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The ''cobza'' is a multi-
The Cobza is played with a plectrum (traditionally, a goose feather) in elaborate and florid melodic passagework, and has a pick-guard similar to that of an oud. Its strings are widely spaced at the bridge to facilitate this technique. It has a soft tone, most often tuned to D-A-D-G (although tuning depends on style, region and player).
The origins of the Romanian Cobza are thought to be a local adaptation of the Persian barbat or Turkish oud, probably brought to the area by itinerant Romani musicians in the 15th century (a Rom/Romani musician is called lăutar, literally lute-player). A Cobza player specifically is called a "cobzar". Notable Cobza players were Ion Păturică, Ion Zlotea, Marin Cotoanță, Grigore Kiazim (from
Cobza solo - Marin CotoanțăCountryside built Cobza recording"Datina" folk ensemble from Botoșani
* ttp://carmentis.kmkg-mrah.be/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&module=collection&lang=nl&objectId=117867 A Romanian Cobza in Museum Collectionsbr>Romanian Cobza in Museum CollectionsRomanian Cobza from Horniman Museum - on the left
* http://www.koboziskola.hu/ {{Lute Necked bowl lutes Romanian musical instruments Moldovan musical instruments Hungarian musical instruments
stringed instrument
In musical instrument classification, string instruments, or chordophones, are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners.
Musicians play so ...
of the lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lu ...
family of folk origin popular in the Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n, Moldovan and contemporary Hungarian folk music. It is considered the oldest accompaniment
Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of m ...
instrument in the region comprising Romania and Moldova. Its usage in Hungary started following the Táncház movement of the late 20th century.
It is distinct from the Ukrainian Kobza
The kobza (), also called bandura () is a Ukrainian folk music instrument of the lute family (Hornbostel-Sachs classification number 321.321-5+6), a relative of the Central European mandora. The term ''kobza'' however, has also been applied to ...
, an instrument of different construction and origin.
Overview
The Romanian Cobza is metal-strung (although modern nylon-strung models exist, mostly in Hungary), and has a very short neck withoutfret
A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument. Frets usually extend across the full width of the neck. On some historical inst ...
s (although a newer fretted hybrid cobza can be found in the Republic of Moldova), with a bent-back pegbox. In the past, gut strings were used, sometimes mixed with metal ones. The back is ribbed. It is usually double or triple strung, and often has a characteristic flat end clasp.
The Cobza is played with a plectrum (traditionally, a goose feather) in elaborate and florid melodic passagework, and has a pick-guard similar to that of an oud. Its strings are widely spaced at the bridge to facilitate this technique. It has a soft tone, most often tuned to D-A-D-G (although tuning depends on style, region and player).
The origins of the Romanian Cobza are thought to be a local adaptation of the Persian barbat or Turkish oud, probably brought to the area by itinerant Romani musicians in the 15th century (a Rom/Romani musician is called lăutar, literally lute-player). A Cobza player specifically is called a "cobzar". Notable Cobza players were Ion Păturică, Ion Zlotea, Marin Cotoanță, Grigore Kiazim (from Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
), Nicolae Păsnicuțu and Constantin Negel (from Moldavia
Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
).
It seems that Cobza was used in various music ensembles in the Bukovina
Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
region in the mid-war periods, being replaced totally by the mandolin
A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
and 4 stringed domra when the north of this area became incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR.
The name of the instrument may come from the Turkic " kopuz".
In Hungary, it is often called ''Koboz''.
References
External links
Cobza solo - Marin Cotoanță
* ttp://carmentis.kmkg-mrah.be/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&module=collection&lang=nl&objectId=117867 A Romanian Cobza in Museum Collectionsbr>Romanian Cobza in Museum Collections
* http://www.koboziskola.hu/ {{Lute Necked bowl lutes Romanian musical instruments Moldovan musical instruments Hungarian musical instruments