Hungarian Dances by Károly Viski; The Pearly Bouquet by Bela PauliniReview by: F. H.Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Dec., 1937), p. 148Published by: English Folk Dance + Song SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4521124 .

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life. The songs were usually sung to Norwegian airs already familiar. Of these eleven are given in a simply harmonized form.

On this question of origins anotherAmerican book, Negro Folk Songs as sung by LeadBelly, by John and Alan Lomax, comfirms the dictum which Sharp took over from Bohme, " First of all one man sings a song and then others sing it after him changing what they do not like." Lead Belly, " King of the twelve-string guitar players of the world, long-time convict in the penitentiaries of Texas and Louisiana," is plainly one of those natural minstrels who start a song on what may become a folk career. The evolutionary process was sometimes in this case started by the singer himself, as is shown by the song " Bring me li'l water, Silvy," sometimes he rings a change on an existing ballad like " Frankie and Albert," sometimes he extemporizes on derived material whose sources are traceable. He has his own idiosyncrasies, notably a peculiar form of the pentatonic scale, and an exceptional voice, as is shown by the compass of some of his songs. Here folk-song in the raw state may be studied, as may also American life in the raw in the horrifying biographical part of this unusual book.-F. H.

life. The songs were usually sung to Norwegian airs already familiar. Of these eleven are given in a simply harmonized form.

On this question of origins anotherAmerican book, Negro Folk Songs as sung by LeadBelly, by John and Alan Lomax, comfirms the dictum which Sharp took over from Bohme, " First of all one man sings a song and then others sing it after him changing what they do not like." Lead Belly, " King of the twelve-string guitar players of the world, long-time convict in the penitentiaries of Texas and Louisiana," is plainly one of those natural minstrels who start a song on what may become a folk career. The evolutionary process was sometimes in this case started by the singer himself, as is shown by the song " Bring me li'l water, Silvy," sometimes he rings a change on an existing ballad like " Frankie and Albert," sometimes he extemporizes on derived material whose sources are traceable. He has his own idiosyncrasies, notably a peculiar form of the pentatonic scale, and an exceptional voice, as is shown by the compass of some of his songs. Here folk-song in the raw state may be studied, as may also American life in the raw in the horrifying biographical part of this unusual book.-F. H.

life. The songs were usually sung to Norwegian airs already familiar. Of these eleven are given in a simply harmonized form.

On this question of origins anotherAmerican book, Negro Folk Songs as sung by LeadBelly, by John and Alan Lomax, comfirms the dictum which Sharp took over from Bohme, " First of all one man sings a song and then others sing it after him changing what they do not like." Lead Belly, " King of the twelve-string guitar players of the world, long-time convict in the penitentiaries of Texas and Louisiana," is plainly one of those natural minstrels who start a song on what may become a folk career. The evolutionary process was sometimes in this case started by the singer himself, as is shown by the song " Bring me li'l water, Silvy," sometimes he rings a change on an existing ballad like " Frankie and Albert," sometimes he extemporizes on derived material whose sources are traceable. He has his own idiosyncrasies, notably a peculiar form of the pentatonic scale, and an exceptional voice, as is shown by the compass of some of his songs. Here folk-song in the raw state may be studied, as may also American life in the raw in the horrifying biographical part of this unusual book.-F. H.

Hungarian Dances. By KAROLY VISKI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 7/6

The Pearly Bouquet. Edited by BELA PAULINI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 4/- These two handsome little books published by the firm of Dr. George Vajna & Co. in Budapest

have been prepared for the English market to which they are issued through an English house. The book on the dances has been translated into good idiomatic English, technical terms and all, by Mr. Sydney Sweetland. It is copiously illustrated with excellent photographs and with tunes in music type; English equivalents are given for the Hungarian words of the songs that are quoted. The author was at one time Keeper of the Ethnological Department of the National Museum, where the phonograph records of Hungarian folk tunes are stored. He describes many of the dances that were shown at the International Festival of I935. He has a chapter on the gypsies and their music, and what he has to say of other foreign influences sometimes discernible in Hungarian folk-art agrees with what Bartok and other authorities have told us, so that there is no longer any reason why we should confuse pure with impure Hungarian traditions. He also makes an interesting point about the mutual indebtedness of peasant and aristocrat in the dance tradition which agrees with what Dr. John Th. Honti said in the I934 Journal about Hungarian balladry-the traffic of culture we ought to remember in discussing origins, does not always flow by a one-way route.

The Pearly Bouquet is a song book adorned with beautiful reproductions of photographs of Hungarian national costumes. A preface in English explains the title, which is the name of the organization responsible for the cultivation-no need to speak of ' revival' in Hungary-of Hungarian peasant art, as we in England remember in connexion with the teams which it sent to our International Festival two years ago. There are notes in English explaining the pictures, but unfortunately no translations are given of the eighteen songs. ' Unfortunately' because the excellent pianoforte accompaniments encourage the foreign singer to put them into his inter- national repertory, or would do if he could pronounce the formidable-looking words. Even so he will be glad to have at so cheap a price a collection of authentic Hungarian folk songs with their interesting rhythms and pronounced national character.-F. H.

