Tárogató

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The tárogató (Romanian: taragot) refers to two different woodwind instruments, both of them Hungarian. Up to about the 18th century, the tárogató was a type of shawm, with a double reed, conical bore, and no keys. This instrument is documented as far back as the 15th century. A symbol of Hungarian nationalism, its use was suppressed in the 18th century.

Because of its potential to be extremely loud and raucous, the tárogató was used as a signalling instrument in battle (like the bugle and the bagpipe), and simply to strike fear into the hearts of the Hungarians' enemies.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1890s a modern version was invented by Venzel József Schunda, a Budapest instrument maker. It uses a single reed, like a clarinet or saxophone, and has a conical bore, similar to the saxophone. The instrument is made of wood, usually black grenadilla wood like a clarinet. The most common size, the soprano tárogató in B♭, is about 29 inches (74 cm) in length and has a mournful sound similar to a cross between an English horn and a soprano saxophone. Other sizes exist; one maker, János Stowasser, advertised a family of seven sizes of which the largest was a contrabass tárogató in E♭.^[1] Manufacturing in Hungary ceased after World War II, though tárogatós continued to be made in Romania and other countries. In the 1990s several Hungarian makers started producing the instrument again.

Contents 1 References 2 See also 3 Tárogató makers 4 External links

[edit] References

1. ^ Fox, Stephen. The Tárogató. Retrieved on 2006-10-03.

[edit] See also

• Music of Hungary

[edit] Tárogató makers

• Stephen Fox [1]
• Gregus Pál [2]
• Bruno Salenson [3]

[edit] External links

• Taragot in Romanian folk music
• The Tárogató Page
• Tarogato history and music