Marius Popp (21 September 1935, in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

– 8 November 2016) was a Romanian

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

and composer. Popp, who graduated from the Institute of Architecture Ion Mincu in Bucharest, studied with Maricica Neagu (

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

), Ana Severa Benţia (piano), Alexandru Paşcanu (

musical theory Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "Elements of music, rudiments", that are needed to understand ...

solfège In music, solfège (, ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a music education method used to teach aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, Western music. Solfège is ...

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

), and Corneliu Gheorghiu (piano).

Musical activity

He has participated in many jazz festivals:

Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commu ...

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

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Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

Debrecen Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and i ...

Nagykanizsa Nagykanizsa (; hr, Velika Kaniža/Velika Kanjiža, or just ''Kaniža/Kanjiža''; german: Großkirchen, Groß-Kanizsa; it, Canissa; sl, Velika Kaniža; tr, Kanije), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southw ...

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

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Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, Russe,

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Gărâna Brebu Nou (german: Weidenthal; hu, Temesfő) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania, with a population of 86 people. It is composed of two villages, Brebu Nou and Gărâna (''Wolfsberg''; ''Szörényordas''; until 1924, ''Volfsb ...

, etc. He played with

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

when the latter had a concert in

București Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

(1971). He was a member of the Mihai Berindei Sextet, of the București Jazz Quartet, and has played with

Aura Urziceanu Aura Urziceanu (born Bucharest, 14 December 1946), also known as Aura, is a Romanian female pop star who was famous in the 1970s and 1980s. In America she had performed as Urziceanu-Rully and Aura Rully. She has toured and performed with artists ...

Pedro Negrescu Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning " ...

Eugen Gondi Eugen Gondi (b. 1947, in Timișoara) is a Romanian-born jazz drummer. He graduated from the Arts Middle School in his hometown. He started his musical career by playing with the "Paul Weiner Free Jazz" trio. He has played with many famous Roman ...

Johnny Răducanu Johnny Răducanu (born Răducan Crețu; 1 December 1931 – 19 September 2011) was a Romanian jazz pianist of Romani people, Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century. He was born in Bră ...

, etc. He was a regular of

Electrecord Electrecord is a Romanian record label which was founded in 1932. It was subsequently transformed into the national recording company following the socialist doctrine of centralization and was the only record label in Communist Romania. History ...

's ''Jazz Series''. He has also collaborated with the Austrian saxophonist Harry Sokal. Since 1999 he has been a lecturer at the Appenzeller Jazz Days, Switzerland.

Discography (selection)

Vinyl LPs

* ''Jazz in trio'', Electrecord, 1967 * ''Panoramic jazz-rock'' (1977, Electrecord EDE 01266) * ''Nodul gordian'' – ''Seria jazz'' nr. 20 (1983, Electrecord EDE 02377) * ''Acordul fin. Fine Tuning'' – ''Seria jazz'' nr. 24 (1989, Electrecord EDE 03503) * ''Flașnetarium'' (1995, EDE 04401) * ''Margine de lume'', 2013

CDs

* ''Essential'' (2006, Electrecord EDC 671) – guest musicians: Peter Wertheimer,

Dan Andrei Aldea Dan Andrei Aldea (9 March 1950 – 18 January 2020) was a Romanian multi-instrumentalist (guitars, violin, and keyboards, mainly) and vocalist, best known for his work with the band Sfinx, but also for his solo career. Aldea was born in Buchar ...

, Decebal Bădilă, Alin Constanțiu and others. * ''Semințe prăjite. Roasted Seeds'' (2008, Electrecord EDC 889)

Film scores

*''Mijlocaș la dechidere'' (1979, directorț Dinu Tănase) *''Întoarce-te și mai privește o dată'' (1981, director: Dinu Tănase) *''Destinația Mahmudia'' (1981, director: Alexandru Boiangiu) *''La capătul liniei'' (1982, director: Dinu Tănase) *''Galax'' (director: Ion Popescu-Gopo) *''Rețeaua S.'' (director: Virgil Calotescu)

Stage music

*''Richard III'' *''Afară în fața ușii'' *''Astă seară Lola Blau''

Books

*''Armonia aplicativă în improvizația de jazz'', București, Edit. Nemira, 1998 *''34 teme de jazz'', București, Edit. Muzicală, 2004

Awards

* Romanian Composers' and Musicologists' Union Award * UNITER Award * Romanian Musical Critics' Union Award * ''Actualitatea muzicală'' Magazine's Award

References

*Daniela Caraman Fotea, Florian Lungu, ''Disco ghid-rock'', Ed. Muzicala, Bucuresti, 1977, pp. 172–173 * Mihai Berindei, ''Dicționar de jazz'', Ed. Științifică și Enciclopedică, București, 1976

External links

Marius Popp at Discogs

Detailed biography on the Romanian Composers' and Musicologists' Union web site
1935 births 2016 deaths Romanian jazz pianists Romanian composers Musicians from Sibiu {{Romania-composer-stub