Péter Eötvös ( hu, Eötvös Péter, ; born 2 January 1944) is a Hungarian composer, conductor and teacher. Eötvös was born in Székelyudvarhely,

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

, then part of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, now

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. He studied composition in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

and

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

. From 1962, he composed for film in Hungary. Eötvös played regularly with the

Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groundb ...

Ensemble between 1968 and 1976. He was a founding member of the

Oeldorf Group The Oeldorf Group was a musicians' collective active in Germany in the 1970s. Based in the village of Oeldorf, near Cologne, their performances emphasized live-electronic music. History The Oeldorf Group was founded in 1972 or 1973 and remained ...

in 1973, continuing his association until the late 1970s. From 1979 to 1991, he was musical director and conductor of the

Ensemble InterContemporain The Ensemble intercontemporain (EIC) is a French music ensemble, based in Paris, that is dedicated to contemporary music. Pierre Boulez founded the EIC in 1976 for this purpose, the first permanent organization of its type in the world. Organi ...

(EIC). From 1985 to 1988, he was principal guest conductor of the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. T ...

Early life

As a child, Eötvös received a thorough musical education, including works by

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...

. He felt a strong link between Hungarian grammar and Bartók's music, claiming that the specific "Hungarian" interpretations of music by Bartók and Kodály (as well as other Hungarian conductors such as Szell, Fricsay, Ormandy,

Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...

, Reiner) show subtle accents and rhythms of the Hungarian language. His mother, a pianist, participated in the musical and intellectual life of Budapest and took her son to many performances and rehearsals of opera, operetta and theatre. He learned the piano, and also wrote plays and small pieces. He won a composition contest at age eleven and was then noticed in the Hungarian artistic world. He then met Ligeti, 21 years his senior, who recommended him to Kodály 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 ...

. He was accepted with honours at the Academy, where he studied composition with János Viski, on Kodály's advice. In 1958, he was asked to accompany film projections with improvisations on piano and

hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

. He was then asked to write scores for theatre and cinema. By 1970, he had composed several pieces of utility music. He learned the importance of timing and synchronisation. He also discovered noise as a sound, which was the starting point of some later compositions. The work ''Zero Points'' begins with a countdown, as if destined to synchronise sound and image, the double bass then takes on a high-pitched sound reminding the cracks of an old magnetic tape. During a period of ten years he developed personal musical preferences, for Gesualdo (the idea of the

madrigal A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance music, Renaissance (15th–16th c.) and early Baroque music, Baroque (1600–1750) periods, although revisited by some later European composers. The Polyphony, polyphoni ...

returns in pieces such as ''Drei Madrigalkomödien'' and ''

Tri sestry Tri Sestry (russian: Три Сестры, link=no, lit=the three sisters) is a stratovolcano located in the central part of Urup Island, Kuril Islands, Russia. See also * List of volcanoes in Russia References

* Urup Mountains of the ...

'' (Three Sisters)), American jazz of the 1960s, electronic music (of which

Karlheinz Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groun ...

's figure was inseparable), and

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mont ...

, among others. He quickly distanced himself from other composers of the Academy.

Later career

In 1970, Eötvös requested a scholarship to go study abroad, leaving for

(DE), following the examples of Kurtág and Ligeti. The

Hochschule für Musik Köln ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right to ...

and the studio of the broadcaster

Westdeutscher Rundfunk Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (''West German Broadcasting Cologne''; WDR, ) is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the conso ...

worked together at that time, which allowed students to use advanced technology in one of the best studios in Europe. Eötvös worked there from 1971 to 1979 He studied composition with

Bernd Alois Zimmermann Bernd Alois Zimmermann (20 March 1918 – 10 August 1970) was a German composer. He is perhaps best known for his opera ''Die Soldaten'', which is regarded as one of the most important German operas of the 20th century, after those of Berg. As a ...

, as well as conducting. He met Stockhausen, already knowing his work really well. Eötvös became Stockhausen's engineer and copyist (the score of ''

Telemusik ''Telemusik'' is an electronic composition by Karlheinz Stockhausen, and is number 20 in his catalog of works. History Through his composition student, Makoto Shinohara, Stockhausen was invited by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation NHK to visit ...

'' is copied by him), and his musician and conductor, amongst other things conducting the

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

premiere of ''

Donnerstag aus Licht 275px, Karlheinz Stockhausens grave with the score to LICHT . (''Thursday from Light'') is an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen in a greeting, three acts, and a farewell, and was the first of seven to be composed for the opera cycle '' Licht: die si ...

