Hungarian classical music enshrines the trinity of Liszt, Bartók and Kodály: Liszt was the founding father, Bartók one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, and Kodály (himself no slouch at composition) created a widely imitated system of musical education. When you also take into account talented Hungarian soloists like Perényi, it’s clear that this small nation has made an outstanding contribution to the world of classical music. After classical, the musical genres most readily associated with Hungary are Gypsy and folk, both of which have some excellent exponents, the former led by the likes of violinist Roby Lakatos and cimbalom player Kálmán Balogh, and the latter by Muzsikás and the wonderful singer Márta Sebestyén. The increasing popularity of jazz is manifest in the growing number of clubs in Budapest and other larger cities, as well as several terrific summer jazz festivals held around the country. Meanwhile, Hungarian popular music, whilst not exactly cutting-edge, is becoming more adventurous as a new generation of DJs and bands soaks up the influence of Western European and American artists.
Franz Liszt (1811–86), who described himself as a “mixture of Gypsy and Franciscan”, cut a flamboyant figure in the salons of Europe as a virtuoso pianist and womanizer. His Hungarian Rhapsodies and other similar pieces reflected the “Gypsy” side to his character and the rising nationalism of his era, while later work like the Transcendental Studies (whose originality has only recently been recognized) invoked a visionary “Franciscan” mood. Despite his patriotic stance, however, Liszt’s first language was German (he never fully mastered Hungarian), and his expressed wish to roam the villages of Hungary with a knapsack on his back was a Romantic fantasy.
That was left to Béla Bartók (1881–1945) and Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967), who began exploring the remoter districts of Hungary and Transylvania in 1906, collecting peasant music. Despite many hardships and local suspicion of their “monster” (a cutting stylus and phonograph cylinders), they managed to record and catalogue thousands of melodies, laying down high standards of musical ethnography, still maintained in Hungary today, while discovering a rich source of inspiration for their own compositions. Bartók believed that a genuine peasant melody was “quite as much a masterpiece in miniature as a Bach fugue or a Mozart sonata…a classic example of the expression of a musical thought in its most conceivably concise form, with the avoidance of all that is superfluous”.
Bartók created a personal but universal musical language by reworking the raw essence of Magyar and Finno-Ugric folk music in a modern context – in particular his six String Quartets – although Hungarian public opinion was originally hostile. Feeling misunderstood and out of step with his country’s increasingly pro-Nazi policies, Bartók left Hungary in 1940, dying poor and embittered in the United States. Since then, however, his reputation has soared, and the return of his body in 1988 occasioned national celebrations, shrewdly sponsored by the state.
Kodály’s music is more consciously national: Bartók called it “a real profession of faith in the Hungarian soul”. His Peacock Variations are based on a typical Old Style pentatonic tune and the Dances of Galanta on the popular music played by Gypsy bands. Old Style tunes also form the core of Kodály’s work in musical education: the “Kodály method” employs group singing to develop musical skill at an early age. His ideas have made Hungarian music teaching among the best in the world, and Kodály himself a paternal figure to generations of children.
For others Kodály was a voice of conscience during the Rákosi era, writing the Hymn of Zrínyi to a seventeenth-century text whose call to arms against the Turkish invasion – “I perceive a ghastly dragon, full of venom and fury, snatching the crown of Hungary…” – was tumultuously acclaimed as an anti-Stalinist allegory. Its first performance was closely followed by the Uprising, and the Hymn was not performed again for many years; nor were any recordings made available until 1982.
In recent years Gypsy or Roma music has really made a mark on the Hungarian music scene. Played on anything from spoons and milk jugs to guitars, Roma music ranges from haunting laments to playful wedding songs – as can be seen in French director Tony Gatliff’s excellent film Latcho Drom, which explores Roma music from India to Spain. The most exciting artist around in the field of Gypsy music is the wizard violinist Roby Lakatos. A seventh-generation descendant of János Bihari (aka “King of the Gypsy Violinists”), Lakatos began playing the violin aged 5, graduated from Budapest with a First in classical violin and then, at the age of 18, formed his own orchestra in Brussels. He has since become one of the foremost violinists in the world. Fusing traditional Hungarian Gypsy sounds with elements of classical and jazz, the charismatic Lakatos and his band – which, unusually for a Gypsy band, includes piano and guitar – are an extraordinary proposition live, rarely failing to dazzle with their electric, often improvised performances. At one stage a regular at Les Ateliers in Brussels, Lakatos now tours extensively around the world and was a huge hit at the London Proms.
