Music of Transylvania
Encyclopedia
Transylvania
, a historical province in present-day Romania
, has been historically and culturally linked to both Central Europe
and Southeastern Europe, and its music reflects those influences. Inhabited by Romanians
, Székely
and other Hungarians, Germans, Serbs
, Slovaks
, Gypsies and others, Transylvania has long been a center for folk music from all of these different cultures. Bartók
and Kodály
collected many folk songs from Transylvania early in the 20th century. Kodály's Székelyfonó
(The Spinning Room) uses folk tunes from the area. In our days, Deep Forest
included folk songs from Transylvania on their albums.
Violin
, viola
and double bass
, sometimes with a cimbalom, are the most integral ensemble unit. They are used to played a wide variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding song
s.
Hungarians from Transylvania, which make up around 20% of the population of Transylvania, are known for their vibrant musical cultures, famous examples being hajnali songs and legényes
(young men's dance). In fact, Transylvania was an important center for Hungarian music in the 16th century because at that time it was the only independent Hungarian province not occupied by the Ottoman Empire
.
Drum
, guitar
and violin
make up the typical band in Maramureş
, and virtuoso fiddle
rs are also popular in the area. At the end of the 1990s, the Maramuzical music festival
was organized to draw attention to the Romanian music of the area.
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, a historical province in present-day Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, has been historically and culturally linked to both Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Southeastern Europe, and its music reflects those influences. Inhabited by Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, Székely
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
and other Hungarians, Germans, Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, Gypsies and others, Transylvania has long been a center for folk music from all of these different cultures. Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
and Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
collected many folk songs from Transylvania early in the 20th century. Kodály's Székelyfonó
Székelyfonó
Székelyfonó is a one-act theatre piece with music by Zoltán Kodály from Hungarian folk songs. The work is described as ‘Daljáték egy felvonásban’, folk songs in one act...
(The Spinning Room) uses folk tunes from the area. In our days, Deep Forest
Deep Forest
Deep Forest is a musical group consisting of two French musicians, Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet. They compose a style of world music, sometimes called ethnic electronica, mixing ethnic with electronic sounds and dance beats or chillout beats...
included folk songs from Transylvania on their albums.
Violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, sometimes with a cimbalom, are the most integral ensemble unit. They are used to played a wide variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding song
Wedding song
Wedding song may refer to* "The Wedding Song ", a song by Paul Stookey, of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame.* "Wedding Song", a song by The Psychedelic Furs.* Wedding Song, a novel by Naguib Mahfouz....
s.
Hungarians from Transylvania, which make up around 20% of the population of Transylvania, are known for their vibrant musical cultures, famous examples being hajnali songs and legényes
Legényes
A legényes or feciorească is a men's solo dance done by Transylvanian people living in the Kalotaszeg/Ţara Călatei, Szilágyság/Sălaj and Mezőség/Câmpia Transilvaniei regions of Transylvania, roughly the region around Cluj. Although usually danced by young men, it can be also danced by older men...
(young men's dance). In fact, Transylvania was an important center for Hungarian music in the 16th century because at that time it was the only independent Hungarian province not occupied by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
make up the typical band in Maramureş
Maramures
Maramureș may refer to the following:*Maramureș, a geographical, historical, and ethno-cultural region in present-day Romania and Ukraine, that occupies the Maramureș Depression and Maramureș Mountains, a mountain range in North East Carpathians...
, and virtuoso fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
rs are also popular in the area. At the end of the 1990s, the Maramuzical music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
was organized to draw attention to the Romanian music of the area.
External links
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Gypsy musicians of Transylvania. Accessed November 25, 2010.