'' in 1981, as well as its

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

performances in 1985. Péter Eötvös by Istvan Huszti

In 1978, Boulez asked him to conduct the opening concert of

IRCAM IRCAM (French: ''Ircam, '', English: Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) is a French institute dedicated to the research of music and sound, especially in the fields of avant garde and electro-acoustical art music. It is ...

in Paris (FR). He was then appointed musical director of the

, holding the position until 1991. He performed at

the Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

in 1980, and was regularly invited by the BBC Orchestra between 1985 and 1988. This period also marks his first success as a composer with his ''Chinese Opera'' (1986), written for the 10-year anniversary of the Ensemble InterContemporain. The piece constitutes a reflexion on the theatricality of sound, as the composer spreads the musicians through the stage, a process also found in ''Three Sisters''. Each movement is a tribute to directors he admired: Bob Wilson, Klaus Michael Grüber,

Luc Bondy Luc Bondy (17 July 1948 – 28 November 2015) was a Swiss theatre and film director. Life and career upright=1.3, '' Charlotte Salomon'' at the Salzburg Festival 2014 Trained in Paris with the theatre teacher Jacques Lecoq, he received a job ...

Patrice Chéreau Patrice Chéreau (; 2 November 1944 – 7 October 2013) was a French opera and theatre director, filmmaker, actor and producer. In France he is best known for his work for the theatre, internationally for his films '' La Reine Margot'' and ...

Jacques Tati Jacques Tati (; born Jacques Tatischeff, ; 9 October 1907 – 5 November 1982) was a French mime, film-maker, actor and screenwriter. In an ''Entertainment Weekly'' poll of the Greatest Movie Directors, he was voted the 46th greatest of all time ...

and

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

. Jean-Pierre Brossman, director of the

Opéra National de Lyon The Opéra National de Lyon, marketed as Opéra de Lyon during the last decade, is an opera company in Lyon, based and performing mostly at the Opéra Nouvel, an 1831 theater that was modernized and architecturally transformed in 1993. The inaugu ...

(FR) at that time, admired his ability to take into consideration the work of artists and directors, and commissioned an opera in 1986: ''Three Sisters'', based on Chekhov's play. In 2008, he premiered two other operas, '' Lady Sarashina'' and ''

Love and Other Demons ''Love and Other Demons'' is an opera in two acts by Hungarian composer Péter Eötvös to a libretto by the Hungarian author Kornél Hamvai. It premiered on 10 August 2008 at the Glyndebourne Festival. The libretto is based on the novel ''Of ...

''. Eötvös was principal guest conductor of the

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; sv, Göteborgs Symfoniker) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orc ...

(SE) from 2003 to 2007. His recording of Luciano Berio's

Sinfonia Sinfonia (; plural ''sinfonie'') is the Italian word for symphony, from the Latin ''symphonia'', in turn derived from Ancient Greek συμφωνία ''symphōnia'' (agreement or concord of sound), from the prefix σύν (together) and ϕωνή (sou ...

with the London Voices (DG) received the award for "Technical excellence in recording" by the ''BBC Music Magazine'' in 2006. He served as a member of the jury of the Tōru Takemitsu composition competition in 2014.

Composition style

Eötvös's music shows the influence of a variety of composers. As director of the Ensemble InterContemporain, he was exposed to styles, as is evidenced in the variety of timbres and soundworlds within his music. Extended techniques such as over-pressure bowings coexist with lyrical folk songs and synthesized sounds. Eötvös provides detailed instructions on how to mix instruments for electronic manipulation or amplification. His first large-scale compositions were for film. This often reflects on his later pieces in moments of atmospheric airiness. Two of his compositions for orchestra and voice, ''Atlantis'' and ''Ima'', were inspired by Sándor Weöres' poem ''Néma zene''. Most of his works are published by

Schott Music Schott Music () is one of the oldest German music publishers. It is also one of the largest music publishing houses in Europe, and is the second oldest music publisher after Breitkopf & Härtel. The company headquarters of Schott Music were fou ...

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

(DE) and distributed by Presto Music and Outhere Music.

Awards

* Prize Bartok-Pasztory (1997) *

Kossuth Prize The Kossuth Prize ( hu, Kossuth-díj) is a state-sponsored award in Hungary, named after the Hungarian politician and revolutionist Lajos Kossuth. The Prize was established in 1948 (on occasion of the centenary of the March 15th revolution, the ...

