Gypsy Music

Gypsy music or gypsy style emerged as a popular East European style of music in the late 19
th
century
and was played in many public places such as parties, restaurants and in performance. It is easily
identifiable by its instrumentation, repertoire and the style in which the piece is played in. Gypsy music
features a strong accent placed at the beginning of every bar which provides a pulse that is carried
though the predominately rhythmic pieces. This is clearly seen in Bartoks Romanian Dances, the first
movement features a strong rhythmic entry which a strong accent is used to set a beat and tempo. The
instrumentation usually consisted of a violin or viola which would be accompanied by a double bass, or
piano. The accompaniment plays an assortment of chords which frequently vary based on the melody
and provides a lead into a development of the melodic tune which is repeated through the leading in of
a transitional chord as seen in Montis Czardas which features a choral entry and a repeated violin solo
semiquaver run sequence. As the piece reaches its climax, the violin and piano both play chords which
lead into the next repeated segment. The Romanian Dances were mainly influenced by the folk music of
Romania which lies in Eastern Europe and is based on seven well known Romanian tunes from
Transylvania, a typical Romanian styled folk dance predominantly played on the fiddle.
Popular pieces of Gypsy origin include many well-known virtuosic cadenzas which showcase the players
skills. Such solos are often accompanied with a chord progression that creates movement within the
piece and leads into the next phrase. An example of this is seen in Pablo de Sarasates Zigeunerweisen
which translates into Gypsys Aire. The introduction starts off with an accented g and features a
cadenza which is followed by a chord progression also played by the accompaniment. This is in tune with
the Gypsy characteristics of the piece as it follows the accented first beat, use of chords to progress
between phrases and with the use of a short introduction that is mimicked by the violin. Vittorio Monti
was a famous gypsy violinist whom featured in many gypsy orchestras and composed many gypsy pieces
notably Czardas. The Czardas was based on Hungarian folk dance which alternates between simple
duple and simple quadruple time.