Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (... more Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (p. 240) and pastiche in musical works with Chanel's embroidered blouses and fashion journalism's need for format vari-ety and novelty. Soon the music-fashion age Davis labels classic chic ...
Béla Bartók (b. 1881–d. 1945) was one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century... more Béla Bartók (b. 1881–d. 1945) was one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century, particularly from outside the historic musical centers of Germany, France, and Italy. Now remembered principally as a composer, he was also an international concert pianist, teacher of piano, and pioneer in folk music research. Bartók was born and educated in the provincial periphery of late-19th-century Hungary; when he was admitted to institutions in both Vienna and Budapest for his advanced education, he made the fateful decision to enroll in Budapest’s Royal Academy of Music. In 1907 he joined its piano faculty, continuing until 1934, when he transferred to a full-time position doing folk music research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He performed his works widely, especially during the interwar period, though after 1934 his performances in Germany ceased, in part due to his refusal to certify his Aryan origins. As Bartók grew uneasy about Hungary’s alliance with the Third Re...
The advent of a more open society in Eastern and Central Europe has created space for political a... more The advent of a more open society in Eastern and Central Europe has created space for political and cultural freedoms unthinkable under state socialism, particularly for the Roma (Gypsy) minority. The years since the change of regime have revealed apparently insatiable appetites for "Gypsiness" among consumers, impresarios, and recording companies, and artists from the East Bloc, many of them from extremely modest backgrounds, have filled niches in the business of sating those appetites. Yet for many Roma in the region, the political changes of twenty years ago have been disastrous: the end not only of full employment and a robust social safety net but also of the limitations on free speech and rigidly enforced state monopoly on violence that hid racial tensions under a veil of oppression. This paper addresses the contrast between the conditions of the Roma population at large with the successes of a handful of successful musicians. It also considers the ways some musicians in Hungary are working to improve both the conditions for Roma and the perception of Roma by non-Roma in and out of the region.
As its name suggests, the New Hungarian Music Society was preoccupied with questions of modernism... more As its name suggests, the New Hungarian Music Society was preoccupied with questions of modernism and national identity in Hungarian music. However, traditional conflicts between the old and the new, the national and the international, did not play out in the Society's ...
Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music ... more Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music education is an arena in which Hungarian methods have had a profound impact. The basic principles of Hungarian music-pedagogical methods, developed by Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) and his disciples and thus known as the Kodály method, are systematic instruction in sight-singing using “movable-do” solfège and rhythmic syllables, with the ideal of developing music literacy in all children through high-quality music, mainly classical and folk repertoire for choirs. Another type of well-known Hungarian music, so-called “Gypsy music,” is specifically denied legitimacy both in Kodály’s writings and those of some of his students, for two reasons: much of it is primarily instrumental instead of vocal, and it is considered “bad.” Yet Romani (Gypsy) musicians from Hungary have also become famous internationally, some from quite a young age. The Rajkó Ensemble, established in 1952 as the Gypsy Orchest...
List of figures List of tables List of musical examples Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. ... more List of figures List of tables List of musical examples Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Rhapsody on Hungarian Themes: The Development of Hungarian Art and Music in Historical Context from the Reform Era to World War I Chapter 2. The Liszt centennial and Liszt's legacy in Hungarian musical life Chapter 3. From Gypsies to peasants: Race, nation, and modernity Chapter 4. Writing Hungarian Music: Genre, Motive, Spirit Chapter 5. Cosmopolitan Nationalist Modernism: Promoting and Composing Modern Hungarian Music "Liszt is ours!" vs. "Liszt problems": An Epilogue Appendix. Biographical Notes Selected Bibliography
Every summer devotees of Hungarian folk music and dance attend camps in idyllic rural settings in... more Every summer devotees of Hungarian folk music and dance attend camps in idyllic rural settings in Hungary, Romania, and North America where they study "authentic" repertoire with expert instructors. At such camps, traditional material is elevated on the altar of authenticity through constant comparison to the "real thing." These comparisons underline the fact that North American camps are far away from the "homeland." In other ways, however, these North American camps are their own homeland: they are a powerful nexus connecting people from different regions, creating what some frequent participants call an "instant community." The unique character of these events is clearest at after-parties, when the "authentic" repertoire of scheduled programs is often displaced by popular forms from Hungary and Romania as well as genres from beyond the region. As the days and nights wear on, the atmosphere transforms from sacred rite to carnival. Drawing on fieldwork at camps in Hungary, Romania, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Quebec, and Michigan, I discuss how camps organizers and participants canonize "authentic" folk repertoire through conscious festivalization strategies. I then examine how the carnivalesque atmosphere of these camps both undermines purified concepts of "authenticity" and creates a sense of connection unique to North American camps.
