Gypsy Music from Transylvania

Ardealul is a trio led by the great Romanian violin player Emil Mihaiu accompanied by Urszui Kálmán - contrã (adjusted viola), accordion - and Pusztai Aladár - gordon (double bass), cymbalum. The Ardealul Ensemble is the traditional elite ensemble of Transylvania. Each of the trio has his own wedding ensemble for refined connoisseurs and their own 'heirs', however, they always perform together. The name of their ensemble, Ardealul [=Transylvania] is symbolic: today, in Transylvania, at least three important ethnic groups cohabit, one of them being the Romanies, and the ensemble is determined to represent all of them. The ensemble lineup is also symbolic: Emil Mihaiu is Romanian, while Urszui Kálmán and Pusztai Aladár are Hungarian-speaking Gypsies. All the pieces on this recording are instrumental: some in the serious, classical Transylvanian formula of a string trio; others in the more modern formula in which the accordion and the cymbalum, with their specific exuberance, join the strings.