The tárogató, also called the töröksíp or Turkish pipe, is a woodwind instrument often played in Hungarian folk music. The modern version of the tárogató was created to copy the original instrument, but the two are not very similar.
History
The tárogató is mentioned in Hungarian writings since at least the 15th century. It is unclear if the Hungarians first brought it to Europe when they moved west in the 9th century. However, it is certain that similar instruments, which came from the Middle Eastern zurna, were introduced to Eastern Europe by the Turks during the Middle Ages. This is shown by the term "töröksip," meaning "Turkish pipe," which was used to describe the tárogató. It is possible that instruments from both traditions were combined. Until about the 18th century, the tárogató was a type of shawm, with a double reed, conical shape, and no keys.
Because the tárogató is very loud and rough-sounding, it was used as a signaling instrument in battle, like a bugle or bagpipe. However, depending on the reed used, it can also produce a soft, deep, and mellow sound when played slowly. The instrument was linked to the Rákóczi's War for Independence (1703–1711), so the Habsburg monarchy banned its use in the 18th century. It was later abandoned because it was considered too loud for concert halls.
In the 1890s, a modern version of the tárogató was created by Vencel József Schunda, a Budapest instrument maker. This version uses a single reed, like a clarinet or saxophone, and has a conical shape similar to a saxophone. It is made of wood, usually black grenadilla, like a clarinet or oboe. The most common size, the soprano tárogató in B♭, is about 29 inches (74 cm) long and has a sad, mellow sound like a mix between an English horn and a soprano saxophone. Other sizes exist, including a contrabass tárogató in E♭ made by János Stowasser. The modern tárogató looks very different from the historical version, and the two should not be confused. Some suggest the name "schundaphone" would have been more accurate, but "tárogató" was chosen because of the instrument's nationalistic image.
The tárogató was a symbol of Hungarian aristocracy and the favorite woodwind instrument of Governor Miklós Horthy. Manufacturing in Hungary stopped after World War II, but tárogatós continued to be made in Romania and other countries. In the 1990s, several Hungarian makers began producing the instrument again.
A modern tárogató may sometimes be heard in Act 3 of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. It has become traditional in some opera houses, like the Royal Opera House in London, to use it instead of the off-stage cor anglais for the final part of the Shepherd's air. However, Wagner did not specify this in the score, only suggesting "a specially built simple natural instrument."
In the 1920s, Luță Ioviță, who played the instrument during World War I, brought it to Banat, Romania, where it became popular under the name "taragot." In 1928, the British music journal Melody Maker reported that Frank Dyer, a clarinettist from Oxford, used a "taragossa," a Hungarian instrument described as a mix between a saxophone and a cor anglais, with his orchestra. No instrument called a "taragossa" exists, but the description matches the tárogató.
Dumitru Fărcaș, born in Maramureș, made the tárogató famous worldwide and was considered the most well-known player. German saxophonist Peter Brötzmann has used the tárogató in free jazz. American reed players Charles Lloyd, Scott Robinson, and Michael Marcus have occasionally played it. Joe Lovano has also used the tárogató in his music, including on his albums Trio Tapestry and Roma (both on ECM Records). In 2015, Romanian singer Irina Ross released a song called "Taragot" that features the instrument in a dance-pop track.