The tradition of European "classical music" has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most promi... more The tradition of European "classical music" has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prominent exotic referents in that tradition are the Middle East, first and foremost the Turk, and the Hungarian Gypsy, raising the questions of how these "exotic" traditions are related, and what their comparison might tell us about the idea of musical exoticism more broadly. In this essay, I briefly survey the "Turkish style" and its use in Classical-period opera; discuss its replacement by Hungarian-Gypsy style in the nineteenth century; and finally examine the interesting juxtaposition of Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in two fin-de-siècle Central European operettas, Der Zigeunerbaron by the Austrian Johann Strauss Jr. and Gül baba by the Hungarian Jenõ Huszka. An examination of these works and their reception reveals fissures between the Viennese and Budapest versions of operettas featuring "exotic" topics and characters, and between the operetta industries in the two cities. These details offer a fascinating look at the dividing line between exoticism and auto-exoticism and at the significance of references to Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in the Central European cultural climate of this period-in short, a reconsideration of what it means to be Hungarian, and for whom.
E-Journal of the American Hungarian Educators Association, Nov 1, 2013
Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music ... more Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music education is an arena in which Hungarian methods have had a profound impact. The basic principles of Hungarian music-pedagogical methods, developed by Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) and his disciples and thus known as the Kodály method, are systematic instruction in sight-singing using “movable-do” solfège and rhythmic syllables, with the ideal of developing music literacy in all children through high-quality music, mainly classical and folk repertoire for choirs. Another type of well-known Hungarian music, so-called “Gypsy music,” is specifically denied legitimacy both in Kodály’s writings and those of some of his students, for two reasons: much of it is primarily instrumental instead of vocal, and it is considered “bad.” Yet Romani (Gypsy) musicians from Hungary have also become famous internationally, some from quite a young age. The Rajkó Ensemble, established in 1952 as the Gypsy Orchest...
The tradition of European “classical music” has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prom... more The tradition of European “classical music” has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prominent exotic referents in that tradition are the Middle East, first and foremost the Turk, and the Hungarian Gypsy, raising the questions of how these “exotic” traditions are related, and what their comparison might tell us about the idea of musical exoticism more broadly. In this essay, I briefly survey the “Turkish style” and its use in Classical-period opera; discuss its replacement by Hungar- ian-Gypsy style in the nineteenth century; and finally examine the interesting juxta- position of Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in two fin-de-siècle Central Euro- pean operettas, Der Zigeunerbaron by the Austrian Johann Strauss Jr. and Gül baba by the Hungarian Jenõ Huszka. An examination of these works and their reception reveals fissures between the Viennese and Budapest versions of operettas featuring “exotic” topics and characters, and between the operetta industries in the two cities. These details offer a fascinating look at the dividing line between exoticism and auto-exoticism and at the significance of references to Turkish and Hungar- ian-Gypsy topics in the Central European cultural climate of this period – in short, a reconsideration of what it means to be Hungarian, and for whom.
Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (... more Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (p. 240) and pastiche in musical works with Chanel's embroidered blouses and fashion journalism's need for format vari-ety and novelty. Soon the music-fashion age Davis labels classic chic ...
Béla Bartók (b. 1881–d. 1945) was one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century... more Béla Bartók (b. 1881–d. 1945) was one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century, particularly from outside the historic musical centers of Germany, France, and Italy. Now remembered principally as a composer, he was also an international concert pianist, teacher of piano, and pioneer in folk music research. Bartók was born and educated in the provincial periphery of late-19th-century Hungary; when he was admitted to institutions in both Vienna and Budapest for his advanced education, he made the fateful decision to enroll in Budapest’s Royal Academy of Music. In 1907 he joined its piano faculty, continuing until 1934, when he transferred to a full-time position doing folk music research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He performed his works widely, especially during the interwar period, though after 1934 his performances in Germany ceased, in part due to his refusal to certify his Aryan origins. As Bartók grew uneasy about Hungary’s alliance with the Third Re...
The advent of a more open society in Eastern and Central Europe has created space for political a... more The advent of a more open society in Eastern and Central Europe has created space for political and cultural freedoms unthinkable under state socialism, particularly for the Roma (Gypsy) minority. The years since the change of regime have revealed apparently insatiable appetites for "Gypsiness" among consumers, impresarios, and recording companies, and artists from the East Bloc, many of them from extremely modest backgrounds, have filled niches in the business of sating those appetites. Yet for many Roma in the region, the political changes of twenty years ago have been disastrous: the end not only of full employment and a robust social safety net but also of the limitations on free speech and rigidly enforced state monopoly on violence that hid racial tensions under a veil of oppression. This paper addresses the contrast between the conditions of the Roma population at large with the successes of a handful of successful musicians. It also considers the ways some musicians in Hungary are working to improve both the conditions for Roma and the perception of Roma by non-Roma in and out of the region.
As its name suggests, the New Hungarian Music Society was preoccupied with questions of modernism... more As its name suggests, the New Hungarian Music Society was preoccupied with questions of modernism and national identity in Hungarian music. However, traditional conflicts between the old and the new, the national and the international, did not play out in the Society's ...
Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music ... more Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music education is an arena in which Hungarian methods have had a profound impact. The basic principles of Hungarian music-pedagogical methods, developed by Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) and his disciples and thus known as the Kodály method, are systematic instruction in sight-singing using “movable-do” solfège and rhythmic syllables, with the ideal of developing music literacy in all children through high-quality music, mainly classical and folk repertoire for choirs. Another type of well-known Hungarian music, so-called “Gypsy music,” is specifically denied legitimacy both in Kodály’s writings and those of some of his students, for two reasons: much of it is primarily instrumental instead of vocal, and it is considered “bad.” Yet Romani (Gypsy) musicians from Hungary have also become famous internationally, some from quite a young age. The Rajkó Ensemble, established in 1952 as the Gypsy Orchest...
List of figures List of tables List of musical examples Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. ... more List of figures List of tables List of musical examples Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Rhapsody on Hungarian Themes: The Development of Hungarian Art and Music in Historical Context from the Reform Era to World War I Chapter 2. The Liszt centennial and Liszt's legacy in Hungarian musical life Chapter 3. From Gypsies to peasants: Race, nation, and modernity Chapter 4. Writing Hungarian Music: Genre, Motive, Spirit Chapter 5. Cosmopolitan Nationalist Modernism: Promoting and Composing Modern Hungarian Music "Liszt is ours!" vs. "Liszt problems": An Epilogue Appendix. Biographical Notes Selected Bibliography
Every summer devotees of Hungarian folk music and dance attend camps in idyllic rural settings in... more Every summer devotees of Hungarian folk music and dance attend camps in idyllic rural settings in Hungary, Romania, and North America where they study "authentic" repertoire with expert instructors. At such camps, traditional material is elevated on the altar of authenticity through constant comparison to the "real thing." These comparisons underline the fact that North American camps are far away from the "homeland." In other ways, however, these North American camps are their own homeland: they are a powerful nexus connecting people from different regions, creating what some frequent participants call an "instant community." The unique character of these events is clearest at after-parties, when the "authentic" repertoire of scheduled programs is often displaced by popular forms from Hungary and Romania as well as genres from beyond the region. As the days and nights wear on, the atmosphere transforms from sacred rite to carnival. Drawing on fieldwork at camps in Hungary, Romania, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Quebec, and Michigan, I discuss how camps organizers and participants canonize "authentic" folk repertoire through conscious festivalization strategies. I then examine how the carnivalesque atmosphere of these camps both undermines purified concepts of "authenticity" and creates a sense of connection unique to North American camps.
