Saltus Hungaricus - László Zempléni

The second half of the 18th century, for the people of East Central Europe, was the time of the awakening of national consciousness. The leading force in the Hungarian enlightenment, the lesser nobility, also regarded as important the national character of the country's culture. A valuable kind of national music was the Hungarian dance music that flourished in the 18th century. The greater part of the repertoire naturally perpetuates the 'Hungarian-style' pieces from the previous centuries (appearing in foreign collections too described as hungaricus, ungaresca, saltus hungaricus or Ungarischer Tanz), but beside these we can encounter contemporary European dances and entertaininginstrumental pieces in almost every style.