Cimbalom (Hungarian Hammered Dulcimer)
Large hammered dulcimer of Hungary, a trapezoid box with rows of metal strings struck by small wooden hammers; the concert cimbalom developed in Budapest in the 1870s. It appears in Romani music and in the works of composers such as Kodály and Bartók, while its village relatives are played across Eastern Europe; the Hungarian word cimbalom names the whole family of hammered dulcimers. The instrument has two registers of strings crossing the soundboard, a damping pedal to stop the ringing, and a boxy, resonant tone that carries clearly in a hall. Virtuoso players command a solo repertoire, and