Research Happiness!

Each day I get more excited about my research. I love it! One of my goals is to provide complete and up-to-date information about Frigyes Hidas and his music. One of the most authoritative sources, the Grove Dictionary has an incomplete list of works. The final entry in the works list is "incidental music for theatre, radio, TV, and film." Other than the Internet Movie Database website, I previously could not find any sources listing these works. As of today, I have identified 27 pieces in this category and I'm not done yet! That doesn't sound incidental to me.

Szomszédok is probably the best known show for which Hidas composed. Szomszédok was a Hungarian soap opera-type show that ran from 1987 to 1999. Hidas composed the theme song which you can hear in this video. Note that if you go forward to 28:59, you can see Hidas' name in the credits!


Although my focus is on Hidas' brass music, I hope to have time to dive into his work for theatre, radio, TV, and film as well.  At the very least, I intend to compile a list of these works as a guide for future researchers.

Weekend Concerts

This past weekend, Dan and I were able to attend two exciting events. On Friday, we went to the presentation of the autograph of Mozart's Piano Sonata in A Major, K. 331.  See my previous Mozart post for more details. It was a wonderful event. Although most of the lecture was in Hungarian, one section was in English. We learned many interesting things about how they can look at Mozart's handwriting and the type of paper to help date a piece. We also learned that this autograph has been missing since Mozart's death. Since the piece had already been published, it was able to survive but the autograph is always the most authoritative version.  Dr. Balázs Mikusi, head of the music collection at the National Library, gave two presentations about how he found the autograph and its significance.

Ulrich Leisinger from the Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg spoke in English and was followed by a Hungarian translator.

The final part of the program was what we had all been waiting for, a performance of the piece. Zoltán Kocsis, Director of the Hungarian National Philharmonic, performed the sonata on a pianoforte. It was great! It was my first time hearing a pianoforte, a predecessor of our modern piano. It has a unique timbre that is somewhere between a harpsichord and a piano.

On Sunday, we attended a concert presented by Concerto Budapest at the Liszt Academy. It was an absolutely beautiful hall. We took a few pictures with our phones but we definitely want to take our good camera next time. Another Fulbright student, Lisa Romain, was playing in the orchestra so we went to hear her perform. Here was the program for the evening:

LUTOSŁAWSKI
Musique funèbre, dedicated "à la memoire de Béla Bartók"

MENDELSSOHN
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
Violin: Akiko Suwanai

TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony nr. 5 e-moll op. 64

I was so excited to hear the Tchaikovsky that I cried. I have never heard it live before. The second movement has the most beautiful horn solo. I loved it! Here is a recording (not the same performance) so you can hear it.



One of the most exciting things about both performances is the way people in Hungary applaud. First, it starts out just like it does at home. Everyone claps with excitement immediately after the performance. Then the group starts with a unison slow clap which gradually get faster and faster. After a it reaches a certain speed, it starts over again slowly and repeats. This will repeat as many times as the audience likes. I like it. It makes the applause more active in a way. It's not mindless clapping. But, it also makes it seem more like a sporting event as well. It's quite different from what I'm used to. Here is an example I found online so you can see what I mean.

Hidas Research

Today I wanted to share an update on my research. It's been a slow start because we're still finishing everything related to settling down. Today, for example, we spent the entire day getting our residence permits. Still, I have made a good start organizing a plan and beginning to do it. Shortly after I arrived in Budapest, I learned about a book on Hidas just published this summer.

After finding a copy, I was able to read the book and make even more contacts. It's always exciting to learn about someone who is as passionate about your research as you are. I also found three more dissertations on Hidas and his music. At first I was a little nervous coming across more published sources. I thought maybe someone had already accomplished what I've set out to do. But then I remembered how amazing Hidas was. He has so much music in every genre. There is a reason why there are so many books written about the composers of the past. It's because there is so much to study! Each piece could alone warrant a book. I'm so grateful that I can use this year to focus on my research. We're currently at the beginning of sources on Hidas. I hope that my own work can inspire future historians, theorists, and performers to continue to study his life and music.

Puppies!!!

