Instrumental ensembles, taraf, with professional musicians, lăutari, have been playing for dancing in Romania for some 300 years. In the past these were small formations with regionally distinguishable sounds and line ups.
The term lăutar is derived from lăută, a lute type of stringed instrument, the musician that plays this is a lăutar. This term my originate from the middle-ages popularity of the lute through European courts. The term has extended to include all musicians of a popular music taraf, and those who sing popular songs with the taraf. In Romania, most musicians playing popular music in tarafuri are now gypsies, hence gypsy musicians are known as lăutari, although historically the term refers to a profession rather than an ethnic background. A small formation of musicians playing popular music is known as a taraf. The members of a taraf are normally lăutari, but need not be gypsy musicians.
Following WW2 the lăutari who were playing in the city restaurants joined to form larger ensembles. At first these did not have a conductor, the repertoire was that from the restaurants and cafes, and the number of musicians was not planned. The success of these led to the formation of the Folk Orchestra with a conductor, new arrangements based on traditional melodies and a distinctive new sound. In 1948 the "Institutului de Folclor din Romania" formed an orchestra of 80 musicians under the directorship of Victor Predescu. Then in 1953, under the Bucuresti Philharmonic orchestra "George Enescu", the popular orchestra "Barbu Lautaru" was founded. Followed by the ensemble "Ciocarlia" under the conductorship of Victor Predescu.
Based on this model regional orchestras were formed such as "Doina Banatului" in Caransebeş, "Banatul" in Timişoara, "Doina Moldovei" in Iaşi, "Doina Gorjului" in Târgu Jiu, "Doina Argeşului" ion Piteşti, "Cindreul" in Sibiu, "Mioriţa" in Braşov, etc.
The period of Socialist rule facilitated the organization of these orchestras who undertook foreign tours representing Romania and made many recordings on the state record label "Electrecord". Some of the most prolific conductors and arrangers were George Vancu, George Sârbu and Paraschiv Oprea. Many of these recordings are currently being re-released on CD by "Electrecord".
It is this music, and especially the panpipe, that the world audience associates with Romanian traditional music and dance. The negative aspects of this trend are that the music has become set with little spontaneity and the regional styles have become blurred. On the positive side, two old lăutari instruments, the nai and cobza, had nearly died out but were re-introduced into the new Folk Orchestras and Romania has a vast archive of high quality recordings of the traditional songs and dances.
The instrumentation of the taraf has continued to progress with fashion. For example the cobza was replaced by the ţambal mic, then the ţambal mare, and recently by the accordion. The melody line is being taken over by the clarinet and saxophone, and now wedding line ups include drum sets and electronic keyboards. With the new free-market economy there are many independent record labels, recording studios and performers producing cassettes and CDs of regional music.
References
Alexandru, T (1980), Romanian folk music, Musical publishing house, Bucharest
Alexandru, T, sleeves note on monitor MFS377
DEX Dictionalul Explicativ al Limbii Romane