“We can establish our knowledge about the world, and through the light of other musical languages we can understand ours better as well. … The world becomes more and more open, and the art limited to one nation loses its sense as time passes. We are closer to the realisation of world music than to the world literature imagined by Goethe.” (Zoltán Kodály)
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Zoltán Kodály. In the article A patriot, not a nationalist, Mihály Ittzés writes about the composer’s aim “to make his nation’s voice audible” and to be a “teacher of Hungary”.
If we want to understand other nations, we first must understand ourselves. There is no better means for this than folk music. Getting acquainted with the folk songs of other countries is the best way to get acquainted with other peoples. (Zoltán Kodály)
Happy birthday, Zoltán Kodály. The composer was born today in 1882.
Read Mihály Ittzés’ essay on Zoltán Kodály with the title “A patriot, not a nationalist” – from which the above quote is taken – on our MusikSalon:
Listeners have approximately 23 days left to listen to the five “composer of the week” episodes on Zoltán Kodály that were presented by Donald Macleod of BBC Radio 3 over the course of the last week.
Find an overview of the available episodes on BBC Radio 3.
Conductor Sarah Bisley, the Aorangi Singers and Ensemble Polymnia present a unique all-Hungarian classical concert on 7 June at the Q Theatre in Auckland.
From the programme:
“Our final work is the incredible Psalmus Hungaricus, composed by Zoltan Kodaly in 1923 and rarely heard in the Hungarian language (as it will be tonight) outside of its native country. We are excited to have the internationally acclaimed opera and lieder singer, David Hamilton, as our tenor soloist, the well-known actor and director Raymond Hawthorne as the narrator of the poems in English and the children’s choir from Holy Trinity Cathedral, Auckland.”
Geoffrey Norris of The Telegraph has reviewed the Dante Quartet’s recent recording of Zoltán Kodály’s String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2, Intermezzo and Gavotte, stating that the Quartet “responds both subtly and animatedly to Zoltán Kodály's piquant, passionate music.”
Read the full review on The Telegraph.
The CD has been released on Hyperion.
_szabo_attila_230.jpg "Kodály (c) Szabó Attila")
The IX. Hungarian Dance Festival opens with choreographer
Velekei László’s new ballet Kodály, which
will be premièred by the Ballet Company of Győr on Monday, 17 June in Győr. The two-act ballet features
music by Zoltán
Kodály, including his Dances
of Galánta.
László Velekei about Kodály: “In my new choreography, I will not only address the audience with the play of bodies and emotions. Experience, good or bad, as well as sharing emotions within a community is always elevating. It will reinforce us, it will help us, therefore we will not be left alone. Disaffiliating from apathy, enterprise something daring; knowing ourselves hold out with the other and build something different and new.”