A small cymbalom was also later produced in Ukraine during the 1950's that came with attachable legs and dampers but could be carried more easily than a concert instrument.
These six young Polish musicians have dug into their homeland's overlooked folk music tradition and discovered a lively and rhythmic cache of songs that can be played on acoustic violins, basses, cymbaloms and drums.
The performance involved a single musician playing original music, jarring yet rhythmic, on cello and cimbalom.
He learned the cymbalom from his father, and performed throughout Europe as a child.
Tsimbls used to be strung with thinner strings and less tension, in contrast to the Hungarian-Romanian cymbaloms of today, which use piano wire strung with a barbaric tension of 40-50 kilos per string.
He plays the cymbalom with beautiful precision, his touch is so sure, fabulously melodic yet never overplaying.
It's beautiful, very formal music, heavy on the violin and the glorious cimbalom.
The Romanian cimbalom figures prominently for a start, playing the recurring figure representing confusion.
Many top players use his hammered dulcimers, and though he's made cymbaloms, citterns, mandolins and the world's only Renaissance Banjo, hammered dulcimers are still mostly what he builds.
The traditional Romanian cimbalom (dulcimer or zither) is the sole accompaniment on the dramatic and stately ‘Cine iubeste si lasa.’
Hungarian Roma music, played on violins and cimbaloms, can be heard in many Hungarian restaurants.
The cymbalom, not a particularly well-known instrument in the United States, conjures up the mystery and romance of eastern Europe.
In the second version the brass was replaced by a harmonium and the strings by a pianola and two cymbaloms.
I want to make a cymbalom and get the mellow rich tone of the traditional instrument.
Origin
Late 19th century: from Hungarian, from Italian cembalo, cimbalo, from Latin cymbalum(see cymbal).