Club Petroushka, Émigré Performance, and New York's Russian Nightclubs of the Roaring Twenties

In the midst of the Prohibition era, New York City proliferated with nightclubs that presented patrons with imagined worlds of music and entertainment. This essay explores the role of music in creating such imagined worlds, looking specifically at the Russian-themed nightclubs founded by and employing émigrés recently exiled from Bolshevik Russia. Examining Midtown's Club Petroushka as a prime example of such a space, this essay focuses on the so-called “Russian Gypsy” entertainment that caught the eye and ear of the club's patrons, whose ranks included Charlie Chaplin, Harpo Marx, and the Gershwin brothers. Based on an examination of archival material—including memoirs, compositions, and extant recordings of Club Petroushka's musicians and photographs detailing its interior—as well as on advertisements and reviews from Russian American and other newspapers and magazines, this essay contends that the “Russian Gypsy” music presented at Club Petroushka enabled a transformative experience for patrons while providing a performative space for its recently exiled musicians. I argue that two aspects of this music in particular enabled the transformative process as it was delineated in contemporary discourses: 1) heightened emotionality; and 2) playing with a sense of time (a musical attribute I call “achronality”). Examining the complex cultural entanglements at work in the performance of “Russian Gypsy” music and situating my analysis within a theoretical framework of night cultures proposed by Brian D. Palmer and mimesis proposed by Michael Taussig, this essay illuminates the multivalent role of this musical trope for the different constituencies comprising Club Petroushka, while it also documents the largely overlooked Russian-Romani musical tradition as it took shape in the anti-Bolshevik, first wave Russian diaspora.

Hungarian Gypsy Musician’s National Association: Battles Faced by Gypsy Musicians in Hungary during the Interwar Years

The governments of the Horthy era did not formulate a central Gypsy policy and, consequently, the so-called ‘Gypsy issue’ fell fully into the hands of the assigned ministries and local authorities. The public authorities acted at their own discretion: Largely, they acted according to their basic tasks and understanding, or simply ignored the issue. As a result, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Welfare and Labour were the decisive authorities in this issue. Mainly law enforcement dealt with travelling Gypsies—a small portion of the estimated one hundred thousand Gypsies living in Hungary—the majority of whom lived in ‘colonies’ and were dealt with as an issue of public health. Regarding Gypsies, the same era is frequently judged by the legal action affecting these travellers and the often criticised measures regulating public security and health. The foundation of the Hungarian Gypsy Musicians’ National Association, which intended to represent the interests of nearly ten thousand Gypsy musicians, somewhat changed the picture that had developed, since the organisation enjoyed the full support of the heads of the Ministry of the Interior and the city of Budapest. Regulations were enacted to protect their interests and initiatives. Behind the patronage, one might note, was that after the Treaty of Trianon Gypsy music became part of irredentist ideology and the revisionist movement, and therefore the interests and claims of the Gypsy musicians fully fitted the age. The topic is very important for social inclusion today because Gypsy music continues to be considered part of Hungarian cultural heritage and thus gives Gypsies work and integration opportunities.

The Romany Musical Versatility: The Case of Gypsy Disco-Polo

Как известно, европейские цыгане всегда тяготели к определенным видам деятельности, из которых ближе всего им была музыка. Свидетельством природной музыкальности цыган в наши дни может служить, например, неизменная популярность таких творческих коллективов, как Gypsy Kings . Несмотря на восприимчивость цыган новым веяниям, постоянно обогащающим жанрово-стилистическую палитру их музыки, она всё ещё легко узнаваема и по-прежнему завораживает своим особым мелодико-ритмическим рисунком, своей романтической экспрессией и ни на что не похожей манерой исполнения. В данной статье поднят вопрос о сущности подлинного цыганства в музыке, на который, как считает автор, можно, по крайней мере частично, ответить при более детальном исследовании произведений, созданных носителями культуры рома, в 2000-х гг. Анна Пиотровска рассматривает современные жанры цыганской музыки, самым популярным из которых в Польше является цыганское диско-поло, в исторической перспективе и приходит к выводу об исключительной универсальности и многогранности цыганских музыкантов, обладающих способностью с лёгкостью подстраиваться под любую культурную ситуацию, позволяющей им и сегодня удовлетворять вкусы широкой слушательской аудитории, одновременно поддерживая жизнеспособность собственных многовековых музыкальных традиций.As commonly known, European Roma (Gypsies) have specialized in certain occupations but predominantly were associated with their excellent musicianship skills. It is also true today as attested, among others, by the never dwindling popularity of such bands as The Gypsy Kings. Gypsy musicians are very much appreciated and their music is still enjoyed. It is the result of the Gypsy versatility and their ability to adapt to musical innovations. Despite the extreme richness of forms, manners of performance, etc. characterising the socalled Gypsy music, or more precisely the music by the Roma, their musical products are still easily identifiable by nonRomany circles who associate them with the colourful world of the highly idealized and romanticised Gypsy life. The paper shows without neglecting the historical perspective that the question of the essence of the genuine Gypsyness in music can be, at least partially, answered by taking a closer look at new genres associated with Gypsies and by analysing contemporary practices exercised by the Romany musicians. Consequently, the article is focused on the contemporary trends in the socalled Gypsy music, especially those which merged in the 2000s with popular genres such as Gypsy discopolo popular till today and enjoyed by large audiences in Poland. The article claims that such new genres as Gypsy discopolo should be considered as fine examples of Romany musical versatility proving the vitality of their tradition as cultivated today. Romany musicians adapt to the new situation in such a way as to address the requirements of contemporary listeners who expect that the socalled Gypsy music should be on a par with uptodate productions known from the mass media, while still adhering to the romanticised vision of the Gypsyness.

Franz Liszt – a world citizen or a Hungarian patriot? Hungarian Rhapsodies as an example of implementing the concept of national music

The article is an attempt to determine the attitude of Franz Liszt to Hungary – the country where the composer was born, which in the 19th century was part of the Austrian Empire. The artist was shaped in accordance with the Western European culture model. That in combination with contacts with the intellectuals and the world of art deeply transformed Liszt’s worldview and shaped his artistic profile. This cosmopolitan attitude changed at a certain stage of his life when he returned to his home country. In Hungary, a process began, which allowed Liszt to notice the meaning of his country’s culture. This tendency was expressed in the composer’s interest in Gypsy music and national folklore. The article characterises the music of Hungarian Roma people as well as folk dances (verbunkos, czardas). The influence of the aforementioned elements is noticeable in Liszt’s compositions from that period, especially in the nineteen Hungarian Rhapsodies. The cycle includes clear references to Gypsy music, the sound of a Roma band in particular. A reference to folklore is the form of the pieces and the stylistic means taken from verbunkos, among others. The Rhapsodies are a masterly combination of virtuoso technique with the capacities of the piano (imitation of the cimbalom or glockenspiel). The composer incorporated new harmonic qualities, such as a Gypsy scale or imitation of folk bass. At the same time, the cycle remains in accordance with the rules of classical harmony. Liszt’s searching for new composition possibilities and sound qualities gave an impulse for the development of ethnomusicology, exploring and formulating new concepts in the art of piano playing (e.g. by Béla Bartók).