Articles by Initial Letters

Interview with Lukács Miklós – musician, cymbalom player. Lukács talks about his instrument and possible paths onward. He says, "…I like my instrument and have not yet found any other one that interests me, so I’ll stick with this one. The cymbalom is an important instrument in Central and Eastern Europe. Tradition has kept it alive. Before, locally the instrumental music traditions were passed down from the fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers along with the complete circle of music tradition that accompanied a person’s life from birth to death. But people have moved out of this tradition-filled life…not only have thought processes changed, but traditions and so the music and the role of the band as well. This has ended. As the cymbalom’s special role in local traditional life disappears, the existence of the cymbalom is in danger. So, if the restaurant bands disappear, since there is less and less need for them, that’ll mean a quarter or a third of cymbalom music disappears…the problem is the cymbalom doesn’t yet have a true place in the music of the 21st century…one doesn’t have to dig deep to find information on, say the violin, piano, electric guitar, but the cymbalom isn’t in that situation; we have to bring our instrument out of its information void…we would like to move beyond a need for a little Hungarian sound or Eastern European color. I would like for the instrument to be known for its very own independent, striking character. I believe that my life will be dedicated to this. I can’t and don’t want to lock myself into one particular musical segment, be that folk, classical, or contemporary music. I have several chamber music performances coming up, Haydn, Eötvös concerts, and jazz…I’ll go to places I’ve never been – to Korea and Japan….The musical traditions of my instrument are deeply embedded in my identity which is of course for me a thing of value. However I am on a path which consciously breaks from the usual conventions. ….I think of my instrument as a tool for the universal language of music – and it is valid for any style…” Interview by Grozdits Károly.