Customer Reviews

Music From Hungary

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Sandor Deki Lakatos and his Gypsy Ensemble play with passion and energy --- delightful, charming music you could hear in a 5 star restaurant in Hungary or traditional music from a village ... they have mastered it all! They are virtuosos, artists who seem to effortlessly create exotic tunes such as Staccato, Whistle Hora, or the Lark. They have the talent to please any audience. They play traditional Hungarian music as well as variations from Transylvania. The music on this CD is the pride of Hungary - the sounds that all Hungarians recognize. It makes them reminisce about the "homeland" and discuss "what might have been", it reminds them of the many changes in Hungarian history, the diasporas of immigrants who left after each major historical upheaval. This is the music that accompanied them to new homelands and the music that became the glue that held them together as a community, while assimilating to a new lifestyles
It is the music that brings tears to many Hungarians eyes and the music that brings smiles and laughter to many others. It is beautiful music that is available at an unbeatble price! Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Being of Hungarian heritage and with many years of music training, I am always looking for a good recording of Hungarian folk music. Since my parents are both from Hungary, I grew up with tapes and songs throughout my childhood but have always been disappointed in CDs I've bought. This is the first CD that had the music I loved as a child with phenomenal performers. And to think that most of these guys most likely can't even read music!

I think there is some room for confusion the way this album is marketed. I have a hunch some people are buying this album thinking it is Sandor Lakatos. There is a difference between Sandor Lakatos and Sandor Deki Lakatos. They are two different people. In fact, Deki Lakatos is Sandor's son. There is also Sandor Deki Lakatos Jr. The Lakatos dynasty (which is exactly what it is) carries on a long tradition of playing excellent Hungarian music. For me though, no one comes close to the father, except maybe Boross Lajos.

"Music from Hungary" is a good CD to buy for those familiar and not familiar with Hungarian music. As I said the Lakatos family is well known in Hungary for their amazing skill, so musicians and Hungarian music lovers will instantly take note of Lakatos' great skill while the unfamiliar listener will sit back and enjoy something they have probably never heard before.

I admit I'm a little bias when it comes to this kind of music as I am Hungarian and a musician (as well as the son of a son of a musician) who plays this kind of music. It is something I have heard everyday of my life. It is music which gives me the most joy to listen to. So if I gush at this music, keep in mind, I simply can't help myself. At the same time I want to remain objective and keep in mind how other people might react. Those who do not like or know very little about this kind of music.

Most of the songs on the CD actually are not really Hungarian. Over half of the songs are Romanian. Kind of makes you wonder whats on the "Music from Romania" CD! Half of the songs were written by the great Romanian composer Grigoras Dinicu. There is "The Lark", "March Hora", "The Mail" and a "Hora Dance"

My favorite tracks on the album are "The Lark" (great cimbalom solo. Sadly, as usual, no mention of who it is. It would be nice to know whose playing I'm copying) for something a little different, more slower "Valse Triste" is just beautiful. A duet between cimbalom and violin. I also like the medley of Hungarian dances (No. 1, 5 and 6). The old standby's are here and played quite well, "Monti's Csardas" and "Whistle Hora".

For the price of the CD honestly it is well worth it. I'm glad I bought the CD. I wish amazon had more Hungarian CDs at such resonable prices. For that matter, I wish amazon had more Hungarian CDs at ANY price from artists as talented as Lakatos.

Bottom-line: Great sample of what the Lakatos dynasty is all about. Good, fast arrangements of old standard Hungarian and Romanian songs that lovers of this type of music should enjoy!

Listening to this recording, we re-lived the sounds of a magical evening at the Mattias Pinz restaurant in Budapest, back in 1994 when Sandor Lakatos and his Band played throughout the meal.
This recording is as if we had returned and sat enchanted by the lyrical music from his violin to the accompaniment of the wonderful rich sounds of the cymbalon. This is a musical feast of the best of gypsy music.

...almost one third of the tracks on this disc are not Hungarian, but Romanian music played by Hungarians, though it doesn't explicitly say so (I'm speaking of tracks 2, 8, 10, 11 and 15).
Firstly, the Lark ("Ciocārlia") is a famous traditional song composed by Romanian Gypsy musician Anghelus Dinicu in 1889, based on a Romanian folk tune. The song was later made popular by his grandson, virtuoso violinist Grigoras Dinicu and by violinist/composer George Enescu.
As for the "horas": The 'hora' is a Romanian folk dance music found in all parts of the country. And, actually, the track "March Hora" contains themes from the piece "Hora staccato" by Grigoras Dinicu.
The horas on this CD are definitely Romanian dances, especially in their lively parts, with some slow parts thrown in, consisting of a waltzy-restaurant-style music.

I ordered a number of different Hungarian folk music CD's. Sandor Lakatos and his orchestra was the best of them all! His CD "Music from Hungary" was also a super bargin for under four dollars!!

Lakatos bas become a reference by himself at the moment to measure the grade of performance of any particular ensemble evolved with this musical field.
Lakatos impregnates the whole Band of inspired mood and vigorous pronouncement. His results can not be better expressed: an immediate rapport will be established between you and Lakatos since you listen the first bars of any of his themes.
The Magyar spirit, the Csárdás or the ancient gypsy songs find in Sandor a robust expressiveness and assertiveness interpretative.
Go for this extraordinary compilation that resumes, takes back and preserves the vitality and charm of this fabulous and untamed millenary musical genre.

I really liked this CD. I'm a music editor for gymnastics floor music, and the most requests I've had have come from this CD. This CD is great considering the price and the quality of the music. If you like gypsy-violin music, this is the CD to buy!

This cd turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It is a wonderful rendition of Hungarian Gypsy music which I purchased for my father-in-law who immigrated from Hungary. He loved it, and proceded to tell me that this is one of the best gypsy violinists in Hungary today. It has a nice variety of selections, and was very useful as we used it to share his heritage with others. It was shipped very quickly and was in great condition. Thank you!

It should be listed under classical music! Maestro Lakatos is a true Virtuoso!