Laszlo Zempleni

Saltus Hungaricus

The second half of the 18th century, for the people of East Central Europe, was the time of the awakening of national consciousness. The leading force in the Hungarian enlightenment, the lesser nobility, also regarded as important the national character of the country's culture. A valuable kind of national music was the Hungarian dance music that flourished in the 18th century. The greater part of the repertoire naturally perpetuates the 'Hungarian-style' pieces from the previous centuries (appearing in foreign collections too described as hungaricus, ungaresca, saltus hungaricus or Ungarischer Tanz), but beside these we can encounter contemporary European dances and entertaininginstrumental pieces in almost every style. The majority of the sources are collections compiled by non-professional musicians and intendedfor private music-making. In this work the composer uses melodies from the 18th-century Linus dance collection, in trioform, with harmonies and bass appropriate to that period. The musical fabric is rich in counterparts, the sound is mademore colourful with many kinds of percussion instruments. The register and rhythmic simplicity of the parts make thepieces easily playable even by music school pupils.