Music Culture
Assignment #11 Terms from class:
Europe: Hungary
Cimbalom
“Folk songs are the embodiment of an artistic perfection of the Citera
highest order; in fact, they are examples of how to express a musical Csárdás or Czárdás
thought in the smallest form, with the least pretentious tools, the Gypsy (or Roma)
most perfect way.” Háry János
Kodály
- Béla Bartók (famous Hungarian composer) Magyar
Parlando Rubato
As with other assignments, complete the word document, and then
Tempo Giusto
upload your file as a .doc or .docx (not .pages) to Blackboard before
Verbunkos
the Tuesday 10 am due date.
I. MAP
As always, it is important to know the location of the area that we are studying.
You are given a map that shows part of Europe, with Hungary highlighted. On
the map, label the following:
Hungary
Ukraine (drag to the correct location)
Romania ( )
Germany ( )
France ( ) Atlantic
Ocean Black
Spain ( ) Sea
Austria ( )
Mediterranean Sea
II. Musical Examples
A. Által mennék én a Tiszán (vocal, sung by Kövesdy-Nagy Zsuzsanna)
Mrs. Palmer performed this traditional Hungarian folk song for you in class. Did she
(underline the correct answer)…
sing this song?
play a piece on the piano that included this melody?
perform a dance to a recording of the melody?
The rhythmic style of the folk song Által mennék én a Tiszán is one of the two typical
styles—Tempo Giusto or Parlando Rubato. Identify which one style is correct for
this song, and then list one reason why.
Correct style: Parlando Rubato
Why? It follows the natural rhythm of the text unlike Tempo
Giusto which follows a strict tempo and allows for little flexibility.
B. Által mennék én a Tiszán (instrumental)
This instrumental performance has the same title as the previous sung piece. Is it
actually the same melody, or a different one? Yes, but in a different key
.
Also known as a Hungarian Zither, what is the Hungarian term for the instrument
performing Által mennék én a Tiszán __________Citera__________________________
There are many types of zither, associated with different cultures around the world.
For each of the following, describe, in a sentence, how the zither is played.
Latvian kokle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAwRI1Ahzvw)
How is it played? She holds the instrument on her lap, plucks and strums
mainly with her right hand and changes the notes by pressing down on the strings
with her left hand. Sometimes she even plucks with her left hand.
Ukranian tsymbaly or Cambodian khim or Khmer
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlMLT_tcrnw)
How is it played? This instrument is played by striking the strings
with mallets much like a cimbalom.
Bavarian raffele (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmLXrUi1Z0w)
How is it played? With the right hand she is strumming the strings
like a guitar and with the left hand she is pressing down on frets in a piano playing
position to play different notes.
Madagascar's valiha
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iNkNs_wnm8)
How is it played? The instrument is held with a strap wrapped
around the musician like a bassoon. It is played my plucking the strings with both
hands.
C. Csárdás (performed by a traditional Hungarian Gypsy band)
All instruments of a traditional Gypsy (Roma) band are included in this
performance. Name the four distinct instruments represented here.
1 Violin
2 Clarinet
3 Cimbalom
4 Double Bass
The tempo of every csárdás includes lassú and friss. What do these two Hungarian
terms refer to, and in which order do they always occur?
lassú means Slow section and occurs (1st or 2nd) 1st
friss means Fast section and occurs (1st or 2nd) 2nd
The origin of the csárdás can be traced back to the 18th century recruiting dance,
called Verbunkos
D. “Intermezzo” from the opera Háry János by Zoltán Kodály
The Intermezzo was written by Zoltán Kodály, a composer and music historian
(musicologist) who focused his research on the music culture traditions of the
world. What type of musicologist focuses on music culture traditions?
Ethnomusicology .
Name the other Hungarian composer/historian that you studied in class, and who
actually collaborated with Kodály: Béla Bartók
Which of the traditional Hungarian instruments studied on this worksheet do you
hear at the beginning of the Intermezzo? Cimbalom
The second major section of this piece (beginning at 0:42) contrasts significantly
with the first section. From your reading on Blackboard, list four (4) representative
characteristic elements of verbunkos, all of which are heard in this Intermezzo.
1 Dotted rhythms
2 Triplets
3 Long notes with ornaments
4 Descending note pairs
Final summary question
In 2-3 sentences, write your response to the following prompt:
If you were a composer and studying the music of your own
country/culture, why would you find it important to use the folk instruments
/melodies/rhythms of your country in your own music?
It would be important for me to use the folk instruments of my country because it
would make my music sound genuinely like my country’s music. If I were studying
music of my own country and culture I would want my audience to be able to
recognize the melodies and rhythms that are representative of my country. The people
listening to my pieces would not recognize the origin of my pieces if the melodies and
rhythms used were of someplace else.