In addition to music, I love all things cute! Puppies, kitties, red pandas, you name it. One thing that I love here in Budapest is that it's a city of dogs. They are everywhere. Plus, they are amazingly well behaved. Many are not on a leash and they are rarely distracted from their owner. I can hardly believe it. Anyway, one of my favorite websites, cuteoverload.com had a post about dogs from around the world today. You can see it here.Unfortunately, they did not include dogs from Hungary so I'm going to do that here. Here are a few of the super cute dogs from Hungary.

The Vizsla
Super cute with red fur, this is definitely a sporting dog. I've heard that they're very clean and they don't stink. This is a good thing because they're a family dog that likes to be on your lap as well.

The Komondor
This dog is like a large mop. The Komondor's fur naturally grows into cords/dreadlocks.

The Puli
Though very similar to the Komondor, the Puli is a different breed. It looks like a miniature Komondor, or a little mop. Both dogs are great herding dogs. Komondors are typically white and Pulis are typically black.

Here you can see the two side by side.

The Kuvasz

This is another large dog that was originally used for herding. 

Since we've been here, I have seen several vizslas and pulis. They are so cute! I hope this gives you a taste of what I get to see every day on the street. :)

Weekend Adventures

Today was back to work after a restful yet fun weekend. On Sunday, Dan and I explored the city and two special events. First, we went to Buda Castle to check out a chocolate festival. We didn't realize that we had to pay to enter the festival so we decided to explore the area around the castle instead. Here are a few photos.

This picture is the view on the way up to the castle. To the left is Parliament. The highest building on the right side is the top of Szent Istvan Basilika. Of course the river is the beautiful Danube.

A passageway through Buda Castle without going inside.

The National Library!! We'll be going here again this coming Friday for the presentation of the Mozart autograph which I mentioned in a previous post. 

This is a new area that was just built next to the river below the castle. It's amazing but a few areas are still under construction.

After we left the castle hill, we went to Andrássy útca. This entire street was closed down for the National Gallop. The National Gallop is a horse race which takes place on Hősök ter. They bring in all of the dirt needed for the track, plus all of the stands and lighting. It's a huge event! Andrássy útca is where all the vendors are for food, drinks, crafts, souvenirs, and information about all of the countries participating in the event. There were many neat exhibits. Here is a large two-person bicycle type of thing that we saw.

There were so many delicious looking treats that it was hard to resist. We saw this display of a horse head made of candy in honor of the Gallop.

We walked down the entire street, 18-20 blocks I think, until we reached the race. We were able to stand near the fence and see a little bit. There was a lot of excitement as everyone cheered for the racers. We found out that the race we saw was the final race of the National Gallop. There was a girl who won from a town called Tahitótfalu. Her name is Gyöngyi Molnar. Here is a photo we took from that race.

My favorite part was hearing the music. Before the race, they had two trumpets play a fanfare. Another man played this horn, shown below. It looks suspiciously like the Lehel horn we heard about in Jászberény.  I would be shocked if they played on the actual horn. Maybe it is a replica. Still, it was neat to hear. It had a unique quality that still sounded like a horn but different from the brass horn I play. I loved it! 

At the end of the race we saw, they played the Hungarian national anthem in honor of the Hungarian rider who had won. I think it is a beautiful piece of music. The music was composed by the Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel. When the music was playing I noticed one difference between our countries. At home, I'm so used to putting my hand on my heart during our national anthem and seeing others do the same. That was not the case here. People just stand quietly while it's playing. I would be curious to learn more whether any other countries do a movement during the national anthem like we do. Hmmm, that might be the topic for a future post. Here is the Hungarian National Anthem:
 

Csányi Foundation

Yesterday, Dan and I traveled to Jászberény. There I gave a presentation to the students from the Csányi Foundation. The Csányi Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Csányi Sándor to assist gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The children begin the program around age 10 and continue until they get a job. That means the foundation helps them through all of their schooling (what we would call elementary, junior high, high school and college in the US). Yesterday we met about 16 students in Jászberény age 10-17. The oldest students have been a part of the program for about 8 years. Most students are in the program for 11-14 years.

The first part of the day was traveling to Jászberény. We took a train from Budapest to Hatvan. There we had to switch to another train to take us to Jászberény.

Both of us are unfamiliar with trains.  The hardest part for me is that they don't tell you where you are.  You have to watch out the window like a hawk to look for your stop. You have maybe a minute or two to get off, then it keeps going. I felt much better on the way back home because we were more familiar with the route. On the way to Jászberény, we saw someone get kicked off of the train for not having their ticket. Yikes!

