Székely, Endre

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Székely, Endre

Székely, Endre, Hungarian composer; b. Budapest, April 6, 1912; d. there, April 14, 1989. He studied with Siklós at the Budapest Academy of Music (1933-37), then joined the outlawed Communist party, and was active as a conductor and composer with various workers’ choral groups; ed. the periodicals ÉnekW Munkás (The Singing Worker) and Éneklo Nép (The People Sing). In 1960 he was appointed to the faculty of the Budapest Training Coll. for Teachers.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Vizirózsa (Water Rose; 1959; Budapest Radio, 1962); Közene (Stone Music; 1981). Operetta: Aranycsillag (The Golden Star; Budapest, 1951). ORCH.: 3 suites: No. 1 for Small Orch. (1947), No. 2 for Strings (1961), and No. 3 for Full Orch. (1965); Sym. (1956); Rhapsody for Violin and Orch. (1956); Partita for Strings (1957); Concerto for Piano, Percussion, and Strings (1958); Sinfonia concertante for Violin, Piano, and Chamber Orch. (1960-61); Concerto for 8 Solo Instruments and Orch. (1964); Partita (1965); Fantasma (1969); Trumpet Concerto (1971); Riflessioni, concerto for Cello and Orch. (1973); Humanisation for Chamber Ensemble and Tape (1974); Concerto in memoriam Webern for Horn and Orch. (1976); Violin Concerto (1979; rev. 1987); Rapsodia for Piano and Orch. (1985); Wave Motions (1987); Concerto Grosso for Harpsichord and Strings (1987). CHAMBER: String Trio (1943); 3 wind quintets (1952, 1961, 1966); 5 string quartets (1953, 1958, 1962, 1972, 1981); Rhapsody for Viola and Piano (1956); 2 wind trios (1958, 1959); Capriccio for Flute and Piano (1961); Chamber Music for 8 (1963); Chamber Music for 3 (1965); Musica notturna for Piano, Wind Quintet, and String Quintet (1967); Trio for Percussion, Piano, and Cello (1968-69); Musica da camera for Double Bass, Flute, Percussion, and Piano (1978); Horn Sonata (1980); HaBem Music for Saxophone and Percussion (1983); Clarinet Sonata (1984); Quartetto per tromboni (1988); also 4 piano sonatas (1952, 1962, 1972, 1988). VOCAL: 3 oratorios: Dózsa György (1959; rev. 1974), Nenia (1968-69), and Justice in Jerusalem (1986); Meditations for Tenor and Orch. (1961-62); Maqamat for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1970); choruses; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire