What is the story behind Monti's Csardas?

Csárdás is by some margin the most popular work by Italian composer Vittorio Monti (1868–1922). Originally written for violin, it has nevertheless been widely adapted for other solo instruments and combinations, (over 20 versions of Csárdás can be found here). The story of its composition is a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist of the time, where composers became fascinated by folk music from their own and other countries.

Vittorio Monti

Vittorio Monti was an Italian violinist, composer and conductor born in Naples in 1868. He studied at the the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella, a music school known also for educating Vincenzo Bellini, Ruggero Leoncavallo and, most recently, Riccardo Muti.

The grounding prepared him for a career that spanned many roles, including as a conductor, most notably of the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris and as composer of ballets and operettas. He was also a mean mandolin player composing works such as Défilé Grec and Gentil Bataillon and even writing a treatise ‘Petite Méthode pour Mandoline.’

Despite his many other compositions, however, it is for ‘Csárdás’ that he is best remembered today.

What does ‘Csárdás’ mean?

A csárdás (also spelt czárdás) is a traditional Hungarian dance in 2 or 4. It is characterised by variations in tempo, beginning with a slow (lassú) section before launching into a much faster (friss) section. There may be subsequent variations in tempo. It is danced by both men and women.

A Czardas from the Great Hungarian Plain west of Transylvania:

Why did an Italian composer write a Hungarian dance?

By the time Monti wrote this piece in 1906 a vogue for exploring folk music, both from composers' own and from other countries, was well established. Notable examples of Hungarian-style classical music include Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Danse Hongraise; Czadas’ from Swan Lake and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies. There are also countless examples of works inspired by folk music from other countries, for example Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Español and Tchaikovsky’s Neapolitan Dance from Swan Lake. So in writing this piece, Monti was tapping into an existing fashion.

How is Csárdás structured?

The work broadly follows the tradition conception of a traditional Hungarian Csárdás, beginning with a minor keyed ‘lassú’ section that is rubato in style (i.e. flexible tempos) and filled with a sense of introspection and longing. This leads to a lively and energetic ‘friss.’ Also in a minor key it employs elements reminiscent of gypsy music, including rapid runs, dynamics contrasts and syncopation. There follow slower episodes that recall the opening, whilst also developing the material from the ‘friss’ before leading to a restatement of the ‘friss’ but in a major key.

Technical challenges

There are number of elements that make the work tricky for a violinist to play. The sudden changes of tempo need timing and precision, the rapid runs test a performer’s agility whilst the use of high harmonics in the central section require great control. The performer must, above all, master and convey the sharp changes of contrast, from the soulfulness of the opening, to the stormy opening of the friss, which then becomes, in quick succession, playful, serene and finally joyfully exuberant.

An enduring showpiece

All these difficulties, combined with the sheer attractiveness of the musical material have made the work a hugely popular showpiece. It has also been widely adapted for other instruments and ensembles and appeared in soundtracks, for example the 2012 movies ‘Quartet’ and ‘Happiness Never Comes Alone’ and the 2016 film ‘The Innocents.’