V. Monti "Chardash": history, interesting facts, content, video, listen

Vittorio Monti "Chardash"

The history of world music literature knows many composers who, while engaging in vigorous creative activity, have not left a noticeable trace. But there were also such authors, whose works went into "non-existence", and their names became known to the descendant only by several or completely by one work. We are still deeply inspired by the music of Polonaise by the Pole Mikhail Oginsky, charmed by the composition Besame Mucho by Mexican Consuelo Velasquez and undoubtedly delights with the incendiaryness the magnificent Chardash by the Italian Vittorio Monti. This truly magical dance, originally written for violin or mandolin playing with piano, is so overwhelmingly popular that the works are made for many instruments, including a tuba and a double bass.

The history of the creation of "Chardash" Monty, as well as interesting facts and musical content of the work, read on our page.

History of creation

In figuring out the history of the creation of the magnificent concert work "Chardash", it is necessary first of all to tell a little about its author. Since musicologists were never particularly interested in the composer’s work, he did not write a memoir about his life, and the musician had no personal biographer, there is very little information about Monty. We only know about Vittorio Monti that he was born in the beautiful Italian city of Naples in 1868.

Possessing excellent musical ability and fluent in the violin and mandolin, he enrolled in his hometown in the famous conservatory "San Pietro a Maiella", in which many prominent Italian musicians also received education. At eighteen, completing his studies in two specialties, like a violinist and composer, Vittorio decided to learn in Paris from the outstanding violinist Camillo Sivori. After an effective internship, he was accepted into the Charles Lamore Orchestra, where the violinist subsequently worked as a concertmaster for a long time, and in 1900 he was invited to the post of conductor in the Paris-Concert hall. In addition, Vittorio was also actively engaged in composing and writing works in various genres: compositions for violin, vocal miniatures, and the ballets and operetta. Among the writings of Monty, the mimodrama "Christmas of Pierrot" was especially popular at the time. The creation of the famous "Chardash" also belongs to this creative period of the composer and dates back to 1904.

Despite the fact that Chardash danced with pleasure in Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia, Hungary is considered to be his homeland, and the folk music of this country, which absorbed both the gypsy and Turkish colors, occupied a very worthy place in world culture. Differing in temperament and originality, she always attracted the attention of classical composers, who, inspired by Hungarian motifs, often used them in their works. For example, Chardash has found a place for himself in the works of such great musical masters as Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Leo Delibe, Johann Strauss. At the time of Vittorio Monty Chardas did not lose his popularity, and the composer in the style of this dance decided to compose a salon play, which could be accompanied by piano, not only on the violin, but also on the mandolin. The composition made a strong impression on both listeners and musicians. Arrangement works immediately began to do for all possible instruments.

Interesting Facts

• Ernesto Camillo Sivori - the famous Italian violinist, with whom Vittorio Monti had an internship in Paris, was the only student Niccolo Paganini. His favorite instrument was a violin, previously owned by his teacher.
• The name of the dance "Chardash" comes from the word "csárda", which from Hungarian translates as "tavern", "inn" or "tavern".
• "Chardash" is a two-part dance that starts to dance at a slow pace, and ends at a fast dance. It can be seen as performed only by men, and only by women. Pair dance performance is also very popular.
• Versions of the origin of Chardash vary greatly. Some people associate its appearance with Verbunkosh, a genre of Hungarian dance music, while others believe that Magyar shepherds or haiduks were the first to begin to dance Chardash.
• Vittorio Monti, having learned to play the mandolin in his childhood, improved his skills all his life and even made a small tutorial on learning this instrument called "Petite Methode for Mandolin" (A small method for a mandolin). In this textbook, released as Op.245, the composer also inserted his own works.
• Directors often use the famous melody "Chardash" by Vittorio Monti on the soundtracks of their feature and animation films. Here are some of them: “Glen or Glenda” (1953) by Edward Wood, “The Man in the Glass Booth” (1975) by Arthur Hiller, “The Quartet” (2012) by Dustin Hoffman. “Love with Obstacles” (2012) by James Utah, “Solana , Ludwig and Gurin with a Fox Tail "(1998) by John Jacobsen.

The contents of "Chardash" Monty

"Chardash" Vittorio Monti is a work composed in a free style. It is characterized by "improvisationalism", as well as alternation of episodes of a different nature based on the material of folk motifs. Including seven sections, it opens with spectacular chords, appealingly appealing on a fort. Then, in D minor, at a slow pace, a beautiful expressive melody, resembling a gypsy chant, begins at the start of the attack. The melodic line of the next section, which is also an eight-beat period, soars rapidly upwards and then gradually descends. The composer in this part paints the musical theme of this part with forshlagami and fermat.

The third and fourth sections are in sharp contrast to the previous sections. The slow pace changes to fast. Incendiary dance is born. The topic of the third section begins with a sharp octave jump up from tonic to tonic, and then it gradually goes down to the original sound. The following then, circling movement is the main melodic material of not only the third, but also the fourth part. In the fifth section of "Chardash" the nature and pace of the work change again, now the music resembles a stately and proud polonaise. The next sixth part exactly repeats the fourth, but in the final section the composer conducts thematic material of the third, but not in minor, but of the same name, D major tonality.

"Czardas"Italian composer Vittorio Monti today is one of the most performed works. He has different titles. He is called both the" golden masterpiece "and the crown" dish "of the gypsy repertoire. Large orchestras and ensembles, different in their instrumental composition, include this composition in their Repertoire. Soloists-performers also love "Chardash", as it can show the beauty of the timbre color of your favorite instrument, as well as boast of technical skills that the musician has.