2012

2. Emergence, periods own singular features. The fashionable Hungarian music, the verbunkos, rose to The first verbunkos tunes in writing are predominance as a sign of Magyarization. found in manuscripts around 1729-30 [4, p. (as the nobel Lavotta) and 17-22.]. The music accompanying the foreigners living in the area of Hungary dance during the Austrians’ recruitment (Germans: J. Bengráf, F. P. Rigler, Á. among Hungarians was designated by old Berner [3, 7.], Gy. Arnold, Czechs such as Hungarian dances and their names (Lassú A. Csermák) living in Hungary, embraced [slow], Magyar [Hungarian], Régi magyar this new style in the name of the national [old Hungarian song], Saltus idea. The performer of this music, the Hungaricus, etc.) still for a long time. The Gypsy musician, also became the first published sources (in Vienna) personified of this national ideal. From the registering the new fashionable Hungarian 19th century verbunkos music was also music (“Ausgesuchte Ungarische composed by Gypsies, but their Nationaltänze”, “Originale Ungarische compositions were transcribed from others Nationaltänze”) do not use the word and not from the virtuos instrumentalists verbunkos but allude to the Magyars by the themselves (so was it in the case of Bihari word ‘national’. The name verbunkos whose compositions were notated by appeared relatively late, in the 1770s. The contemporary musicians from the living unifying name ‘verbunk’ (less frequently tradition). ‘verbunkos’) replaced the designations of The infiltration of the verbunkos style old instrumental dance music towards the into Hungarian composed music began in end of the first great period of verbunkos the 1820s-‘30s, strengthened from the ‘40s music (in the early 1800s) [12-15.]. It and fundamentally influenced its 19th came to prevail when the music was century development (e.g. Liszt, separated from military recruitment and particularly in his rhapsodies Erkel, went on developing as a musical genre in Mosonyi among others). The concious its own right; the change in the musical collection of dance tunes began at that time style also indicates the stylization of the in the early 1820s. The first publications genre in its name. Verbunk survived as a appeared in 1823: I. Ruzitska Magyar virtuosic men’s dance in the folk tradition. Nóták Veszprém Vármegyéből (Hungarian The first four prominent masters and also Tunes from Veszprém County) [5.]. The virtuoso public performers of the new style Nr.75. FriSs Magyar (in F-major) is a were János Lavotta (1764-1820) [2.], János composition of Gy. Arnold which is to be Bihari (1764-1827) [9.], Antal Csermák found also in the manuscript of Mária (1774-1822) and Ignác Ruzitska (1777- Csányi (Nr. 4. Friss in F-major) [15., Nr. 1833). Motivated by a drive to gain 23.] The Hungarian Tunes from Veszprém independence from the Austrial rule, the County contains also a wellknown piece of Hungarians – similarly to other Central János Bihari 1. European nations – began to cultivate their

L. TARI: The “Verbunkos”, a Music Genre and Musical Symbol of Hungary 83

Fig. 1

The verbunkos was quick to conquer folk music of neighbouring peoples. From Europe after its emergence. It had a Hungary spreded to the Slovak, Croatian fertilizing effect on European art music and the Roman folk music the csárdás and from the late 18th century, incorporated in the verbunk (Slovak, Croat: Cardaš, West European art music through the Verbunk, Roumanian: Çardas, Barbunk), greatest composers. The process ranges from Hungary spreaded to the South- from the use of Hungarisms labelled as Slavic people the gypsy-band as ensemble- alla turca, all’ typ, the modernised tárogató and Schunda- ongherese/ungherese/zingarese, etc., and to the Serbs recently as implying the use of melodic schemes, modern instrument the violon). rhythms, rhapsodic performance and other performing mannerisms deemed typcal of 3. Performers Hungarian or [improperly in the eyes of others] Gypsy music, to the involvement of As the army had no official band at that the solo as the leading instrument of time (the military band in the a performing apparatus. The tendency contemporary sense evolved by the late among foreign composers to use allegedly 19th century), local musicians were Hungarian tunes or stylistic elements engaged for recruitment. Gypsies have continued into later decades of the 19th been present in Hungary from the mid-15th century (Berlioz, Brahms, Sarasate) and century. [8, p. 11.] There were some even into the 20th. Developed his musicians among them earlier, but they stereotypical elements which were easy to only began to play a determining role even emulate and use as part of the musical from this time. The recruitment increased vernacular emerged, also influencing the their number because besides by playing 84 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 5 (54) No. 1 - 2012 music they could redeem their unpaid villages too, on the whole by the early 20th taxes. Music-making as a career started century. The most striking fact was the among them around this time. Hungarian appearance of solists, partly with new nobels had that time a new convention, instruments such as the or the namely they engaged gypsy musicians (a modernized cimbalom. B. Vikár recorded various gypsy bands) instead of Hungarian different gypsy clarinet players in the and foreign musician (as in earlier Hungarian villages of . One centuries) as a special form of court particular, by the name of Pista Gálfi, musicians. At the beginning the Gypsies played many Verbunkos pieces. The tunes only entertained the rural nobility and only were trascribed by Kodály, like the very slowly, at varying dates by region, following “Székely verbunk”. they came to replace peasant musicians in

Fig. 2 L. TARI: The “Verbunkos”, a Music Genre and Musical Symbol of Hungary 85

By the mid-century, the number of modes. All this was often complemented Gypsy bands soared: even small-town with elements of the classical musical style restaurants had their bands and the bands and with colours of Turkish and Arabic began touring not only the country but also flavour (e.g. augmented seconds in a minor abroad, at first in Europe (from the 1830s) scale). Because of his twofold origin [6.] and after 1867 in North-America and (written art music and oral folk music other countries [11., 16.]. Not only the origin) and transmission ethnomusicology verbunkos pieces but also the Gypsy currently defines this specific genre as musicians, who performed them, soon traditional instrumental music [15, p. 8.] became the personification of the Hungarian national ideal abroad. 5. Summary