Hungarian Dances. By KAROLY VISKI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 7/6

The Pearly Bouquet. Edited by BELA PAULINI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 4/- These two handsome little books published by the firm of Dr. George Vajna & Co. in Budapest

have been prepared for the English market to which they are issued through an English house. The book on the dances has been translated into good idiomatic English, technical terms and all, by Mr. Sydney Sweetland. It is copiously illustrated with excellent photographs and with tunes in music type; English equivalents are given for the Hungarian words of the songs that are quoted. The author was at one time Keeper of the Ethnological Department of the National Museum, where the phonograph records of Hungarian folk tunes are stored. He describes many of the dances that were shown at the International Festival of I935. He has a chapter on the gypsies and their music, and what he has to say of other foreign influences sometimes discernible in Hungarian folk-art agrees with what Bartok and other authorities have told us, so that there is no longer any reason why we should confuse pure with impure Hungarian traditions. He also makes an interesting point about the mutual indebtedness of peasant and aristocrat in the dance tradition which agrees with what Dr. John Th. Honti said in the I934 Journal about Hungarian balladry-the traffic of culture we ought to remember in discussing origins, does not always flow by a one-way route.

The Pearly Bouquet is a song book adorned with beautiful reproductions of photographs of Hungarian national costumes. A preface in English explains the title, which is the name of the organization responsible for the cultivation-no need to speak of ' revival' in Hungary-of Hungarian peasant art, as we in England remember in connexion with the teams which it sent to our International Festival two years ago. There are notes in English explaining the pictures, but unfortunately no translations are given of the eighteen songs. ' Unfortunately' because the excellent pianoforte accompaniments encourage the foreign singer to put them into his inter- national repertory, or would do if he could pronounce the formidable-looking words. Even so he will be glad to have at so cheap a price a collection of authentic Hungarian folk songs with their interesting rhythms and pronounced national character.-F. H.

Hungarian Dances. By KAROLY VISKI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 7/6

The Pearly Bouquet. Edited by BELA PAULINI. Simpkin Marshall, Ltd. 4/- These two handsome little books published by the firm of Dr. George Vajna & Co. in Budapest

have been prepared for the English market to which they are issued through an English house. The book on the dances has been translated into good idiomatic English, technical terms and all, by Mr. Sydney Sweetland. It is copiously illustrated with excellent photographs and with tunes in music type; English equivalents are given for the Hungarian words of the songs that are quoted. The author was at one time Keeper of the Ethnological Department of the National Museum, where the phonograph records of Hungarian folk tunes are stored. He describes many of the dances that were shown at the International Festival of I935. He has a chapter on the gypsies and their music, and what he has to say of other foreign influences sometimes discernible in Hungarian folk-art agrees with what Bartok and other authorities have told us, so that there is no longer any reason why we should confuse pure with impure Hungarian traditions. He also makes an interesting point about the mutual indebtedness of peasant and aristocrat in the dance tradition which agrees with what Dr. John Th. Honti said in the I934 Journal about Hungarian balladry-the traffic of culture we ought to remember in discussing origins, does not always flow by a one-way route.

The Pearly Bouquet is a song book adorned with beautiful reproductions of photographs of Hungarian national costumes. A preface in English explains the title, which is the name of the organization responsible for the cultivation-no need to speak of ' revival' in Hungary-of Hungarian peasant art, as we in England remember in connexion with the teams which it sent to our International Festival two years ago. There are notes in English explaining the pictures, but unfortunately no translations are given of the eighteen songs. ' Unfortunately' because the excellent pianoforte accompaniments encourage the foreign singer to put them into his inter- national repertory, or would do if he could pronounce the formidable-looking words. Even so he will be glad to have at so cheap a price a collection of authentic Hungarian folk songs with their interesting rhythms and pronounced national character.-F. H.

Midsummer Eve. By DOUGLAS KENNEDY and ARNOLD FOSTER. Stainer & Bell. Dance Notation, is. Piano Score, 3s.

For the Silver Jubilee of the E.F.D.S.S. in I936 Douglas Kennedy invented a ballet which he called The Silver Link or Five and Twenty, a formal. chorographic design without a literary pro- gramme but embodying the commemorative ideas suggested in the double title. The music was specially composed by AmoldtFoster, and the collaboration in the creation of the joint work was of a closeness not often to be found on the stage and in its supreme form only in Petrushka. The re-

148

Midsummer Eve. By DOUGLAS KENNEDY and ARNOLD FOSTER. Stainer & Bell. Dance Notation, is. Piano Score, 3s.

For the Silver Jubilee of the E.F.D.S.S. in I936 Douglas Kennedy invented a ballet which he called The Silver Link or Five and Twenty, a formal. chorographic design without a literary pro- gramme but embodying the commemorative ideas suggested in the double title. The music was specially composed by AmoldtFoster, and the collaboration in the creation of the joint work was of a closeness not often to be found on the stage and in its supreme form only in Petrushka. The re-

148

Midsummer Eve. By DOUGLAS KENNEDY and ARNOLD FOSTER. Stainer & Bell. Dance Notation, is. Piano Score, 3s.

For the Silver Jubilee of the E.F.D.S.S. in I936 Douglas Kennedy invented a ballet which he called The Silver Link or Five and Twenty, a formal. chorographic design without a literary pro- gramme but embodying the commemorative ideas suggested in the double title. The music was specially composed by AmoldtFoster, and the collaboration in the creation of the joint work was of a closeness not often to be found on the stage and in its supreme form only in Petrushka. The re-

148

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