BAGPIPERS, GYPSY MUSICIANS

“Who were the repositories and performers of Hungarian instrumental folk music? What were they doing when they did not play music? What was the opinion of society about them? What ensembles did the peasant or Gypsy or Jewish musicians form who satisfied the demand of the community? What was the function of this music which, as a chapter title says, is the ťattendant of work, grief and leisureŤ? What was the musician’s attitude to his public, and how did the public treat him? When and how did Gypsy musicians appear and gain a growing role? How did they learn what they were supposed to play? What did they learn by watching others and how did some of them train themselves through regular learning? The author answers these questions with brief career sketches, historical snapshots, sometimes anecdotes and when he summarizes the material, we feel that the adduced examples have also led the Reader to the same conclusions. […]For the scholar the book is an authentic summary of a theme; for those interested in folk music, it is information about the life or musicians and music; for the cultured Reader it is a good source to get to know a tradition that constitutes an organic part of a culture.” (Excerpt from László Dobszay’s book review entitled Authentic summary)