Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1961-04-01 / 4. szám

F RAT E RN I TY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF HUNGARIAN REF. FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation

Published monthly. — Subscription for non-members in the U. S. A. and Canada $2.00, elsewhere $3.00 a year.

Office of Publication: Expert Printing Co., 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh 7, Pa. Editorial Office: Kossuth House, 1801 “P” St., N. W., Washington 6, D. C.

Volume XXXIX APRIL 1961 Number 4

KODÁLY EXCELS IN “FOLK MUSIC OF HUNGARY”

The traditional idiom looms large in the inner life of every immigrant group. Customs and experiences left behind in the Old Sod become prized personal memories, whether one can or cannot return there. And while the one-time popular habit of playing music or singing together in family fashion at frequent intervals is no longer in vogue, tunes of old zeill alzcays hare an ever- welcome ring.

Composers of many nations have dipped into the rich vein of both. the folk and art music of the Magyars. Several of them, like Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert, made their living there for a while, garnering tunes from the country folk, which they later utilized in passages sometimes marked “alia ungarese”. Thus the masterpieces of classical composers may contain Hungarian material.

When it comes to popular and dance, or dinner music, which for decades whan played throughout the world by Hungarian gypsy bands, some of the original Magyar tunes were credited to the gypsies. Outside of the fact that in most, cases only the Oriental ornamentation and excessive rabat o style of playing could he called the performers' own, many a Magyar felt slighted to be confused with the roaming Ho many, just because the latter was raised to the standard of court or professional musician in dans of yore.

The book we are about to review quotes an excellent and universally known example of the foregoing mix-up. Just about a century ago János Németh, who wrote under the name of Klemer Szentirmay, published an art song entitled: “Csak egy kislány van a világon”. This spread through European cafes like wildfire. So much so that Pablo Sarasate, Spain's celebrated composer, who heard “There is but one girl in the world” played