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Cafe Continental

Various Artists
Cafe Continental

Café Continental presents three types of instrumental music from Central Europe. Ruth Welcome, from Germany and Switzerland, plays solos on the zither and performs a mix of folk and contemporary European music, as well as two old British ballads. She is followed by Dick Marta, originally from Hungary, who performs traditional Hungarian music and a Romanian selection on the cimbalom, a European variant of the hammer dulcimer. Welcome's and Marta's selections were recorded in New York cafés.

The second half of the recording features the Wiener (Viennese) Konzerschrammeln performing a type of Viennese music known as schrammelmusik. The Wiener Konzerschrammeln, formed in 1946, consists of four musicians—two violinists, a guitarist (on contra-guitar), and a harmonica player. They were recorded in a café in Vienna.

Brief liner notes provide information on the performers, their music, and their instruments.

Track Listing

101
Happy Dancing Rose / Greensleeves Ruth Welcome 03:52  
102
Two Little Stars / Deep Down in the Valley Ruth Welcome 03:05  
103
Barbara Allen / The River Seine Ruth Welcome 02:55  
104
September Song Ruth Welcome 02:47  
105
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 8 Dick Marta 01:58  
106
Roumanian Rhapsody Dick Marta 04:31  
107
Traditional Csardas group Dick Marta 05:27  
201
Gruss aus Wien Medley Anita Ast and the Wiener Konzerschrammeln 04:16  
202
Wienberln und Zibiben Anita Ast and the Wiener Konzerschrammeln 05:06  
203
Im Wiener Dialekt Anita Ast and the Wiener Konzerschrammeln 03:46  
204
Schusterbuben Gallopp Anita Ast and the Wiener Konzerschrammeln 06:44  
205
Fischertoni Marsch Anita Ast and the Wiener Konzerschrammeln 02:57