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Written in Southern Rag (later renamed fRoots) issue 15, 1983


VARIOUS ARTISTS
Hungarian Zither Music – Magyarorszagi Citeramuzsika
Hungaroton SLPX 18019 (1975)

To quote the sleeve notes: "Today the zither is enjoying a renaissance in Hungary. Ten to fifteen years ago. the Hungarian Radio began to record the best performers and orchestras, and featured their programmes on the air. The current record presents the country's five best known zither orchestras and two solo performers."
      Interesting, this, particularly for Appalachian dulcimer players. The instrument here recorded is the Hungarian variant of the European fretted zither, the same in principle as the Appalachian version, though bearing more strings and so more solidly built.
      The orchestras seem to have between four and about eight players, and produce a pretty solid strumming sound; rhythmic sweeps across the open strings, mandolin-like faster strums on those fretted by either fingers or a noter stick, the latter making the exciting whizzing noise that made the instrument the Fariñas played much more than just a strange-shaped guitar-substitute.
      The tunes are mostly traditional. I haven't had the album long enough for any to sneak up and stun me, but they seem reasonably comprehensible to western ears.
      One track features the wild shawm-like sound of the musical leaf. and two groups supplement the heavy rhythm with a köcsögduda, a grunting ceramic friction drum. There are vocals on the majority of tracks, but they tend to support the zithers rather than vice versa.

 
© 1982 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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