Tim Hoke wrote this review.
I’m not well-versed in Hungarian music, but I thought I’d heard enough from various groups to know what to expect. I figured I’d hear virtuosic fiddling, some riveting cimbalom, maybe a little bit of bagpipe, and probably a really good female singer. Rosebuds In A Stoneyard did deliver up a really good female singer, but none of the rest. Iren Lovasz has a strong, clear voice, with that slight edge to it that I associate with Eastern European singing. The arrangements are done by Laszlo Hortobagyi, who plays all the instruments on the recording. Hortobagyi shows an affinity for Asian musical styles; many of the tracks show Indian or Central Asian influence and instrumentation. Sadly, the instrumental work often doesn’t seem to mesh with the sung melody, and sometimes is downright distracting. There are some exceptions — Hortobagyi plays some nice tabla on a couple of tracks, and there is a cool Middle Eastern-sounding groove on another cut — but for the most part the best songs are the ones Lovasz sings unaccompanied.
The song texts tend be universal in theme: love songs, hard times, prisoners’ laments, and religious songs. One fascinating track consists of an ancient shamanic chant, outlawed by Christian authorities, but practiced in secret. It was used by women to bring luck while men were hunting, and describes a “Miracle Stag” whose antler hold up the sun and moon. This followed by an equally good song, also telling of the “Miracle Stag”, this time using Christian symbology.
On Wide Is The Danube, Lovasz joins forces with the Moravian-Slovak bluegrass band Teagrass. Yes, bluegrass, but with a twist: they’ve substituted a reed player for the banjo. The mix is not as bizarre as it may seem on first read. The dark tone of Michal Zpevak’s clarinet and the wail of Stanislav Paluch’s violin complement Lovasz’s voice beautifully. Bluegrass can be heard in the solos, and the swing influence is even more pervasive, especially on the instrumental tracks. Teagrass is capable of playing it straight, though, as well. On the Moravian Christmas song “There Was A Road”, they leave out the hot licks and just play a pretty tune. In addition, Lovasz adds a couple of a capella gems.
As might be expected, most of the material is either Hungarian, Moravian, or Slovak. Lovasz also goes a bit further afield, including songs collected from Jewish and Gypsy sources, as well as from ethnic Hungarians in Romania and Moldavia. Teagrass mandolinist Jiri Plocek comments in the liner notes that for centuries the Danube has served as a cultural melting pot. This disc delivers an enjoyable blend of music, both cultural and stylistic.
(Erdenklang, 1996)
(CCn’C, 2000)
I’ve been looking for some translations of the songs off these two albums (Rosebuds in particular) – any idea where I might find them? I’m in love with this gal’s voice, and can find nearly nothing about her or her music. I didn’t even know what the themes were until I read this wee post – I got one track for free and downloaded the rest of Rosebuds from amazon without knowing a thing about it just because the sound was mesmerizing.
Thanks in advance for any help with additional information or translations.