MAGYAR (Grew, or HUNGARIAN) MUSIC. The characteristic music of Hungary. in which the .Magyar and Gypsy elements in the popula tion find expression. The following characteristic scale is undoubtedly of Asiatic C, D. Eb, G, Ab, B, C. The distinctive features of Mag yar music are endless variety of rhythm, absolute freedom, even abruptness, in modulation, and a profusion of embellishments. Polyphony is prac tically unknown. the performances consisting chiefly of improvisations upon well-known melo dies, although original themes are also employed. The national instrument is the violin. The Magyar orchestra was formerly composed of va rious instruments, the violin and the cembalo be ing the principal ones. This cembalo is an oblong box with steel strings struck by two wooden mal lets. To-day there are also second violins, celli. double-basses, clarinets, and trumpets. These. however. are not used as in our music, but only for the doubling of the harmonies and the accen tuation of the rhythm. The principal instrument always remains the violin, and all others follow it. It is almost impossible for us to conceive how so many performers can keep together when the principal instrument practically improvises. But competent musicians who have heard the Mag yar orchestra are unanimous in their admira tion of the precision and fire with which every thing is executed. Even as early as the thir teenth century the musicians of Hungary were famous. During the fourteenth century their assistance was considered indispensable in the celebration of all public festivals. It is on rec ord that about 1550 Karmann reaped honors and wealth through his marvelous performance upon the violin. Michael Barun is called the 'Hun
garian Orpheus.' He won the first prize at a tournament arranged by the magnates of Hun gary. About 1775 Cinska Palma was regarded as the greatest violinist. The more recent of the great Magyar violinists, who also appeared in Germany. were Paticarius, Keeskemay. Sarkozy, and Bihary.
That practically nothing has been preserved of their compositions is due to the fact that they were ehiefly improvisations. The peculiar embel lishments, the sudden transitions, and ever-chang ing and complicated rhythms make actual nota tion exceedingly difficult. Nevertheless. the writ ten works of Lavotta and Czermak give a good idea of the genuine Magyar music. The latter is regarded by the Hungarians as their greatest national composer, although by birth he was a Bohemian.
The musical forms of the Hungarians are very limited. The artists give themselves up to momentary inspirations. Hence the chief form would be the fantasia, whieh, in reality, is no form at all. The only definite artistic form we find in the national dance, the csfirdfis (q.v.).
Some of our great masters have been strongly in fluenced by the Magyar music, as Haydn, Schu bert, Joachim, Brahms, and particularly Liszt, whose 15 Hungarian rhapsodies are masterly ar rangements of genuine Hungarian melodies. The great pianist has also written a book, Des Rohe miins et de leer musique cn Hongrie (Paris, 1859), translated into German by P. Cornelius, Die Zigeuner end ik•e Musik in Ungnrn (Buda pest, Consult also the Appendix to Lud wig Nohl's Allgemcine Nusi•geschichte (Leip zig, 1SS4).