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 repeating motifs and simple harmony accompainied on the so-called „zongora” (the local name for a specially tuned guitar), one is definitely reminded of the medieval music. Most of the old melodies with repeating 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. Music like this can only be found elsewhere amongst the Romanians of Bihar or the Gorales of the mountains in Slovakia. The music in Máramaros also has another face which the people from Máramaros refer to as Hungarian and which the official Romanian music researchers didn’t discover, either that or they preferred to simply ignore it.

1. Jonaş Mihai învârtita-ja 3’ 35”
2. De petrecere (Asztali nóta) és amikor átöltözik a menyasszony 2’ 45”
3. Kővár-vidéki táncok: De arăduit, învârtita, ardeleana, tropotita) 4’ 58”
4. De petrecere (Cigány, román asztali nóta) 3’ 55”
5. Jocu-n sus (Kővár-vidéki legényes) 1’ 05”
6. Hore a mortului (Cigány virrasztó énekek) 1’ 02”
7. Învârtita (Dragu mi-i vara la lucru…) 1’ 48”
8. De băut şi de cingerit (Cigány asztali nóta és csingerd’i) 6’ 16”
9. Pintea balladája 2’ 57”
10. Hore (Román mulató énekek) 7’ 42”
11. Cigány keservesek 3’ 55”
12. De uliţă, de strigat (Marsok) 3’ 57”
13. Halott melletti “vers” és hore a gödörnél 2’ 06”
14. Cigány és magyar karácsonyi ének 2’ 32”
15. Avasi tánc 6’ 35”
16. Cigány asztali nóták 3’ 40”
17. Bătrînescu 7’ 43”
18. Învârtita 5’ 03”
19. Hosszúmezei magyar csárdás 1’ 58”

Válogatta- Selected by: KELEMEN László

Adatközlők / Performers-informants

Covaci Marcel (1967) ének
Barani Vasile (1957) hegedű, ének (violin, voice?)
Negrea Victor (1934) hegedű
Negrea Sorin (1972) hegedű, brácsa (violin, 3 stringed viola)
Ştefan Florin (1977) “zongora”, bőgő (guitar, double bass)
Anghel Vasile (1981) dob

A felvételek a Fonó Budai Zeneházban készültek, 1998. 09. 28.- 10. 01. között. Recorded at the Studios of Fonó Music Hall, between 28 09 - 01 10. 1998.