Hungarian is one of the most difficult languages to learn, so it only seems logical that Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies, especially No.2 in C-sharp minor, are some of the most difficult piano pieces to perform. They are based on Hungarian folk themes and composed between 1846-1853, one hundred years before The Revolution and later between 1882 and 1885. Magyar rapszódiák are a set of 19 piano solos adapted to orchestral arrangements and have enjoyed widespread popularity in cartoons, most famously in Tom and Jerry’s Academy Award winning short, “The Cat Concerto, and Bugs Bunny’s “Rhapsody Rabbit.”
“Hungarian Rhapsody” is also a concert film of the British Rock Group, Queen, and their performance at the Nepstadion in Budapest on July 27, 1986, part of the band’s final tour with Freddy Mercury. He sang the Hungarian folk song Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt (Spring Wind Floods Water) to the audience – in Hungarian, sited “as the first song that Hungarians learn and continue to cherish, as part of our culture and identity.” The concert title is a play on the Hungarian Rhapsodies and one of Queen’s most celebrated hits, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Hungary like Austria has a rich tradition of classical music. Franz Liszt was a virtuoso pianist, conductor, composer, and teacher. He’s regarded as one of the greatest pianists of his times (1811-1886), born in the village of Doborján in Sopron County, Kingdom of Hungry, Austrian Empire. He weaved together the themes he had heard in native western Hungary, believed to be folk music at the tempo of verbunkos, gypsy dance, into his compositions. He died in Bayreuth, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire.
“Two other of Hungary’s famous composers, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, are known for using folk themes in their music. The Busójárás carnival in Mohács is a major folk music event in Hungary, formerly featuring the long-established and well-regarded Bogyiszló orchestra. Instruments traditionally used in Hungarian folk music include the citera, cimbalom, cobza, doromb, duda, kanászkürt, tárogató, tambura, tekero and ütőgardon.”
During the era of Communist rule in Hungary (1949–1989) a Song Committee scoured and censored popular music for traces of subversion and ideological impurity. Since then, however, the Hungarian music industry has begun to recover, producing successful performers in the fields of jazz such as trumpeter Rudolf Tomsits, pianist-composer Károly Binder and, in a modernized form of Hungarian folk, Ferenc Sebő and Márta Sebestyén. The three giants of Hungarian rock: Illés, Metró, and Omega, remain very popular.
“One of the most significant musical genres in Hungary is Romani music, with a historical presence dating back many centuries. Hungarian Romani music is an integral part of the national culture, and it has become increasingly popular throughout the country.” “The Sziget festival on the Obudai Island is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. More than 1,000 performances take place each year.”
When it comes to popular songs, let’s logically start with the National Anthem, “Himnusz.” is the national anthem of Hungary. The refrain is from 1823 poet, Ferenc Kölcsey’s prayer, beginning with the words Isten, áldd meg a magyart, “God, bless the Hungarians.” The lyrics were written by Ferenc, a nationally renowned poet, in 1823, and the music by romantic composer Ferenc Erkel in 1844. Since there are 8-verses, I will not elaborate.
The anthem has experienced its share of politics, beginning just after the First World War when Hungary’s Minister of Culture issued a decree stating that “according to the prayerful nature of the anthem, it can only be given on serious occasions.” Thus, the anthem was banned from being played at sporting events. If it weren’t for sports in the U.S., we would hardly ever hear our anthem. During the communist regime, the anthem was played without text, and a movement began to adopt a new one with non-religious verbiage and a more optimistic message. However, “God Bless the Hungarians,’ somehow survived to be officially adopted as the song of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989.
Hungarian pop is the pop music scene of Hungary, and often associated with Rezső Seress’s song, “Gloomy Sunday,” which was covered by numerous artists. The most notable artists include Zsuzsa Koncz, Locomotiv GT, Omega, Karthago, Zsuzsa Cserháti, Kati Kovács, Judit Szűcs, Péter Máté, Neoton Família, and Jimmy Zámbó.
