The stars of this show are the instruments themselves. Listeners young and old are invited to learn about a variety of unusual instruments through authentic live music played by expert musicians. Once again, this season's Instru-Mentor programme introduces the instruments of Hungarian folklore. The origins of the word “clarinet” are Italian or French, but the instrument is also known colloquially in Hungary as the klánéta, pikula or – in the Hortobágy region – the furulya. The standard factory-made clarinet plays three different roles in local folk music: as part of a Gypsy band, in the village brass ensemble, and as a solo instrument favoured by shepherds. In a Gypsy band, the clarinet provides the melody alongside the lead “prímás” violin, but it can also serve as an accompaniment, sometimes building chords into its lively phrases. Among shepherds and peasants, the clarinet became popular from the late 19th century as a result of the fashion for brass bands. Played by men of the field, the instrument grew in prominence as it was increasingly isolated from the band. Also known to local people as a tárogató, it is Hungary's most recent factory-made instrument. To differentiate it from other tárogatós, the instrument of the Kuruc rebels who fought against Habsburg rule is known as the Schunda tárogató after its inventor József Schunda. It has the mouthpiece of a clarinet but the conical body of an oboe, which, like some of the first tárogatós, is perforated. Its lower register has the metallic sound of a trumpet, while its upper range is soft and mournful. The tárogató’s repertoire primarily comprises folk songs, and slow melodies with alternating rhythms in particular. (Based on the writing of Bálint Sárosi.)

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