Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

CYMBALON

Date Range From

1900

Date Range To

1920

Materials

WOOD, METAL, WIRE

No. Pieces

4

Height

73.5

Length

136

Width

73.5

Description

.1 STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. WOODEN TRAPEZOIDAL BOX WITH METAL WIRES STRUNG BETWEEN PEGS ACROSS ITS TOP. BOX SITS ON FOUR CARVED WOODEN PEDESTAL LEGS, AND IT IS SLIGHTLY ANGLED DOWNWARD TO ACCOMMODATE THE REACH OF A SEATED MUSICIAN. WOOD IS STAINED DARK BROWN, WITH WEAR AND SCUFFMARKS VISIBLE OVERALL. .2 MALLETS (2 PCE). 31CM X 2CM X 3CM. WOODEN STICKS WITH CARVED GROOVES ON ONE END FOR THE MUSICIAN’S FINGERS TO GRASP, AND PADS ON THE OPPOSITE, SLIGHTLY CURVED END, MADE FROM THREAD AND FABRIC, FOR STRIKING THE WIRES TO PRODUCE SOUND. .3 VINYL SLIPCOVER . 110CM X 134CM X 0.5CM. FITS OVER TOP OF INSTRUMENT. WHITE WITH RED, WHITE AND GREEN HORIZONTAL STRIPES IN THE FORMATION OF THE HUNGARIAN FLAG. MACHINE STITCHED WITH FELT LINING. SCUFFING AND GENERAL GRIME OVERALL.

Subjects

MUSICAL T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

THE CONCERT CIMBALOM (ALTERNATE SPELLING: CYMBALON) IS A STRINGED DULCIMER INSTRUMENT, POPULARIZED IN HUNGARY IN THE LATE 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURIES. THE INSTRUMENT IS TYPICALLY PLAYED BY STRIKING TWO MALLETS AGAINST METAL STRINGS THAT ARE STRETCHED ACROSS A WOODEN TABLETOP STRUCTURE. THE INSTRUMENT PRODUCES SOUNDS SIMILAR TO A PIANO AND RESTS ATOP FOUR PEDESTAL LEGS, ALLOWING THE MUSICIAN TO PLAY IT WHILE SEATED. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ARTIFACT AND ITS ORIGINAL OWNER, JOE PRAGAI, WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION PROVIDED IN WRITING BY JOAN METZGER, WHO’S FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA HUNGARIAN COMMUNITY AND A FRIEND OF PRAGAI. WHEN PRAGAI DIED IN APRIL 1966, HE LEFT THE CIMBALOM TO JOAN. PRAGAI WAS BORN IN HUNGARY ON MARCH 18, 1885 AND EMIGRATED TO CANADA IN 1928 WITH HIS WIFE, THOUGH SHE LATER RETURNED TO HUNGARY. HE BROUGHT THE CIMBALOM WITH HIM TO CANADA FROM HUNGARY. PRAGAI LIVED THROUGHOUT ALBERTA (LETHBRIDGE, DRUMHELLER, PICTURE BUTTE), WORKING AS A SHEEP SHEARER, CARPENTER, AND HANDYMAN. PRAGAI WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE HUNGARIAN COMMUNITY IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA, PLAYING THE CIMBALOM AND VIOLIN IN BANDS. THE MOST WELL-DOCUMENTED MUSCIAL GROUP HE PLAYED WITH WAS STEVE MEZEI’S ORCHESTRA, WHICH PERFORMED AT SUPPERS, DANCES AND PICNICS HELD BY THE HUNGARIAN OLD-TIMERS SOCIETY FROM 1952 TO 1964. ON JULY 5, 2013, GALT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED PRAGAI’S BANDMATE ANTHONY HORVATH ABOUT THE MEZEI ORCHESTRA. HORVATH SAID: “WITH MR. MEZEI'S BAND, WE PLAYED WEDDINGS, SUPPERS... MANY PICNICS, THREE PICNICS A SUMMER; SOMETIMES FOUR... [STEVE MEZEI] USED TO BE A SHOEMAKER ON 13 ST NORTH... EIGHT OR NINE YEARS I PLAYED WITH THEM [STARTING] IN '53... [BUT] THEY WERE PLAYING WAY BEFORE ME, ALL OVER... WELL TO ME THAT WAS JUST RELAXED ENTERTAINMENT. I FELT BEING RELAXED WHEN I PLAYED THE VIOLIN, SO I WAS ALWAYS JUST WAITING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, EVEN JUST TO PRACTICE WHEN WE GET TOGETHER, AND… WE WERE MOSTLY PRACTICING IN THE BASEMENT [OF STEVE DOBAY]. HE HAD A HOUSE ON 5 STREET... [WE HAD] CIMBALON, THE BIG BASS, AND THE FIRST AND SECOND VIOLIN... SOMETIMES THERE WAS MORE BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER CIMBALON PLAYER, AND BOTH OF THEM WORKED TOGETHER... MR. HOPAK, HE ALSO HAD HIS OWN CIMBALON, AND THE RIVALNESS WAS ALWAYS ONE TO BE MORE ACCEPTABLE THAN ANOTHER ONE, BUT WE GAVE THEM BOTH THE CHANCE TO PLAY SOMETIMES... [IN] MEZEI'S BAND NOBODY READ SHEET MUSIC, ONLY ME, AND THAT WAS VERY FORTUNATE FOR ME, BECAUSE I COULD CHOOSE WHAT WAS EASIER FOR ME TO PLAY... THE TYPE OF MUSIC THAT THEY PLAYED, IT STILL WAS FROM 1700-1800. [I] WAS TRYING TO INTRODUCE NEW SONGS OR NEW MELODIES... I CAME WITH MORE MODERN STUFF. EVERYBODY LIKED IT, EVEN AS FOLK MUSIC, MODERN… AS A NEWCOMER, THEY FOUND OUT EVERYBODY LIKES THE WAY I PLAY, SO IT WAS VERY ACCEPTABLE… MUSIC WAS ALWAYS WELCOME TO BRIGHTEN UP THE GATHERINGS. AND IN THOSE DAYS, WE NEVER CHARGED ANYTHING TO PLAY… HUNGARIANS HAVE THE HABIT TO PUT THE MONEY IN THE [VIOLIN] BOW IN A ROW AND THEN YOU PLAY, AND EVERYBODY SEES IT. AND WHEN ONE PUTS IT IN, SO THAT EVERYBODY COULD SEE IT, AND THEN THE RIVAL SAYS ‘AH HAH, HE PUT $20 IN. I’M GOING TO PUT ANOTHER $20 IN.’ WE GATHERED THE MONEY TOGETHER, TO THE BAND, THAT WAS OUR WAGES. THERE WAS A FREE MEAL, AND I TOLD THE BOYS ‘NO BOOZE’ BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PLAY. BUT AFTER, WHEN IT WAS FINISHED, EVERYBODY HAD A COUPLE SHOTS... THE OLD MAN DIED, MR. MEZEI DIED, AND AFTER HIS SON DIED, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER OLD MAN, PODALAKI, HE'S GONE TOO. I AM THE ONLY ONE LEFT FROM THE MEZEI'S BAND WHO IS ALIVE... IT DIED OUT... WHEN THE OLD MAN DIED, THE BAND STOPPED.” ON NOVEMBER 6, 2013, GALT MUSEUM COLLECTIONS TECH KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED METZGER ABOUT HER CONNECTION TO PRAGAI AND THE CIMBALOM. METZGER SAID: “WHEN JOE PASSED AWAY HE LEFT [THE CIMBALOM] TO ME IN HIS WILL BECAUSE I WAS STILL A LITTLE GIRL AT THE TIME AND IT USED TO QUITE THRILL ME TO SIT AND LISTEN TO HIM PLAY HIS FUNNY PIANO AND SO SINCE I WAS SO INTERESTED IN IT HE SAID TO MY DAD THAT IT WAS TO BE MINE WHEN HE