En-fiddled Carpathians is an adventure in folk music, which came into existence at a concert in 2016, 110 years after our folk music researcher, Béla Bartók commenced his fieldwork in the Hungarian language area in order to explore previously unknown rustic folk music. Since then, a great amount of material and knowledge has been accumulated regarding the folk music and dance of the people in the Carpathian Basin.
As the title of the issue denotes, the music on the record soars over the Trianon borders, showcasing the heritage of the various nationalities in the Carpathian Basin, thus emphasising Bartók’s endeavour, that is the knowledge of the cultural tradition of the peoples living here can contribute to the reinforcement of the brotherhood of these peoples. Balázs Vizeli got to learn this kind of music first hand from old musicians many of whom regrettably passed away. Yet, passing on the tradition hasn’t been broken, as Vizeli and his student, Attila Mihó recall the music of the old world.
En-fiddled Carpathians is a homage to the old masters and those without whom today’s folk music movement and scene wouldn’t have happened. On the album, Balázs Istvánfi plays dance-tunes from a North Hungarian piper’s repertoire, whereas Soma Salamon recalls the playing of flute players from Somogy, Szék, Magyarbece, Gyimes and Magyarszóvát.
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