GYPSY MUSIC
History
Gypsy music, known also as Lăutărească music, traces its beginnings to a clan of early Romanian people. These people were called the lăutari and they played commonly for weddings and other celebrations. Groups of lăutari players are organized into "bands" known as tarafs that contain males of an extended family. (There are female lăutari, but they are less common.) Lăutari people began playing their music by ear, but currently many have studied music theory and read musical notes.
Instruments
Some instruments commonly played by the lăutari are:
Additionally, many current musicians have adopted electronic and electric instruments, such as the keyboard, electric bass, and electric guitar.
Additionally, many current musicians have adopted electronic and electric instruments, such as the keyboard, electric bass, and electric guitar.
Characteristics
While gypsy music varies from region to region, the basic characteristics are the same. The music often features unusual time signatures, such as the 10/8 time signature pictured to the left. The tempo of gypsy music is also very fast paced, lingering predominantly in the allegro to presto range. This lively pace is accompanied by rapid notes, usually eighth or sixteenth notes that require precision and great skill from the player to accomplish. It is common for the melody in gypsy music to travel in a stepwise or near stepwise pattern. These patterns are coupled with crescendos and decrescendos that add to the music's lively, though sometimes chaotic, feel. The crescendos and decrescendos are all played in the upper dynamic range, mezzo forte to forte and even fortissimo. The music and dynamics are both lively and upbeat, urging listeners to dance along.
Because gypsy music was originally played only at celebrations, much of the music played today exhibits a happy and lively tone. The music is written in major key signatures often, but, as shown in the picture to the left, sharps and flats are included. Although improvisation is less common in gypsy music as it used to be, sometimes it is still played and it adds to the excitement and improbability of the music. Trills and other forms of decoration are added to the notes to create an even more exciting feel.
Because gypsy music was originally played only at celebrations, much of the music played today exhibits a happy and lively tone. The music is written in major key signatures often, but, as shown in the picture to the left, sharps and flats are included. Although improvisation is less common in gypsy music as it used to be, sometimes it is still played and it adds to the excitement and improbability of the music. Trills and other forms of decoration are added to the notes to create an even more exciting feel.
Toni Iordache
One of the most famous examples of a Romanian lăutar is Toni Iordache. A highly skilled cimbalom player, he impressed many with his talented and precise playing ability. His solos were amazing and his improvisations were very imaginative. Iordache is still praised today because he exhibits all of the qualities of gypsy music that many adore- the rapid, complicated melodies, the crescendos and decrescendos, the bold sound and the ornamentation of notes. Below is an example of Iordache's unmatched ability.