4. The verbunkos style The history of the verbunk and the new musical style sprouting from it, the The origin of the verbunkos style – verbunkos, as well as the csárdás, was verbunk, the dance of young serfs recruited closely interlaced with the Hungarian for the army – came to the fore of public national reformist movement. This dance attention already during recruitments in the and music became part of the Hungarian 18th century. The initial social background to romanticism. It influenced the the style was a relatively thin layer, the contemporary stage, literature, composed emerging middle class. Contributory to its music and peasant culture. It played a emergence were the old military dances and significant role – reviving its original their tunes, including the “Hajdú-dance” function – in recruiting soldiers during the called mostly ungaresca in foreign sources. war of independence of 1848/49. Folk Bartók was the first to note that the tradition has preserved several dignified augmentation of quavers to crotchets already elements and tunes of the verbunkos dance began in the 18th century and led to the in different areas and in a variety of forms. dignified dotted rhythm of the verbunkos Its emergence fitted in the tendency of the and the 16-bar two-part song form typical of major stylistic change that took place in the verbunk and verbunkos. [1.] Europe in diverse ways affecting the As regards form, two types exist: one arsenal of instruments, instrumental and consists of a slow section of two parts and vocal music, folk culture in the strict sense attached to it a swift part usually called and the culture of the higher social strata. Figura in the early times; the other has three parts: slow, medium fast. The slow References sections contain freely shaped rhapsodic elements, the swift parts have vivid, 1. Bartók, B.: A magyar népdal (The virtuosic motifs. Rhythmically, the slow Hungarian Folk Song). Budapest. and medium-fast parts are strongly Rózsavölgyi, 1924. rhythmized with dotted and sharply dotted 2. Domokos, M.: Lavotta, János. In: 4 /4 rhythms. In Aeolian tunes there are Magyar zeneszerzők 6. Berlász, M. many augmented and diminished steps. (ed.). Budapest. Mágus Kiadó, 1999. The swift – Friss – parts are often in major 3. Domokos, P. P. Hangszeres magyar tonality compared to the minor-key main tánczene a XVIII. században. sections with fast pregnant swineherd’s (Hungarian Instrumental Music from 2 dance rhythm in /4 measure. The Friss the 18 century). Budapest. Akadémiai (fast) movements are generally in major Kiadó, 1978. 86 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Series VIII • Vol. 5 (54) No. 1 - 2012

4. Kodály, Z.: Magyar táncok 1729-ből. 11. Szíjjártó, Cs.: A cigány útra ment … (Hungarian Dances from 1729). In: Magyar cigányzenészek külföldjárása MTA I. Oszt. Közleményi II. Budapest. a kiegyezés előtt. (The Gypsy went MTA, 1952., p. 17-22. away… Hungarian Gypsy Musicians 5. Magyar Nóták Veszprém in abroad before 1867). Budapest. Vármegyéből, melyek fortepiánóra Massi Kiadó, 2002. alkalmaztattak Ruzitska Ignátz által 12. Tari, L.: Lissznyay Julianna (-Tunes published hangszeres gyűjteménye 1800. (The in Veszprém arranged to fortepiano Instrumental Music Collection of by Ignác Ruzitska). Reprint 1994. Julianna Lissznyay from 1800). In: 6. Markó, M.: Czigányzenészek albuma Műhelytanulmányok a magyar (An Album of Gypsy musicians). zenetörténethez 12. Budapest. MTA Budapest, 1896. ZTI, 1990. 7. Papp, G.: Hungarian Dances 1784- 13. Tari, L.: Grundlagen und Struktur der 1810. In: Musicalia Danubiana 7. frühen und späten Verbunkos. In: Die Budapest. MTA ZTI, 1986. Musik der Sinti und Roma Bd.1. Die 8. Sárosi, B.: Cigányzene. (Gypsy music). ungarische Zigeunermusik. Hrsg. A. Budapest. Gondolat, 1971. Awosusi, Heidelberg, 1996, p. 37-65. 9. Sárosi, B.: János Bihari (1764-1827). 14. Tari, L.: „Verbunk” – „Verbunkos”. Zigeunerprimas und Interaction between Towns and Verbunkoskomponist – zum Villages in an Instrumental Music gegenwärtigen Stand der Forschung. Genre. In: Danish Folk Archive & In: Die Musik der Sinti und Roma Bd. Museum Tusculanum Press. D. 1. Die ungarische „Zigeunermusik”. Stockmann-J. (ed.), H. Koudal, Schriftreihe des Dokumentations- und Copenhagen, 1997, p. 107-119. Kulturzentrums Deutscher Sinti und 15. Tari, L.: „Külömbb féle magyar Roma. Hrsg. Anita Awosusi, Nóták...” a 19. század elejéről. – Heidelberg, 1996, p. 67-79. Allerlei ungarische Melodien von 10. Szabolcsi, B.: A XIX. század magyar Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts. romantikus zenéje. (The Hungarian Budapest. Balassi Kiadó, 1998. Romantic Music of the 19th century). 16. Tari, L.: Hungarian Gypsy Musicians Budapest. Zeneműkiadó, 1951, in the U.S.A. during the 19th century. English: 1965. Lecture at the Music Faculty of Cape Girardot University (Missouri) in 1998. Manuscript.