Muzica lăutărească (the music of the lăutari)

Muzica lăutărească is the professional musical tradition of the lăutari — largely of Roma ethnicity, but also Romanians — which has accompanied weddings, christening feasts, patron saint's days and parties since olden times, from the boyar courts to the village tables. It constitutes the soundtrack of life's great moments and an essential component of the Moldovan musical heritage, a craft in which the art is transmitted by ear and by gift, from father to son.

Origin and history

The lăutari are attested in documents in Moldavia and Wallachia as early as the 16th century, the first known mention dating from 1558, when the ruling prince Mircea Ciobanul gave a lăutar to a Moldavian official. Over time they organised themselves into guilds, and the craft was passed down within the family. Muzica lăutărească crystallised in its mature form in the 19th century, combining Romanian dance melodies with Oriental, Balkan and Jewish influences, in a style of great ornamental richness.

Instruments and the taraf

The traditional ensemble is called a „taraf” and usually comprises between three and eight musicians. The leading instrument is the violin (the first), accompanied by the cimbalom, the cobza, the accordion, the double bass, the clarinet and, sometimes, the pan flute. In Moldova, the cimbalom holds a special place, with its complex rhythm and its crystalline sound, and brass bands — such as the well-known Fanfara de la Zece Prăjini — are also a beloved presence at parties and weddings.

Characteristics and the present

The lăutar style is distinguished by rich ornamentation, by free improvisation, especially in the doina, by specific modal scales and by grooves for dances such as the hora and the sârba, but also by irregular Balkan rhythms. The repertoire comprises table songs, dances, ballads and ritual wedding melodies, which accompany every moment of the party. Today muzica lăutărească remains alive at family events in the Republic of Moldova and is showcased by performers and ensembles who combine tradition with contemporary sonorities. The cobza, an emblematic instrument of the lăutari, has been recognised by UNESCO as an element of intangible cultural heritage, confirming the value of this shared legacy. The lăutari remain, in our own days, the keepers of a vast repertoire, learned by heart and transmitted by word of mouth, without scores, which makes muzica lăutărească a living tradition, always reinvented at every wedding and party.