Different social strata in musical collections of the 19th century and the way from the individual songbook to conserving collective treasures

Abstract

The early collection of Hungarian folk songs under the influence of the Enlightenment, was similar to the European documentation of literature and language in general. The collections are historical sources to the living tradition, too. They lighten to musical styles of the different periods, characteristics of different social groups and their typical songs. Individually, but mainly collectively they also capitally reflect to the era of their origin. As the terms „folk song”, „folk music” were unexplained yet, these collections contained all kind of melodies expanding from peasant songs to popular art songs. The publication of these collections started already in the first half of the 19th century. In the second half of the century a new way was taken with the intention to create a universal collection of Hungarian songs.