When we arrived in Jászberény, one of the leaders, Judit, and three of the students met us at the train station. They drove us to the middle of the city to the Csányi Foundation. We were greeted warmly and we began talking with the students. After the remainder of the group arrived, I gave a presentation about myself and music. I shared a little bit of information about my hometown and my life at home. Then, I talked about music. After telling them about my research of Hidas, we discussed the definition of music, the meaning of music, types of music, and how music can connect people, regardless of race, culture, and nationality. Finally, I played several examples of American music for the students: patriotic music, jazz, classical, theatrical, rock, and pop.  My final example was "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. All of the students knew that song!

 After the class, I worked with the students to write an article for the Csányi Foundation.  It was a short report about the event. One of the students translated it into Hungarian on the spot. I could hardly believe it. She was great!

When we were finished with the article, a few of the students gave us a short tour of the city. We had so much fun laughing and learning about the history of Jászberény. The museum in Jászberény has an amazing old horn in their collection but we were unable to see because the museum was already closed.  Luckily we could see representations of it in the statues in the city. The horn is very important to the history of Hungary and the Jasz people. Made of elephant tusk, it dates back to the 10th century. I hope we can go back to see it someday.

After our tour, we hopped back on the train to Budapest. Dan and I reflected on one of the best days we have had so far. It was an amazing day! I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to share my culture and my passion for music with the students of the Csányi Foundation in Jászberény. I was able to teach them about music, English, and American culture. Yet, I have to admit that my favorite part was learning from the students. They shared their stories and dreams and we laughed together as we talked and explored the city. These bright young people make me even more excited to be here in Hungary. I hope I can have many more experiences like this while I'm here.

American Corner

This afternoon, Dan and I had the pleasure of going to an event at the American Corner in Budapest. It is one of 5 locations in Hungary. Here is a description about what they do from their website:

The American Corners (AC) program is a United States Department of State-sponsored initiative inaugurated worldwide more than 10 years ago. There are almost 400 Corners in 60 countries all around the world under the program. The fundamental function of American Corners is to make information about the United States available to foreign publics at large. They provide access to current and reliable information about the U.S. via book, video, and DVD collections, the Internet, and through local programming to general public. They serve as regional resource centers for information and programs highlighting American culture, history, current events, and government.

The event this afternoon was called MUSE: Music Unites Us in Song. Once a month they have this event, each time with a new topic. Today's topic was Labor Day and songs about working. Our leader was André Goodfriend, the Chargé d'Affaires from the U.S. Embassy.

He told us a little about each song and then lead us in singing.  We had a lot of fun learning about the music and singing it. I was surprised to learn so many new songs. Here are the songs we sang:

I've Been Working on the Railroad (We knew this one!!)
Sixteen Tons
Keep Your Hands on the Plow
Darlin'
Joe Hill
Casey Jones - Union Scab

It was fun to learn about American music and history in Budapest. We also enjoyed meeting the people who attended the event. We met a girl from Algeria who is here studying in Budapest. Earlier this week we met someone from Iowa and now we're meeting people from places we've never been. How fun!

My favorite song of the event was Sixteen Tons. We learned that the Hungarians have a version as well. We sang it in both languages! Here is the American version:



Here is the Hungarian version:

Tanulok magyarul.

I'm still learning Hungarian every day.  One of the hardest parts so far is that English is still so prominent in my life.  Dan and I can speak English to each other in our apartment.  I can read my email and favorite websites in English.  Maybe I just need to take an all or nothing approach to really immerse myself in Hungarian. This morning was a treat when I turned on tv.  On of my absolute favorite shows, Gilmore Girls, was on in Hungarian. The good part is that I already know what the words are in English so it's easier to guess the Hungarian.  I found several video clips online so I'm planning to watch these as part of my study. I'm sure it will be tough to do. ;)  But seriously, I think that what I need most is to frequently hear the phrasing, rhythm, and pitch to the Hungarian language. I have the sounds and the words, I just need to put them together to make the music that is magyarul.

FYI - Tanulok magyarul means "I'm learning/studying Hungarian." If you use Google translate, it says that magyarul is English. This is completely wrong.

Here are a few clips that I have enjoyed.

