The Taragot: An Austro-Hungarian-Romanian Story

The event is dedicated to the rich history of the taragot, which has evolved to hold different meanings in Romanian and Hungarian cultures as a significant aspect of the Austro-Hungarian and Central European heritage.  

The taragot is an instrument that became prominent among Hungarians starting in the 16th century, with its origins tracing back to the Turkish zurna. It served as a signaling instrument during the Rebellion of Rákóczi Ferenc (1703-1711) and later acquired significant symbolic meaning for Hungarian national identity.

The clarinet-like version of the taragot known today (Hungarian: tárogató; Romanian: taragot) was (re)invented by József Schunda and produced by János Stowasser in the 1890s. Initially, there were attempts to incorporate this instrument into classical music; however, it eventually found its place in military bands. After World War I, the taragot became popular in Romanian and Hungarian traditional music. In Romania, Luță Ioviță introduced the instrument in the 1920s in the Banat region, and it was further used in the 1950s in Țara Moților in Transylvania. The instrument gained widespread recognition during the communist period, largely due to Dumitru Fărcaș, who helped bring it to international prominence.

Cristian Totpati will present both historical and contemporary aspects of the taragot, while Răzvan Roșu will discuss its role in Romanian traditional music, specifically from the regions of Banat and Țara Moților. Additionally, there will be musical performances featuring Cristian Totpati (taragot), Blaga Daniel (taragot), Nicolae Badiu (taragot), Răzvan Roșu (flute, fiddle), Liviu Burz (fiddle), and Ruben Doran (accordion).

The event is a cooperation of the Department of Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology of the mdw with the Romanian Culture Institute and the Collegium Hungaricum.