The violin is a string and bow instrument. The strings
are tunned in perfect fifths and pulled-up over one
side of the resonant box. They deeply vibrate when the
bow is drawn over them. Compared to other string
and bow instruments (the viola, the cello and the
double bass), the violin is the smallest of them and it
generated the highest pitch notes. It is also known as
„violină”, „diblă”, „lăută” and in some cases
„ceteră”. The person who plays the violin is called
violinist or fiddler. The person who builds and repairs
a violin is called luthier.
The ocarina (from the italian „ocarina”) is a
traditional instrument made of ceramic (burnt clay),
metal or wood (plum wood). It has the shape of a
much bigger and lenghtened egg. Each manufacturer
can modify the shape after its own knowledge and
fantasy and after the sound he wants to achieve. At
one end you have the blowing hole and on its body
you have the tiny holes that you close with your
fingers and just like the flute you can modify the pitch
of sounds. This instrument produces sounds similar to
the flute. Nowadays, the ocarina is found only on folk
fiddlers.
3. Folk dances
Hora (pl. hore) is a traditional Romanian folk dance where the dancers hold each other's hands and the circle
spins, usually counterclockwise, as each participant follows a sequence of three steps forward and one step
back. The dance is usuall y accompanied by musical instruments such as
the cymbalum, accordion, violin, viola, double bass, saxophone, trumpet or the pan pipes.
The Hora is popular during wedding celebrations and festivals, and is an essential part of the social
entertainment in rural areas. One of the most famous hore is the Hora Unirii (Hora of the Union), which
became a Romanian patriotic song as a result of being the hymn when Wallachia and Moldaviaunited to
form the Principality of Romania in 1859. During the 2006/2007 New Year's Eve celebration, when Romania
and Bulgaria joined the European Union, people were dancing Hora Bucuriei (Hora of Joy) over the
boulevards of Bucharest as a tribute to the EU anthem, Ode to Joy (Odă bucuriei). Some of the biggest hora
circles can be found on early 20th century movies filmed by the Manakis brothers in Pindus, Greece and
performed by local Aromanians.