NO LONGER NEEDED IT… HE WAS LIKE A GRANDFATHER FIGURE TO ME AND I GUESS I WAS SPECIAL ENOUGH IN HIS LIFE THAT HE WANTED ME TO HAVE ONE OF HIS SPECIAL POSSESSIONS… QUITE OFTEN MY PARENTS WOULD GO OUT TO PICTURE BUTTE, WHERE JOE LIVED, AND HE HAD HIS CIMBALOM THERE AND I REMEMBER A WOODEN CHAIR SITTING BESIDE IT AND I WOULD SIT ON THAT WOODEN CHAIR AND ASK HIM TO PLAY MUSIC FOR ME BECAUSE HE COULD PLAY IT LIKE NO OTHER INSTRUMENT I’VE HEARD ANYBODY PLAY. HE WOULD JUST MAKE IT SING AND I WOULD SO ENJOY IT, AND I THINK HE APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT I APPRECIATED HIS TALENT AND THE CIMBALOM… I REMEMBER GOING IN AND LOOKING AT THIS BIG FUNNY TABLE WITH THESE BIG LEGS AND A BLANKET OVER THE TOP… HE ALWAYS HAD AN OLD BLANKET ON IT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE DUST, AND I REMEMBER HIM TAKING THAT OFF AND FOLDING THE BLANKET SO METICULOUSLY AND SETTING IT ON ANOTHER CHAIR, AND THEN HE WOULD PICK UP THE LITTLE HAMMERS AND BEGIN TO PLAY. I REMEMBER BEING QUITE AMAZED THAT THIS BIG, MONSTROUS, I MEAN TO ME IT WAS HUGE, THIS BIG HUGE INSTRUMENT, THIS FUNNY THING WITH ALL THESE STRINGS ON IT MADE SUCH BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL MUSIC… IT’S KIND OF A CROSS BETWEEN A HARP AND A PIANO. I REMEMBER THINKING, WELL I USED TO CALL IT HIS FUNNY PIANO, BECAUSE IT REMINDED ME VERY MUCH OF THE STRINGS, THE UPRIGHT STRINGS ON THE PIANO, BUT LAID DOWN… MY PARENTS CLEANED OUT JOE’S HOUSE AFTER HE PASSED AND MADE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS LOOKED AFTER FOR HIM AND THEY BROUGHT THE CIMBALOM HOME. WE SET IT UP IN THE BASEMENT BECAUSE AT THAT POINT JOE HAD TAUGHT ME A FEW THINGS ABOUT PLAYING ON IT AND I HAD ALWAYS HOPED THAT I WOULD FIND SOMEONE THAT KNEW A LITTLE BIT MORE TO TEACH ME, BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED. SO, ANYHOW I DO KNOW C SCALE… I FIDDLED AROUND ON IT LIKE YOUNG ADULTS WOULD DO, AND EVEN WHEN WE MOVED IT TO RED DEER I HAD IT SET UP – I WAS NEWLY MARRIED – AND I WOULD SIT DOWN AND TRY AND PLAY IT AND MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF IT, AND NOT TOO SUCCESSFULLY… MY DAD HAD MENTIONED THAT HE HAD RUN ACROSS SOMEONE IN PASSING THAT HAD KNOWN JOE AND KNEW ABOUT THE CIMBALOM AND HAD ASKED WHAT HAD BECOME OF IT AND ASKED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SELLING IT, AND WHEN MY DAD MENTIONED THAT TO ME I SAID I HAVE NO INTEREST IN SELLING THAT… IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY JOE AND I CAN’T TURN AROUND AND MAKE MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A GIFT OUT OF, I GUESS, LOVE… SO AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE NICE TO MAKE IT AS A DONATION TO THE HUNGARIAN CLUB BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO SELL IT.” IN 1999, METZGER DONATED THE CIMBALOM TO THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY OF LETHBRIDGE. THE SOCIETY WAS BASED OUT OF THE HUNGARIAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON 10 AVE AND 10 ST NORTH. METZGER SAID: “AT THE TIME THAT I HAD DONATED [THE CIMBALOM] THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL CLUB INVITED ME AND MY HUSBAND AND MY PARENTS TO COME TO THEIR BANQUET AND THEIR CELEBRATION… THEY DID HAVE THE CIMBALOM UP AT THE TIME SO I DID GET TO SEE IT THEN AND SOMEONE HAD DONE SOME WORK ON IT… IT WAS LOVELY, IT WAS STURDY, IT WAS WELL CLEANED AND POLISHED, NO DUST, NO NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND SO IT WAS KIND OF NEAT TO SEE THAT AND… IT MADE US FEEL LIKE IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR GROUP.” THE HUNGARIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY HAD ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS, LASZLO KURTOS, MAKE A CUSTOM SLIPCOVER FOR THE INSTRUMENT, IN THE COLOURS OF THE HUNGARIAN FLAG. AS THE SOCIETY'S MEMBERSHIP LESSENED, THE CHURCH WAS SOLD AND THE SOCIETY MOVED INTO A SHARED SPACE AT THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA ETHNIC ASSOCIATION. THE CIMBALOM WAS MOVED INTO THE HOME OF SOCIETY MEMBER LAJOS LUDOVIC SZILASI AND STAYED THERE UNTIL SOCIETY BOARD MEMBER CAROLE GEMER CONTACTED THE GALT IN SEPTEMBER 2010 AND PROPOSED THAT THE CIMBALOM BE DONATED. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TRANSCRIPTS OF INTERVIEWS, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20120044000

Acquisition Date

2011-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail