Violinist age 12 plays "Czardas" by Monti
We’re back to Hungarian music today, to finish the week with Vittorio Monti’s sizzling “Czardas” - a tribute to the wonderful violin tradition of eastern Europe. A Czardas (pronounced Shar-dus) is a Hungarian music folk music form, which starts out with a slow, soulful section called "lassu" and ends with a very fast "friss" (literally "fresh").
This is the music of coffee houses and campfires - and there is an ongoing argument in Hungary about whether it’s actually Hungarian folk music, or really belongs to the traveling Romani people. Either way, Hungarian violin music is known the world over for its passion, romance and virtuosity.
This piece is no exception. It's full of variety in speed and mood, with plenty of fiery technical tricks thrown in, and an ending to bring the house down. In fact, it's so catchy that it's been has featured multiple times in movies and TV, from “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” to an episode of “Peaky Blinders” – and Lady Gaga used part it as an introduction for her song "Alejandro".