Although not Roma, another major star, and the one musician who could justifiably claim to be in the same league as Lakatos, is Félix Lajkó, a Hungarian virtuoso violinist from Vojvodina in Serbia, whose eccentric fusion of Gypsy, jazz and folk inspires a devout following. Not too far behind these stand-out musicians is Kálmán Balogh, one of the world’s foremost exponents of the cimbalom, a hammer dulcimer (stringed instrument) played with little mallets. A mesmerizing virtuoso performer, Balogh also tours regularly with his Gypsy Cimbalom Band, who bring a strong, jazz-influenced sound to proceedings. The next generation of Hungarian Gypsy musicians is currently being led by Bela Lakatos and the Gypsy Youth Band, a wonderfully talented five-piece collective whose predominantly vocal sound is complemented by guitar and mandolin, and a percussive element comprising sticks, spoons, metal cans and the like. Other well-established Roma artists in Hungary to keep an eye out for include Romano Drom, Andro Drom, the Szilvási Folk Band, and Kalyi Jag – all these groups tour extensively and are the focal point of most Roma festivals in Hungary and abroad.
None of the above, however, has much in common with the “Gypsy music” which you will see advertised at touristy restaurants, known in Hungarian as Magyar nóta – although that is not to say it should be avoided. Consisting of a series of mid-nineteenth-century Hungarian ballads traditionally played by Roma musicians, Magyar nóta is usually performed by one or two violinists, a bass player and a guy on the cimbalom. The more famous restaurants boast their own musical dynasties, such as the Lakatos family, who have been performing this sort of music for over a century. In the past, wandering self-taught artists like János Bihari, Czinka Panna and Czermak (a nobleman turned vagabond) were legendary figures. Hungarian diners are usually keen to make requests or sing along when the prímás (band leader) comes to the table, soliciting tips. If approached yourself, it is acceptable (though rather awkward) to decline with a “nem köszönöm”, but if you signal a request to the band, you have to pay for it.
Hungarian folk music (Magyar népzene) originated around the Urals and the Turkic steppes over a millennium ago, and is different again from Gypsy or Roma music. The haunting rhythms and pentatonic scale of this “Old Style” music (to use Bartók’s terminology) were subsequently overlaid by “New Style” European influences – which have been discarded by more modern enthusiasts in the folk revival centred around Táncház. These “Dance Houses” encourage people to learn traditional dances – with much shouting, whistling, and slapping of boots and thighs.
The two biggest names to emerge from the Táncház movement were Muzsikás and Márta Sebestyén, who have been regular collaborators for years. A four-piece ensemble comprising bass, violin and flute, Muzsikás (pronounced Mu-zhi-kash) started out in the early 1970s by exploring the musical archives of village folk music, from which they derived their own distinctive repertoire, combining traditional Hungarian music with the sounds of Transylvania, across the border in Romania – whilst their recorded output is not that prolific, they do tour regularly, both at home and abroad.
Unquestionably Hungary’s finest folk singer, and one of the best in Europe, Sebestyén’s gorgeous and distinctive voice has seen her become firmly established on the world music scene in recent years, a reputation that was sealed after she featured on the soundtrack to the film The English Patient. Aside from her regular appearances with Muzsikás, Sebestyén has also guested with Vujicsics, a marvellous seven-strong ensemble from Pomáz near Szentendre who specialize in Serbian and Croatian folk melodies. A somewhat more unorthodox outfit are the Transylvanians, a group of four young German-based Hungarians whose frenetic blend of folk, classical, rock and techno (termed speedfolk) pretty much defies any standard form of categorization. Other folk artists to watch out for include the Őkrős Ensemble, who play folk music from Transylvania, the Slovakian-based Hungarian group Ghymes, and the superb Budapest Klezmer outfit Da Naye Kapelye.
Budapest has undergone a popular music revival in the last few years: radio stations and music magazines have taken off and the city has become part of the international tour circuit – the Sziget Festival each August is now unquestionably one of the premier music gatherings on the continent. This has all had a knock-on effect on local music, which ranges from instrumental groups (Korai Öröm and Másfél) to techno-inspired performers like Anima Sound System. Heaven Street Seven call their version of guitar pop Dunabeat, while Quimby is the Hungarian equivalent of Tom Waits. The controversial, and one-time underground, local radio station Tilos Rádió has done much to promote DJs, and there is now a host of them around the country. Some like Tommy Boy and Schultz play run-of-the-mill techno, while others like Palotai and Mango do a lot of wild mixing using a mass of sources and sounds. Bestiák are a sort of Magyar Girls Aloud and Ganszta Zoli looks to LA gangster rap for his inspiration. A rather more unlikely figure on the Hungarian pop scene is Uhrin Benedek, a septuagenarian, wig-enhanced, former warehouse worker who, since an appearance at the Sziget Festival, has gained a cult following for his extremely bizarre, and somewhat less than tuneful, songsmithery.
