Vántai, Péter P(ál)

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Vántai, Péter P(ál)

Vántai, Péter P(ál), Hungarian writer on music; b. Budapest, July 10, 1922; d. there, Jan. 31, 1992. He studied composition with Szervánszky and conducting with Ferencsik at the Budapest Cons. He worked for the Hungarian Radio (1945-50) and was active as a conductor (1951-54). He then devoted himself to music research and criticism and was an ed. of Editio Musica in Budapest (1956-82). In addition to his writings on contemporary Hungarian music and musicians, he wrote authoritatively on Verdi.

Writings

all publ. in Budapest): Goldmark Károly (1956); A lengyel zene története (History of Polish Music; 1959); Heinrich Schütz (1959); Tardos Béla (1966); Maros Rudolf (1967); Székely Mihály (1967); Rösier Endre (1969); Oratóriumok könyve (Book of Oratorios; 1972); Operalexikon (1975); Verdi Magyarországon (Verdi in Hungary; 1975); Verdi-operakalauz (Verdi′s Operas; 1978); Beszélgetések Ligeti György-gyel (In Conversation with György Ligeti; 1979; Eng. tr., 1983).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire