The fourth of the
Scènes is the most famous of the set. It is based on three well-known melodies popular at the end of nineteenth century. The first originates from
The Yellow Stallion (1877), and is still in the repertoire of many gypsy bands today. The words for the song read as follows: ‘I am the bad man of the village / Every dog barks at me from afar, / Not my father, nor my mother were wicked, / Only I, and I alone, am the villain.’ The next theme appears in
The Love of a Young Baron (1875) composed by Lujza Oláh. The lyrics by the poet Erkel read: ‘Dark-red wine I’ve drunk tonight’ and concludes ‘Even being drunk – the girls still love me!’ The final bouncy tune which ends the work was also used by Brahms in his
Hungarian Dance No 21, and is interrupted briefly by a slower melody.
from notes by Amnon Shaham © 2004