Jazz has always had a devout, but small, following in the country and more and more clubs and bars offer live jazz. There are excellent summer jazz festivals in Miskolc, Salgótarján and Sárospatak, but the biggest and best is in Debrecen. Dés, Mihály Dresch, Aladár Pege and the Benkó Dixieland Band have all achieved success outside Hungary, as has György Szabados, who works on the interface between jazz and classical music. Another name worth checking out is Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, a jazz pianist who frequently plays in Budapest clubs.
Many of the recordings listed below can be bought from Passion Music in the UK (www.passiondiscs.co.uk). In Hungary, good-quality records and CDs produced by Hungaroton (www.hungaroton.hu) retail for half or a third of what you’d pay abroad, which makes it well worth rooting through record shops (lemezbolt). After Western and Hungarian pop, the bulk of their stock consists of classical music. A full discography of the works of Liszt, Bartók and Kodály, directors like Dohnányi and Doráti, and contemporary Hungarian soloists and singers would fill a catalogue, but look out for the following names: pianists András Schiff, Zoltán Kocsis (who also conducts) and Dezső Ránki; the cellist Miklós Perényi; the Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Hungarian Radio and TV Symphony; conductors Iván Fischer and Tamás Vasáry; and singers Mária Zádori, Ingrid Kertesi, Andrea Rost, Adrienne Csengery, József Gregor, Kolos Kovats and László Polgar, the last two excellent bass singers.
For those who like contemporary music, the grand old man of the modern Hungarian scene is György Kurtág, while Tibor Szemző produces meditative works, one of which, Tractatus, inspired by German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, is quite extraordinary. If you’re into ethnomusic, then László Hortobágyi’s “Gaia” music is worth listening to.
Folk and Gypsy music can be bought at all record stores, though you should be warned that a CD with a picture of a Gypsy orchestra all dressed up in red waistcoats is of the “nóta” variety – it’s worth asking to listen before you buy. As well as the artists listed below, there are hundreds of great recordings in the above fields. The following simply offer an introduction.
Kálmán Balogh Roma Vándor (M&W, Netherlands). On this live recording, the virtuoso of the cimbalom turns this staple of Hungarian Gypsy restaurant bands into something much more than entertainment for eating. Recorded with artistic director Romano Kokalo, Gipsy Colours (Fonó, Budapest) is a fabulous selection of Balkan-inspired dance tunes.
Félix Lajkó Remény (Hope), Félix (both Tilos), Lajkó Félix and Band (Fonó). The best recordings so far of this Hungarian virtuoso violinist from Subotica in northern Serbia – Hope, his most recent CD, is a marvellous record featuring previously unreleased concert recordings alongside pieces from the soundtrack to Othello, while Félix is a collection of his work from various projects and festivals between 1997 and 2002. He also features with the Boban Markovic Orchestra, the fantastic Serbian Gypsy ensemble, on the CD Srce Cigansko, which combines typically rumbustious Serbian brass with Lajkó’s violin to marvellous effect.
Roby Lakatos Earlier works include Lakatos (Deutsche Grammophon), which features new workouts of favourites by the likes of Brahms alongside traditional Hungarian folk songs; Lakatos: Live from Budapest (Deutsche Grammophon), a homecoming concert in Budapest’s Thália Theatre in 1999; and As Time Goes By (Deutsche Grammophon) is a recording of popular soundtracks from the movies, including the gorgeous “Djelem, Djelem” from Emir Kusturica’s memorable Time of the Gypsies. His most recent albums (all on the Avanti label) are Firedance, a sizzling record exploring Gypsy themes from around the world; Klezmer Karma, a funky, Jewish-influenced recording featuring performances by Miriam Fuks and the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra; and Roby Lakatos with Musical Friends, an all-jazz project boasting some stellar guests such as Stephane Grappelli and Marc Fossett.
Márta Sebestyén Kismet (Hannibal). On this wide-ranging album, Hungary’s leading Táncház singer draws upon various folk traditions, with Bosnian, Hindi and Irish songs, among others; otherwise, Sebestyén is best known for her recordings with the folk group Muzsikás, while her international star has risen thanks to significant contributions to the Grammy-award-winning Deep Forest album Boheme and the film The English Patient.