This is when Dave reads the entire Bible in one night in order to ask Lane to the prom.




This is when Kirk gets a cat and names it Kirk. He doesn't see any problem with the choice of name.



If you want to watch it in English, Gilmore Girls is going to be on Netflix starting in October. I highly recommend it!

Csokoládé

Csokoládé....chocolate in Hungarian. Mmmmm. Chocolate is basically my favorite food. Naturally, I couldn't go without it here in Hungary. Dan and I have been trying all sorts of chocolate, mostly in the form of candy bars. One of the best things is that many of the candy bars here are closer to the size of bars of baking chocolate or those extra special large bars that you can find in the candy section at home. I already have a few favorites. We especially like by the Milka brand. This brand started in Switzerland during the early 19th century. Milk and cocoa are the main ingredients and their icon is a purple cow. Here is one of my favorites that we have had.

Let me say, the Milka Chips Ahoy is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Yum!!!! It's very very good. 

My other favorite is special because it is native to Hungary....the Túró Rudi. This little candy bar is amazing because it's sweet, chocolatey, and unique. One problem with this bar is that everyone seems to translate it incorrectly. Maybe our English language just can't describe how good it is. The first time I had a Túró Rudi was when I came to Hungary last summer in 2013. I was told that it was 'chocolate covered cottage cheese.' About to gag, I decided to go ahead and tried it. I'm glad I did because I loved it. The inside of the bar is túró cheese which is nothing like cottage cheese. They add a slight citrus flavor and the cheese is covered in dark chocolate. I love it. The worst part is that it is a refrigerated candy so it's not something you can bring back to the US, otherwise I would have done that. So, I'll just have to eat as much as I can here! The bonus element is that it also comes in different flavors. We've tried the original (dark chocolate), and the milk chocolate covering. They also have fillings. For these we've tried the strawberry and the black currant. My favorites are the original and the black currant. If you're interested, I think it's worth the trip to Hungary. :) 

Original: 

Black Currant: 

Sunday Adventures!

Today was an amazing day but I'm completely exhausted. First, Dan and I decided to attend a church. We found a church that offers two English services a month that we thought we might like. Unfortunately we were late because the tram only took us one stop and then made us get off. We weren't sure if there was an accident or something but we knew we needed to find another route quickly. We found a way to the church and we enjoyed the service. We met a few other Americans at the service, even one from Iowa!! It's always amazing to meet someone who has heard of your tiny home town. (This also happened to me with one of Beefeaters at the Tower of London several years ago. Small world!)

After church we decided to go exploring. First we came upon the reason for our tram incident...the Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon. There were so many people! Most of them were running but many were watching and cheering. I took this picture of the flags near the finish line. 

Even though I have zero interest in running, it was so neat to see all the people enjoying this event. 

After we finally were able to get around the marathon (we walked to the finish line and then around everyone stretching), we wandered through the beautiful City Park until we came upon the Szürkemarha Festival. I wish we could have learned more about the history of the herdsmen, the traditional dress, and the music. Unfortunately it was all in Hungarian.  There was still plenty to see. We saw all sorts of food (stews, chimney cakes, candy, and salami) and crafts (leather and wood products, furs, jewelry, pottery, and dolls). We saw several of the Szürkemarha, grey cows. Here is a picture of one to show how large they are.

This is a just a taste of what it is like in Budapest every day. There is so much to see and do and learn. I love it!! To conclude, here is a short video of the musicians from the festival. I believe they are all playing cimbalom. I could be wrong. I wasn't able to get close or talk to anyone about it. This was taken on my phone so I apologize for the poor quality. I hope it can still give you a taste of the amazing sounds! 

Mozart!

I want to share some news that sets my little musicologist heart aflutter.  The library where I'm affiliated to do research, the Országos Széchényi Könyvtár, has an important event coming up on September 26.  Dr. Balázs Mikusi, the head of the music collection, discovered a Mozart autograph in the library! The event will include the music on display and a performance. The piece is Mozart's Piano Sonata in A Major K.331.

You can read more about it here:  http://www.oszk.hu/rendezvenyek/mozart-like-we-have-never-heard-it

You can watch the tv interview here (enjoy the Hungarian!): http://rtl.hu/rtlklub/hirek/eredeti_mozart_keziratra_bukkantak

Here is a recording!




