Vortragsweisen Ungarischer Dörflicher und Städtischer Zigeunermusiker in Historischen Tonaufnahmen. Allgemeine Bemerkungen, Forschungsgeschichtliche Ausblicke
Performances in Hungarian village and urban gypsy musician in historical sound recording. General remarks, research history

Summary/Abstract: Manners of performance by Hungarian village- and town gypsy musicians in historical recordings. The paper describes the different elements of the performance: ornamentation, vibrato, improvisation, intensity of sound, tempo, register, pizzicato, etc. Musical examples are from the first period of the 20th century, from material of the Folk Music Department and Sound-Archiv of the Institute for Musicology of the HAS. The topic is structured as follows: short history of the instrumental music fieldworks: phonograph recordings and (later) 78 rpm shall-lack discs with instrumental music (peasants and gypsy musicians). The early recording-firms published discs as soon as in the 1910–20-ies with the most favourite contemporary ensembles (I. Magyari, B. Radics). Contemporary references describe their performance which was robust but full with nobility, graciosity, glittering viruosity, rich fantasy dynamism. The differences are clear among the two social strata (peasants and gypsy musicians), when performers play the same melody: one as dance music (in the villages) and one as restaurant music (only to hear) in the town. Some elements (like pizzicato) are used alone (or nearly exclusively) by gypsies, others are common features of the performance.

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