# Zoltán Kodály



## Sid James

Kodály was responsible, with his colleague Bela Bartók, for bringing to light the folk music traditions of Hungary and surrounding countries. They not only studied and collected this music in the early years of the C20th, but integrated its spirit and idioms into their compositions.

Born in Kecskemet in 1881, his father was a local railway station master and keen amateur musician. Reflecting his interest in both literature and music, Kodaly went in 1900 to Budapest to study in both these areas in the University and also the Academy of Music. He finished his studies with a Ph.D. for a study of Hungarian folksongs.

His major compositions date from the 1920's and 30's. These include the folk opera _Háry János_ (1927), which is today rarely performed outside of Hungary, although the concert suite extracted from it is in the reperetoire. Other works of this period were the _Psalmus Hungaricus _(1923), the _Budavari Te Deum _(written in 1936 to mark the 250th anniversary of the reconquest of Buda from the Turks) and the _Missa Brevis _(1939-45). Other important works are the _Marosszek_ and _Galanta_ Dances, the _Peacock Variations _(which was banned in Hungary during the Horthy dictatorship as it became synonimous with the struggle for political freedom) and the _Concerto for Orchestra_.

In his later years, Kodaly composed comparatively little, but he did make authoritative recordings of his own works and set up a national system of music education for schools in Hungary (this has come to be known as the Kodály method). He died in 1967 in Budapest.


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## JTech82

I like Kodaly. He's certainly not my favorite composer. I like Bartok much better, but Kodaly is good.


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## Mr Dull

I heard Hary Janos years ago and was so impressed that I rushed out and bought a LP (it was that long ago) put it on and listened and thought that it was very dull. A good performance makes a huge difference. I don't think I have listened to his music properly since. 
I will have to give him another chance.


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## xJuanx

I sang Budavári Te Deum. It's a great piece!


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## emiellucifuge

Hary Janos is one of my most beloved pieces of music ever written


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## livemylife

His cello sonatas are nice.


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## Taneyev

His solo cello sonata is the most important work in this form since Bach. Also his 2 SQ are very fine pieces.


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## kg4fxg

*Obsessing over Bios and Correspondence*

Andre,

Thank you for starting such a wonderful threat. I have only one piece by Zoltán Kodály, Three Hungarian Folk-Dances. I need to read more about this fascinating composer. I can see this is going to cost me more $$$ in books and music. Got to check out Zoltán Kodály biographies.

Why oh why do I always have to read bios and correspondence of these composers? I just can't help obsessing over it.

Oh, many many thanks!


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## Mirror Image

kg4fxg said:


> Andre,
> 
> Thank you for starting such a wonderful threat. I have only one piece by Zoltán Kodály, Three Hungarian Folk-Dances. I need to read more about this fascinating composer. I can see this is going to cost me more $$$ in books and music. Got to check out Zoltán Kodály biographies.
> 
> Why oh why do I always have to read bios and correspondence of these composers? I just can't help obsessing over it.
> 
> Oh, many many thanks!


Have you been to Wikipedia? You can read all kinds of composers biographies on there. Just type in the composer's name and away you go.

http://www.wikipedia.org


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## kg4fxg

*Wiki*

I'll start with the Wikipedia, it cheaper than all those used books on amazon, yes they are cheap but the 3 bucks shipping adds up.

I also use these cites to help me.

http://www.classicalarchives.com/
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/

I wish I could retire, maybe go back to school and get a music degree to go along with my others (Accounting, Philosophy, Theology) etc.

Must be a sign of old age, I love to learn


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## Mirror Image

kg4fxg said:


> I'll start with the Wikipedia, it cheaper than all those used books on amazon, yes they are cheap but the 3 bucks shipping adds up.
> 
> I also use these cites to help me.
> 
> http://www.classicalarchives.com/
> http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/main.jsp
> http://www.gramophone.co.uk/
> 
> I wish I could retire, maybe go back to school and get a music degree to go along with my others (Accounting, Philosophy, Theology) etc.
> 
> Must be a sign of old age, I love to learn


Here's another site you might be interested in:

http://www.classical.net


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## Matthew

I love his choral works, especially his arrangement of Esti Dal (evening song) wonderful work!


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