I love how the article says "The new source provides the opportunity to revise all existing editions of Mozart’s sonata with respect to performance markings, a few rhythmic patterns and even certain notes." If this isn't the musicologist/librarian dream, I don't know what is. :)

Things I Surprisingly Don't Miss

It's finally Friday and that means we've been here two weeks exactly. It has been a big adjustment but I'm starting to feel comfortable. First we had a week of orientation with the Fulbright Commission.  I'm so grateful that they put this together. We had the opportunity to learn about Hungarian language, history, economy, education, politics, and art. This was topped off with some tours and lots of food! It was a wonderful week. 

This past week was filled with me preparing for my research and practicing my horn. One of my affiliations is at the Országos Széchenyi Könyvtár, the National Library. The library is inside the Buda Castle. Here is a picture of it at night:

Wow, I get to go here!! I can still hardly believe it. 

Throughout these two weeks, I've noticed the absence of two staples from my life in the US. Yet, I don't miss them much. First, I don't have my trusty sidekick, more affectionately known as Yari. Yari is my Toyota Yaris that I've driven everywhere, every day for the past 8 years. Here in Budapest, I don't need a car and I wouldn't want one either. There is great public transportation (subway, bus, and tram), and everything is walkable. Parking is extremely limited. Here by our apartment all of the roads are one way so the parking is parallel with one side being halfway on the curb. I can't imagine parallel parking and getting one set of tires on the sidewalk. Yikes! The second thing is my phone. I admit that I have never been one glued to my own phone but I use it much less here in Hungary. I have my phone with me here and the battery will last several days at a time since I barely use it. It's refreshing, in a way, to see people without phones. At home, it seems like everyone has a phone and they are using it constantly. That's not to say people don't have phones here, they do. They're just not out at all times. 

I'm sure that I will notice more differences as I spend time here. I look forward to it! It's exciting to experience a new way of life!

Tej

One of the best parts about being in Hungary is trying new and different food. Last week, we ate at a Renaissance Restaurant in Visegrád where we had deer steaks and goose legs.  This was a new experience for me since I rarely eat game meats. We've also had many other great dishes at restaurants in Budapest. I will be sure to share some pictures soon! Since it isn't reasonable for us to eat out for every meal, we've already experienced the differences buying groceries. First of all, you have to bring your own bags or you have to pay for them. Also, since we walk to the store, we can only buy what we can carry. In about the 2 weeks we have been here, I think we've gone to the store at least 4 times.

One of the most interesting things that we have learned is about milk. Milk in Hungarian is tej, pronounced like 'tay.' We noticed that the majority of the milk is not refrigerated. This was regular milk, not rice, soy, or almond milk. Some milk is in the refrigerator as well but it is slightly more expensive. We opted to buy the non-refrigerated milk but we weren't sure what the difference was. Dan, my husband, suggested that maybe some options are not pasteurized. Another option, which I experienced in the US once, was that it was non-homogenized. Thankfully, neither of these was the case. We discovered that the milk is ultra-high-temperature pasteurized. That means that is heated at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time than regular pasteurization. When this process is used, the milk can last for longer periods of time (6 months or so) on the shelf without refrigeration. I had never heard of this before. I used the milk we bought in some cereal this morning and it worked great. Here are some pictures of the container.

Frigyes Hidas

The Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas is the reason why I'm here in Hungary. My plan is to study his life and his works for brass instruments. This research will be made into a source for future performers and historians.  I will continue to share information as I gather it but for now I will share this video with you. About 5 years ago, I was playing in a horn quartet and we came across Hidas's Horn Quartet in our music library. We really enjoyed the piece and I decided to see what else he wrote. I found this video on YouTube and the music won my heart.  This piece was the start of my interest in Hidas and his music. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Horn Concerto No.1 mvt. 1 - Frigyes Hidas, performed by Szabolcs Zempléni.

Szia!

Greetings from Budapest! My name is Megan Small. For the 2014-2015 academic year, I was chosen to receive the Fulbright Grant to conduct research in Hungary. I will be studying the life and works of the Hungarian composer Frigyes Hidas. This blog will include updates about my research, photos from my travels, and information that I learn about Hungarian culture. I'm excited to be here and to share this experience! Enjoy!