I also found a website, quora.com, that identified 50 tunes, in no particular order, believed to be what an overwhelming majority of the Hungarian population could hum the words along if forced to remember. I had them translated into English, but they are just as foreign to me:
- “Even they say it does not fit”
- “They load the fire, yet it goes out”
- “Crispy cherries ripen”
- “My boots are new, they are hung on the nail”
- “Once upon a time a prince”
- “Stars, stars, shine beautifully”
- “I went to the fair”
- “Gerencséri Street”
- “Plums fall from the tree”
- “The grapes ripen, bend the cane”
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- “Hej The wind blows from the Danube”
- “Graze from the wind”
- “Under the shore”
- “The world burns at a wedge of flowers”
- “Bered lad, load your cart well”
- “Little girl from Komárom”
- “A little piglet volley, volley, vole”
- “Spring wind floods water”
- “Hej Vargan, cooking cabbage”
- “Come with me Anna Molnár”
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- “Forest, forest, forest, round forest of Marosszék”
- “Two sprigs of peonies, bent out onto the road”
- “Who does not act at the same time”
- “Chain, chain, lathe chain”
- “Marry cricket”
- “Paul, Kate, Peter”
- “Small ducks bathe”
- “Trench jumped by mosquito”
- “I lost my handkerchief”
- “Hide-and-seek green branch”
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- “There is a witch”
- “Hosted by, Alphabet”
- “For the good cavalry soldier”
- “Bridge horse end”
- “My baby is ploughed”
- “Madárka, madárka” (emigration song)
- “Hope Julian, Hope Mariska”
- “The present hussar is doing well”
- “The two girls went to pick up a mirage”
- “By I would go, I on the Tisza ladik”
- “Hey rozmaring, rozmaring”
- “I’m leaving, I’m going”
- “Oh, but I’m sick”
- “Lajos Kossuth said:”
- “Bride, groom, but beautiful both”
- “May the Lord God grant to this farmer”
- “I’m a poor lad”
- “Deep forest violet blossom”
- “Dry lake on wet shore”
- “Where are you going, little rabbit”
Although we weren’t a family of talented musicians, it wasn’t from the lack of opportunity. My parents bought a used piano in West Windsor, New Jersey, and I took lessons for about four years. The piano was eventually passed along to Jill and I when we moved to Shamong. Both Adam and Neil took lessons and still play today. We gave the piano to Neil after he bought a home in Southampton, New Jersey, so that all three grandchildren could continue the tradition. My parents did like to sing and dance, as I’m sure they did in the comfortable setting of the Hungarian Club and in the comfort of their friends’ homes. They enjoyed listening to music and would gather together with friends to sing some of the familiar Hungarian favorites.
The Phoenixville Hungarian Club, although I rarely got to go inside, had the bar downstairs and dining room on the main floor. There was a small stage and a piano in the corner, as I recall, and loud voices echoing up the stairway as the bar crowd talked over each other. My mom always liked to dress up, so this was her opportunity to let loose. Hungarians are good at that!
My dad loved gypsy inspired music and hired an authentic band for our wedding. It was a group that he would go see when he was working in New York City. I remember our trip back to Hungary in May of 1981. Jill was five months pregnant with Adam when she met my godfather, Kalmar, for the first time. My dad got up from our restaurant table and summoned the gypsy band to play for us. He requested some old favorite Hungary songs and some Mozart in between. He was definitely in his element, as the band played on. “Can I have this dance, Jill?”
Wikipedia research pointed out that “some well-known Gypsy music styles include Flamenco (Spain), Manouche Jazz (France) and Balkan Brass (Eastern Europe). Each style showcases the diversity and adaptability of Gypsy music, blending local traditions with the rich musical heritage of the Romani people.”
Dad explained that most of the Gypsies in Europe are Roma (Romani), the country’s largest ethnic minority believed to have migrated from Northern India to Hungary in the 10th or 11th century. They reportedly make up about 3.2 percent of the total population. To call them “Hungarian Gypsies” is considered a racial slur.
It’s disturbing to note that following Hungarian independence in 1919, the Hungarian government carried out a series of anti-Roma policies. In addition, tens of thousands of Hungarian Romani were murdered by the Nazis, in conjunction with the Hungarian authorities.
My dad saw their music as magical (majiks), citing artists like Kesha, Neon Hitch, Cher Lloyd, Jerry Mason, and Django Reinhardt. Most of us associate them with tarot cards, crystal balls, fortune-telling tents, and maybe even witchcraft. From early on, the Romani have certainly been connected with singing, dancing, and acting. Literature is full of stories of their magical arts. Regardless of how magical they may be, they are very much misunderstood.
To be Continued…
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