Szelényi, István

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Szelényi, István

Szelényi, István, Hungarian composer and musicologist; b. Zólyom, Aug. 8, 1904; d. Budapest, Jan. 31, 1972. He studied at the Budapest Academy of Music with Kodály. He toured as a concert pianist (1928-30); returning to Budapest, he taught at the Cons, (from 1945), later serving as its director; also taught at the Academy of Music (1956-72); ed. the journal Új Zenei Szemle (1951-56). In 1969 he was awarded the Erkel Prize.

Writings

(all publ, in Budapest) Rendszeres modulációtan (Methodical Theory of Modulation; 1927; second ed., 1960); A zenetorténet és bölcselettörtenet kapcsolatai (The Interrelations of the History of Music and That of Philosophy; 1944); Liszt élete képekben (Liszt’s Life in Pictures; 1956); A romantikus zene harmóniavílága (The Harmonic Realm of Romantic Music; 1959); A magyar zene torténete (The History of Hungarian Music; 1965); A népdalharmónizálás alapelvei (Principles of Folk-Song Harmonization; 1967).

Works

dramatic: Pantomimes: A tékozlo fiú (The Prodigal Son; 1931); Babiloni vásár (The Fair at Babylon; 1931). Operetta: Hidavatás (1936). ORCH.: Sym. No. 1 (1926); Violin Concerto (1930); Ouverture activiste (1931); Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano, and Wind Orch. (1933); Géptánc—Munkatánc (Machine Dance—Work Dance; 1942); Az ösök nyomâban (In the Footsteps of the Ancestors), sym. for Strings (1946); Egy gyár szimfóniája (Symphony for a Factory; 1946-7); Hommage à Bartók (1947); Violin Concertino (1947-48); Suite for Strings (1952); Summa vitae for Piano and Orch. (1956); Concerto da camera (1963); Dance Suite for Strings (1964); Piano Concertino (1964); Variations concertants for Piano and Orch. (1965); Piano Concerto (1969). CHAMBER: 2 sonatas for Solo Violin (1925, 1934); Flute Sonata (1926); 4 string quartets (1927, 1928, 1929, 1964); 2 piano trios (1934,1962); Sonata for 4 Violins (1946); Sonatina for 2 Violins (1963); Sinfonietta a tre for 3 Violins (1964); 3 Dialogues for Violin and Cello (1965); Chamber Music for 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, and 2 Trombones (1966). Piano: 7 sonatas (1924-69); Sonatina (1960); Toccata (1964); Musical Picture Book (1967). VOCAL: Oratorios, including Virata (1935), Spartacus (1960), 10 Days That Shook the World (1964), and Pro Pace (1968); choral works; songs.