Székely Zoltán (szerk.): Arrabona - Múzeumi Közlemények 48/2. (Győr, 2010)

Tanulmányok - Mennyeiné Várszegi Judit: Dr. Kovács Pál (1808. július 1 - 1886. augusztus 13.) Válogatott bibliográfia

ARRABONA 2010.48 / 2.

TANULMÁNYOK

THE HISTORY OF THE CIMBALOM TYPES

The history of the cimbalom types has not been fully explored yet. Although, most of the authors take the Persian origin of the instrument for granted, its earliest iconographic representation appeared only in the 15th century and became widespread only from the 19th century, while earlier only its plucking type had been represented. As in the Western European representations the psalterium that was played by plucking and the dulcimer or hackbrett that was played by striking appeared also in the 15th century, it has not been decided whether the plasterium or the Persian santir was first played by striking. There independent development can not be excluded either. The appearance of the instrument type in the Hungarian language area is also debated, since many authors think that the "Cythararum" term in the 46th Chapter of the Gesta Hungarorum refers to the cimbalom or to the zither. However, it is possible, that the term should be meant literary referring to the contemporary "fashionable" kithara played by bow or to the short necked lyre-type: the cithara or cithern. The appearance of the stricken stringed cimbalom in Hungary - in line with the Western European data - can be documented from the 16th century and the instrument historical evidences of the neighbouring countries suggest that this instrument type spread from Western to Eastern Europe. In the 19th century the cimbalom became the musical symbol of the Hungarian independence movement, while after the suppression of the independence war in 1848-49 it became an indispensible means of the Hungarian passive resistance against the Habsburgs and of the habit of the so called “taking the pleasures mournfully”. As a result of the popularity of the cimbalom and its use in the world of the composed music a need for using cimbaloms of chromatic scale also appeared. This need led to the development of the Schunda cimbalom in 1874 which was equipped by a damper pedal and which through the works of Liszt Ferenc and Rácz Aladár became internationally accepted Hungarian national instrument.

József Brauer-Benke