Bela Lakatos and The Gypsy Youth Project Introducing (World Music Network). Lively and refreshing debut album from this superbly talented outfit, with songs pertaining to rural Roma life. Wonderful vocals and some fabulous instrumental improvisation.
Di Naye Kapelye The band’s three albums to date are the eponymous Di Naye Kapelye, A Mazeldiker Yid and Traktorist (all Oriente Musik), all terrific, and typically exuberant, Klezmer recordings, which make for immensely enjoyable listening. Traktorist features a wonderfully jolly Communist-era ode to the Yiddish tractor.
Jánosi Ensemble Jánosi Együttes (Hungaroton). A young group performing “authentic” versions of some of the folk tunes that Bartók borrowed in his compositions – a record that makes a bridge between classical and folk music.
The Kalamajka Ensemble Bonchidától Bonchidáig (Hungaroton). Another leading Táncház group, this terrific ensemble plays Transylvanian and Csángó ballads and dances.
Muzsikás The Bartók Album (Hannibal). Featuring Márta Sebestyén and the Romanian violinist Alexander Balanescu, this manages to set the music of Bartók in its original context – three of Bartók’s violin duos are presented alongside original field recordings and recordings of his transcriptions by Muzsikás. Morning Star (Hannibal) is another fine Muzsikás volume – interestingly, their record company recommended slight changes and a softening of edges for this foreign edition of Hazafelé (Hungaroton), the original Hungarian recording. Their latest release, 2004’s Live at the Liszt Academy of Music, which again stars Sebestyén, is a compilation of recordings taken from successive appearances at the Budapest Spring Festival.
Transylvanians Denevér (Mega) and Igen! (Westpark). On these two recent albums, this exceptional group of young musicians showcase their full range of talents – the latter features the wonderful voice and terrific bass playing of the front woman, Isabel Nagy.
Vujicsics Ensemble Serbian Music from South Hungary (Hannibal). More complex tunes than most Magyar folk music, with a distinct Balkan influence. Two more recent albums, both featuring Márta Sebestyén, are 25 – Live at the Academy of Music (R-E-Disc 005), a concert in Budapest celebrating the group’s twenty-fifth anniversary, and Podravina (R-E-Disc 004), a selection of Croatian dance melodies.
János Zerkula and Regina Fikó Este a Gyimesbe Jártam (Hungaroton). Music from the Csángó region; sparser, sadder and more discordant than other Transylvanian music.
Magyar népzene 3 (Hungarian folk music; Hungaroton). A four-disc set of field recordings covering the whole range of folk music, including Old and New Style songs, instrumental and occasional music, that’s probably the best overall introduction. In the West, the discs are marketed as “Folk Music of Hungary Vol.1”.
Magyar hangszeres népzene (Hungarian Instrumental Folk Music; Hungaroton). A very good three-disc set of field recordings of village and Gypsy bands, including lots of solos.
VII. Magyarországi Táncház Találkozó. One of a series, the Seventh Dance House Festival (Hungaroton) features a great mixture of dances, ballads and instrumental pieces from all over Hungary. The Tenth Dance House Festival collection (Hungaroton) is also especially good.
Rough Guide to Hungarian Music (World Music Network). Despite one or two obvious omissions, this is an otherwise excellent introduction to the many wildly differing sounds of Hungarian music.
Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe (World Music Network). Although most of the songs on this CD are from the Balkans, there is a healthy representation from Hungary, featuring songs by Márta Sebestyén, Vízöntő and Kálmán Balogh and the Gypsy Cimbalom Band.
Rough Guide to the Music of Hungarian Gypsies (World Music Network). All the big-hitters are here on this marvellous and thoroughly comprehensive introduction to the many strands of Hungarian Gypsy music – the highlight is a ripping tune by Mitsou performed with the brilliant Romanian band Fanfare Ciocarlia.
Rough Guide Music of the Gypsies (World Music Network). From India to Spain, this is a fantastic introduction to Gypsy music worldwide, with Hungary represented by Kálmán Balogh and the József Lacatos Orchestra. Also worth checking out is the Rough Guide to Klezmer Revival (RGNET 1203), which features a track by Di Naye Kapelye.
Táncházi muzsika (Music from the Táncház; Hungaroton). A double album of the Sebö Ensemble playing Táncház music from various regions of Hungary. Wild and exciting rhythms.