Jód (Ieud). Original Village Music from Máramaros (Maramureş), Transylvania

The Final Hour Program and the “Új Pátria” Series

Since the governmental changes in Romania in 1990, the ease of crossing of the borders, increased possibility of working abroad, influx of consumerism and the cultural and sub-cultural effects caused by new of availability music cassettes have all contributed to more rapid changes in the folk traditions in Transylvania, even in the remotest villages. That is why the Fonó Budai Zeneház set to work to provide the financial background and facilities necessary to do this comprehensive collection of Transylvanian village music.

The Final Hour project is supported by the Institute of Musiscology at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Starting in September 1997, there have been regular recording sessions with bands from Transylvanian villages who still play the local traditional music. Each band is at our disposal for five days during which time it is possible to make archival recordings of not only each band’s repertoire of melodies which serves the entertainment needs of more than one ethnic group, but also to document information regarding customs surrounding the traditional music and dance life. Singers and one or two couples of good dancers arrive to Budapest for these recording sessions with each band, helping to maintain the vocal and dance function of the instrumental music. Part of the program is devoted to documentation of the existing Transylvanian traditional flute music.

The CD archive resulting from work of the Final Hour program offers a vast amount of material on the musical traditions of Hungarians, Romanians, Gypsies, Saxons and Jews in Transylvania for research studies as well as a wealth of authentic material and background information for those involved in popular folk music movements. The complete collection will be available for scientific research in the archive of the Institute of Musicology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The Fonó Records has started this series of CDs under the title “New Pátria,” presenting selections of the most representative material from the collection. This series is the spiritual descendant of the “Pátria” series from the end of the 1930’s by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and László Lajtha in cooperation with the Hungarian Radio and the Museum of Ethnography.

Jód (Ieud). Original Village Music from Máramaros (Maramureş):

Máramaros is situated in the northern part of Transylvania; a mountainous, forested region with flew flat areas and many rivers. On the south the Gutin Mountains separate it from the rest of Transylvania, with the only openings towards the west through the Tisza River valley and the city of Szatmárnémeti (Satu Mare).



Romanian music from Máramaros was presented to the people for a long time as being the most ancient Romanian music. Indeed upon hearing the music with its repeated motifs and simple harmony accompanied on the so-called "zongora" ("piano" - the local name for a specially tuned guitar), one is definitely reminded of medieval music. Most of the old melodies with repeated motifs can be recognized as bagpipe tunes taken over by the violin. Since the memorable collecting expeditions of Bartók, the "zongora" (guitar) has been supplemented with more strings (today more major chords can be played as accompaniment, moving parallel to the melody) and the drum with a cymbal attached to it has also appeared.



The traditional dances of Máramaros are "Feciorescu", "Bătrînescu", "Învârtîta" and the "De băut" used for partying ("for drinking" which are not for dancing "but the character of their music is such that I must definitely categorize them amongst the dances", Bartók said). They also play style pieces, like Pintea's Ballad (Pintea was a famous Máramaros outlaw from the previous century) or the "Kurva's (whore's) învârtîta" (a rather piquant story about a woman of loose morals).



The music of Máramaros also has another face which the people from Máramaros refer to as Hungarian. It has been preserved by the Gypsies and can be considered a relative of the music of the central Transylvania. This style of music is not for dancing but for table entertainment ("de masă" - table tunes) or is used in connection to various customs such as for dressing the bride.



The Gypsy material follows the Transylvanian structure with related local dances and dance melodies. The most pointed difference between the two styles is shown in the use of the guitar ("zongora"): in the traditional Máramaros music only a few major chords are played, while in the Gypsy music of the area, already a fully developed functional form of harmony is shown.



1. Jonaş Mihai's învârtîta
2. Table song, tune for when the bride is changing clothes
3. Romanian dances from Kővár (Chioar) region
4. Gypsy and Romanian table songs
5. Men's dance from Kővár (Chioar) region
6. Gypsy songs for keeping vigil
7. Învârtîta
8. Gypsy table song and dance
9. Pintea's Ballad
10. Romanian party songs
11. Gypsy laments
12. Marches
13. "Poem" for the dead and song for by the grave
14. Gypsy and Hungarian Christmas songs
15. Dance from Avas (Oaş)
16. Gypsy table songs
17. Bătrînescu
18. Învârtîta
19. Hungarian couple dance from Hosszúmező (Cîmpulung la Tisa)

Performers:
COVACI Marcel (1967), voice
BARANI Vasile (1957), violin, voice
NEGREA Victor (1934), violin
NEGREA Sorin (1972), violin, 3 stringed viola
ŞTEFAN Florin (1977), guitar, double bass
ANGHEL Vasile (1981), drum