The tradition of European "classical music" has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most promi... more The tradition of European "classical music" has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prominent exotic referents in that tradition are the Middle East, first and foremost the Turk, and the Hungarian Gypsy, raising the questions of how these "exotic" traditions are related, and what their comparison might tell us about the idea of musical exoticism more broadly. In this essay, I briefly survey the "Turkish style" and its use in Classical-period opera; discuss its replacement by Hungarian-Gypsy style in the nineteenth century; and finally examine the interesting juxtaposition of Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in two fin-de-siècle Central European operettas, Der Zigeunerbaron by the Austrian Johann Strauss Jr. and Gül baba by the Hungarian Jenõ Huszka. An examination of these works and their reception reveals fissures between the Viennese and Budapest versions of operettas featuring "exotic" topics and characters, and between the operetta industries in the two cities. These details offer a fascinating look at the dividing line between exoticism and auto-exoticism and at the significance of references to Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in the Central European cultural climate of this period-in short, a reconsideration of what it means to be Hungarian, and for whom.
E-Journal of the American Hungarian Educators Association, Nov 1, 2013
Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music ... more Music is one of the fields in which Hungary has distinguished itself around the world, and music education is an arena in which Hungarian methods have had a profound impact. The basic principles of Hungarian music-pedagogical methods, developed by Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) and his disciples and thus known as the Kodály method, are systematic instruction in sight-singing using “movable-do” solfège and rhythmic syllables, with the ideal of developing music literacy in all children through high-quality music, mainly classical and folk repertoire for choirs. Another type of well-known Hungarian music, so-called “Gypsy music,” is specifically denied legitimacy both in Kodály’s writings and those of some of his students, for two reasons: much of it is primarily instrumental instead of vocal, and it is considered “bad.” Yet Romani (Gypsy) musicians from Hungary have also become famous internationally, some from quite a young age. The Rajkó Ensemble, established in 1952 as the Gypsy Orchest...
The tradition of European “classical music” has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prom... more The tradition of European “classical music” has long evoked the exotic, and two of the most prominent exotic referents in that tradition are the Middle East, first and foremost the Turk, and the Hungarian Gypsy, raising the questions of how these “exotic” traditions are related, and what their comparison might tell us about the idea of musical exoticism more broadly. In this essay, I briefly survey the “Turkish style” and its use in Classical-period opera; discuss its replacement by Hungar- ian-Gypsy style in the nineteenth century; and finally examine the interesting juxta- position of Turkish and Hungarian-Gypsy topics in two fin-de-siècle Central Euro- pean operettas, Der Zigeunerbaron by the Austrian Johann Strauss Jr. and Gül baba by the Hungarian Jenõ Huszka. An examination of these works and their reception reveals fissures between the Viennese and Budapest versions of operettas featuring “exotic” topics and characters, and between the operetta industries in the two cities. These details offer a fascinating look at the dividing line between exoticism and auto-exoticism and at the significance of references to Turkish and Hungar- ian-Gypsy topics in the Central European cultural climate of this period – in short, a reconsideration of what it means to be Hungarian, and for whom.
Carl S. Leafstedt's book A Thorn in the Rosebush clarifies the complex legal and personal struggl... more Carl S. Leafstedt's book A Thorn in the Rosebush clarifies the complex legal and personal struggles surrounding Béla Bartók's estate, highlighting the conflicts between Hungarian and U.S. laws and the impact of Cold War politics on access to Bartók's legacy.
Additional topics discussed in the text are: the role of Victor Bator as Bartók's trustee and advocate, the influence of Cold War politics on the estate's management, and the implications of differing copyright laws in Hungary and the U.S. Despite its flaws, Leafstedt's study offers researchers a deeper understanding of the historical and legal context surrounding Bartók's legacy and the challenges faced by his heirs.
Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (... more Davis links Stravinsky, the Ballets Russes, Mavra and the 'Russianization' of Paris (p. 240) and pastiche in musical works with Chanel's embroidered blouses and fashion journalism's need for format vari-ety and novelty. Soon the music-fashion age Davis labels classic chic ...
The term "canonization" applies to Béla Bartók in both senses of the word. Firs... more The term "canonization" applies to Béla Bartók in both senses of the word. First, he is one of the most performed and most studied composers of the twentieth century and a landmark figure in the history of ethnomusicology. Second, because of the potent combination of his ...
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Papers by Lynn M Hooker
Additional topics discussed in the text are: the role of Victor Bator as Bartók's trustee and advocate, the influence of Cold War politics on the estate's management, and the implications of differing copyright laws in Hungary and the U.S. Despite its flaws, Leafstedt's study offers researchers a deeper understanding of the historical and legal context surrounding Bartók's legacy and the challenges faced by his heirs.