Kenessey, Jenö

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Kenessey, Jenö

Kenessey, Jenö, Hungarian conductor and composer; b. Budapest, Sept. 23, 1905; d. there, Aug. 19, 1976. He studied with Lajtha (composition) and Sugár (organ) at the Budapest Cons., Siklós (composition) at the Budapest Academy of Music, and Shalk (conducting) in Salzburg. He was a conductor at the Budapest Opera (1932–65), where he conducted his opera Ar any meg az asszony (Gold and the Woman; 1942; May 8, 1943) and his ballet May Festival (Nov. 29, 1948). His other works included the ballets Montmartre (1930), Johnny in Boots (1935), Mine Is the Bridegroom (1938), Perhaps Tomorrow (1938), Miraggio (1938), The Kerchief (1951), and Bihari’s Song (1954), Dance Impressions for Orch. (1933), Divertimento for Soprano and Orch. (1945), Dances from Sarköz for Orch. (1953), Beams of Light, cantata (1960), Canzonetta for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1970), Dawn at Balaton, symphonic poem, with Narrator and Women’s Voices (1972), Piano Quartet (1928–29), Sonata for Flute and Harp (1940), 2 harp trios (1940, 1972), Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Piano (1940), Divertimento for Viola and Harp (1963), Elegy and Scherzo for Piano (1973), and songs and choruses.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire