André Hajdu ( hu, Hajdú András; he, אנדרה היידו; 5 March 1932 – 1 August 2016) was a Hungarian-born Israeli composer and ethnomusicologist.

Biography

Hajdu studied at the

Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music ( hu, Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the ...

in Budapest with Endre Szervánszky and Ferenc Szabó (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and

Zoltán Kodály Zoltán Kodály (; hu, Kodály Zoltán, ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music edu ...

(ethnomusicology). As a Kodály disciple, he was involved for two years in research about Gypsy musical culture and published several articles on this subject. After the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

, Hajdu escaped to Paris and continued his studies at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

with

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

(composition) and Olivier Messiaen (philosophy of music), obtaining the 1st prize in the discipline. Among his class mates were

Gilbert Amy Gilbert Amy (born 29 August 1936) is a French composer and conductor. Career Born in Paris, Amy entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1954, where he was taught and influenced by Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud and studied piano with Yvonne Lo ...

William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He ...

, Philip Corner and

Paul Méfano Paul Méfano (March 6, 1937 – September 15, 2020), was a French composer and conductor. Biography Paul Méfano was born in Basra, Iraq. He pursued musical studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and then later at the Paris Conservat ...

. In Paris he met a variety of stimulating people from the playwright Samuel Beckett to Prof. Israel Adler of the

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

, who brought him on his first visit to Israel in 1966. Mira Zakai, Andre Hajdu - cropped

Hajdu took up residence in Jerusalem in 1966. He taught at the Tel Aviv Music Academy from 1966 to 1991 and at

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academi ...

since 1970. He served as chairman in the Music Department there and founded a composition department. His notable students have included Aharon Razel, Gil Shohat,

Yonatan Razel Yonatan Razel is an American-Israeli singer, writer, composer, musical arranger and conductor. Biography Yonatan Razel was born in New York and moved to Israel at a young age with his family. Razel is the brother of musicians Aaron Razel and R ...

Yoni Rechter Yoni Rechter ( he, יוני רכטר; born 18 November 1951) is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and singer. Biography Yonatan (Yoni) Rechter was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is the son of Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and st ...

, Matti Kovler and Matan Porat. Hajdu composed many pedagogical works, particularly for piano and theory through a creative approach (involving the player to the process of composing) e.g. Milky Way, Art of Piano-playing, Book of Challenges, Concerto for 10 young pianists. All this is connected with the practice of creative teaching in the Israel Arts & Science Academy in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching. He also studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject. He was deeply involved in Jewish topics, not only on the usual folkloristic or liturgical levels, but also confronted more abstract subjects of Jewish thought (Oral Law, philosophical books of the Bible) as well as Jewish History. In 2005 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Jerusalem Hebrew University. Hajdu died in Jerusalem at age 84.

Awards

* In 1955, Hajdu won the first prize with his Gypsy Cantata at the competition of the World Festival of Youth in Warsaw. * In 1997, he was awarded the Israel Prize, for music.

Selected works

;For the Stage * ''Ludus Paschalis'', a medieval passover play (1970) * ''The Story of Jonas'', Opera for children's choir (1985–1987) * ''Koheleth (Ecclesiaste)'', a biblical recitation with 4 celli ;Orchestral * ''Petit enfer'' (1959) * ''The Unbearable Intensity of Youth'' (1976) * ''Bashful Serenades'' for clarinet and orchestra (1979) * ''On Light and Depth'' (1983–1984) * ''Concerto for an Ending Century'' for piano and orchestra (1990) * ''Continuum'' for 15 players and piano (1995) ;Strings * ''Truath Melech (Rhapsody on Jewish Themes)'' for clarinet and string orchestra (1974) * ''The False Prophet'' for narrator and string orchestra (1977) * ''Divertimento'' (1988) * ''Overture in Form of a Kite'' (1985) ;Chamber * ''5 Sketches in Sentimental Mood'' for piano quartet (1976) * ''Instants suspendus'' for violin, viola or cello solo (1978) * ''Sonatine à la française'' (Sonatina in French Style) for flute and cello (1990) * ''Variations'' for string quartet (1997) * ''Birth of a Niggun'' for flute, clarinet and piano (1998) * ''Mishna-Variations'' for string quartet (1998) * ''Music for Three'' for violin, cello and piano (1999) ;Piano * ''Plasmas'' (1957) * ''Diary from Sidi-Bou Said'' (1960) * ''Journey around My Piano'' (1963) * ''Noir sur blanc'' (1988) * ''Metamorphoses'' (1997) * ''5 Inventions'' for piano 4-hands (1983) ;Songs * ''The Floating Tower'' (Mishnayoth) (1972–1973) * ''Bestiary'' (Ted Hughes) (1993) * ''Merry Feet'' (1998) * ''Nursery Songs'' ;Vocal-orchestral * ''Cycles of Life'', Cantata (1985) * ''Dreams of Spain'' (1991); about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain * ''Job and His Comforters'', Biblical and Historical Oratorio (1995) ;Choral * ''House of Shaul'' for mixed chorus (1974) * ''The Question of the Sons'' (1974) * ''Bitzinioth Nov'' (Song of the Sea) (1973) * ''Mishnayoth'' (1972–1973) * ''Proverbs of Solomon'' for choir and percussion (1978)

Discography

* On Light and Depth. I.M.I. (Israel)
Ecclesiaste
R.C.A. Victor (France)
Dreams of Spain
- Hungaroton (Budapest)
Concerto for an ending century
- Hungaroton (Budapest) * Truath Melech. Plane (Germany)
Book of Challenges
(Israel)
Retro-Portrait
(Israel)
Music For Chamber Ensembles
(Israel)

References

Sources

*Kennedy, Michael (2006). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', second edition. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. *Schleifer, Eliyahu (2001). "Hajdu, André". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.

External links

Official Andre Hajdu website

Andre Hajdu page from Bar-Ilan University site

Andre Hajdu at the Israel Composers' League

Ha'Oman Hai Ensemble on Facebook

Ha'Oman Hai Ensemble: Kulmus Ha-Nefesh