Béla Bartók Letters

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

116

text excerpt

I also discovered in the same village a primitive instrument: a long reed-whistle, with six holes and a cut-in tongue. A kind of primitive oboe! It actually gives a whistle-like sound, just like any ordinary pipe (or bagpipe), but it has no bag. It is blown directly from the mouth. There is only one old man in the village who can play it. It is called cărabă; however, that’s also the name given to the ordinary bagpipe in these parts. It’s rather interesting that this old man with the cărabă is also a quack-doctor and his healing rites include blowing a certain melody (pentru betesug) on his instrument.

I also discovered in the same village a primitive instrument: a long reed-whistle, with six holes and a cut-in tongue. A kind of primitive oboe! It actually gives a whistle-like sound, just like any ordinary pipe (or bagpipe), but it has no bag. It is blown directly from the mouth. There is only one old man in the village who can play it. It is called cărabă; however, that’s also the name given to the ordinary bagpipe in these parts. It’s rather interesting that this old man with the cărabă is also a quack-doctor and his healing rites include blowing a certain melody (pentru betesug) on his instrument.

excerpt from 'Béla Bartók Letters' pp. 116 (114 words)

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1450108503294