Hungarian Dance #5

June 8, 2008 at 09:00 PM · Personally, I would make the tempo changes a bit fewer and a bit less extreme, to better unify the entire piece. However, I enjoyed the performance you posted, and I do think that if there is any piece that takes well to extreme tempo changes, and the sudden mood changes that result, a Brahms Hungarian Dance is it! The body movement was more than I like to see, and detracted a little from my enjoyment, but not so distracting as to spoil the performance......I've seen much worse.

In working out one's individual interpretation, the question arises: "How much do I want it to sound like Brahms commenting on, or refering to the Gyspy violinist he heard, or, alternatively, how much do I want it to sound like the kind of traditional Gypsy violin performance that inspired Brahms to write the Hungarian Dances?" My inclination (maybe because my Mom was Romanian and my Dad was Hungarian-Czechoslovakian) is toward the latter. It seems that the violinist who plays on the posted video had a similar inclination, so I'm sympathetic to it. Please identify the violinist.

Here is a link to a performance of this piece which is a beloved favorite for me...........Yehudi Menuhin...full of passion and deep feeling, and without any histrionics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG05yLlt_FA&feature=related

....and here is a marvelous performance by another of my violin heroes, Roby Lakatos. Not only is the playing wonderful, but I like the Lakatos arrangement even more than Brahms'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4pFlx0bO6A&feature=related

June 8, 2008 at 11:32 PM · Greetings,

please correct me if I am wrong, but are we not supposed to be posting links rather than actual clips in the disucssion?

Cheers.

Buri

June 9, 2008 at 04:52 AM · i didnt know that buri. But i think it adds something more this way... SORRY!

June 9, 2008 at 05:05 AM · Oliver,

The violinists name is Daniel Tringov. I listened to the clips you posted up and the 1st is better. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there is anything wrong with drama in music. Just give drama where drama is due. It seems a bit silly otherwise.

I remember seeing once a clip of a rather talented Soprano, giving all she has to Mary Had a Little Lamb. Seemed a little silly to me. I can't imagine anyone dancing to this piece the way that some violinists play it! I do believe its supposed to slow down, as a dance can slow down at one point, but in moderation. Save drama for tchaikovsky, beethoven's 7th, Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony, not hungarian dance.

June 9, 2008 at 06:29 AM · The "hungarian dances" are obviously no dance music. They are pieces of art, and the only problem seems to be your misunderstanding of the title.

I agree that there are many exaggerated interpretations, and real artists often tend to hold back themselves in favour of the piece, while showmen show off. But sometimes the latter simply makes fun, for example when giving an encore.

Tobias

June 9, 2008 at 07:21 AM · who's to say it wasn't meant to be danced to? After all they were named hungarian dances, not hungarian themes/anthems, or hungarian variations, or hungarian melodies. if i remember correctly, i think oliver was right when he said Brahms was inspired by a gypsy dance... i'll have to dig up some old books and make sure.

but, I wonder how brahms played the piece? Yes, it is widely known that Brahm highly admired Beethoven (a dramatic composer), but here is where it gets kinda tricky. The original arrangement of the piece was for 4 hand piano. It can INCREDIBLY difficult NOT to maintain a fairly consistent tempo (like one a dancer can dance to) when two people are playing on the same piano... Me being a pianist, i cringe at the idea...

but who knows for sure, right?

June 9, 2008 at 08:07 AM · It was common practise to call concert pieces "dances", think of Chopin, Schubert etc.

It`s just a word that has multiple meanings. Don`t let this confuse you.

I also suggest you look at your copy of the Ungarischer Tanz N. 5 and let the music itself speak to you:

It starts as allegro, followed by poco rit. and in tempo, continues with vivace etc. etc.

I agree that some players exaggerate the "drama", but obviously the music was meant to change tempo in a dramatic way. If anyone, then Brahms is to blame.