Traditional folk ballads are one of the highest points of the folk genres – 150 years of Hungarian folklore collection and its scientific analysis attest to this. We are all touched by the compactness, drama, poetic quality and the depth of human life expressed. Ballads have become integrated into our everyday culture. But do we really know them? Do we really live together with them? Recordings of ballads are still rare despite the impressive number of folk music records released over the last decade. Even the most professional performers seem to be deterred by this sophisticated genre and the difficulties of its performance.

This silence has been broken by Gergely Agócs, one of the most significant representatives of the young generation of musicians who has grown up in the dance house movement. He shows us the unique musical culture and diverse song styles preserved in ballads. Nine different ballads are presented; nine stories about the tragedy of ancient people, the loneliness of being an orphan, unfulfilled love, treachery, death, pride, banishment, false friendship and self-sacrifice.

Gergely Agócs – voice

Featuring:
Tamás Gombai – violin
Gábor Szabó – violin
Sándor D. Tóth – three stringed viola
Kálmán Balogh – cimbalom
Zsolt Kürtösi – cello, double bass
Zoltán Juhász – flute, bagpipe
Pál Dzsupin – long flute, flóta

track title:
1. Három árva / The Three Orphans
2. Betyárgyerek az erdőbe' / A Young Outlaw in the Forest
3. Hunyadi bojtárja / Hunyadi’s Shepherd
4. Bíboros Péterné / Wife of Péter Bíboros
5. Megöltek egy legényt / They Killed a Lad
6. Szendre báró leánya / The Daughter of Baron Szendre
7. Bálint Vitéz / Warrior Bálint
8. Fehér Anna / Anna Fehér
9. Barna Pesta / Pesta Barna