(2002) * Budapest Honorary Citizen (2003) *

Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

(2003) * ''Grand Prix Antoine Livio'' from the Presse musicale internationale (2006) *

Frankfurter Musikpreis The Frankfurter Musikpreis has been awarded since 1982 by the joint foundation of the Musikmesse Frankfurt and the National Association of German Musical Instruments Manufacturers. The aim of this international music award is to highlight "person ...

(2007) *

Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen The Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen ( Hungarian: ''Magyar Szent István Rend'') is the highest state honour bestowed by the President of Hungary. The order is made up of one grade which is "Grand Cross". History The order's origins can be t ...

(2015) * Grand Prix artistique (composition musicale) de la Fondation Simone et Cino Del Duca (2016) *

Goethe Medal The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe-Institut honoring non-Germans "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations". It is an offici ...

(2018)

Memberships

* Member of the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...

(1997) * Member of the

Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts The Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts ( hu, Széchenyi Irodalmi és Művészeti Akadémia) was created in 1992 as an academy associated yet independent from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. It is intended to be the national academy of arti ...

(Széchenyi Iroldami és Művészeti Akadémia) * Member of the

Sächsische Akademie der Künste The Sächsische Akademie der Künste (Saxon Academy of Arts) is a German cultural organisation for the state of Saxony, based in Dresden. Purpose The Academy is a statutory corporation to promote the arts in Saxony, make proposals for its prom ...

in Dresden * Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...

(2000)

Works

Stage works

* ''Sleepless'', opera (2021

Berlin State Opera The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...

, 2022 Grand Théâtre de Genève) * ''

Senza sangue ''Senza sangue'' (Without blood) is one act opera and the fourth opera composed by Péter Eötvös. The opera's libretto was written by Mari Mezei, and is sung in Italian. It is based on the second part of the 2002 novel of by Alessandro Baricco ...

'', opera (2015 Cologne, 2016

Festival d'Avignon The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vila ...

) * ''

Der goldene Drache ''Der goldene Drache'' (''The Golden Dragon'') is an opera by Hungarian composer Péter Eötvös to a libretto by Roland Schimmelpfennig, based on his play of the same name. It premiered on 29 June 2014 at the Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt, cond ...

'', opera (2013/2014, for

Ensemble Modern Ensemble Modern is an international ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany, and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries. Hi ...

) * ''Paradise Reloaded (Lilith)'' (2012/13) * ''The Tragedy of the Devil'' (Die Tragödie des Teufels), opera (22 February 2010,

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

) * '' Lady Sarashina'', opera (4 March 2008,

Opéra de Lyon This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

) * ''

'', opera (10 August 2008,

Glyndebourne Festival Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, ...

) * ''Angels in America'', opera (2002–2004) * ''Le Balcon'', opera (2001/02) * ''As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams'', opera (1998–99) * '' Three Sisters'', opera (1996–97) * ''Radames'', chamber opera (1975/97) * ''Harakiri'', opera (1973)

Orchestra works

* ''Alhambra'' (Violin Concerto No. 3), violin and orchestra (2018) * ''Per Luciano Berio'' (2018) * ''Reading Malevich'' (2017–18) * ''Multiversum'', for organ, Hammond organ and orchestra (2017) * ''Alla vittime senza nome'' (2017) * ''Dialog mit Mozart'' (2016) * ''Halleluja – Oratorium balbulum'', four fragments for mezzo-soprano and tenor solo, narrator, choir and orchestra (2015) * ''Hommage à Domenico Scarlatti'', for horn soloist and string chamber orchestra (2013) * ''Speaking drums'', percussion concerto (2012/13) * ''DoReMi (Violin Concerto No. 2)'', violin and orchestra (2012) * ''The gliding of the eagle in the skies'' (2011) * ''Cello Concerto Grosso'', for cello and orchestra (2010–11) * ''Levitation'', for two clarinets and string orchestra (2007) * ''Konzert für zwei Klaviere'' (2007) * ''Seven'' (Violin Concerto No. 1), violin and orchestra (2006) * ''CAP-KO'', concerto for piano, keyboard and orchestra (2005) * ''Jet Stream'', trumpet concerto (2002) * ''IMA'', for soloists, choir and orchestra (2002) * ''zeroPoints'' (1999) * ''Two monologues'', for baritone and orchestra (1998) * ''Replica'', viola concerto (1998) – recorded by

Kim Kashkashian Kim Kashkashian (born August 31, 1952) is an American violist. She is recognized as one of the world's top violists. She has spent her career in the US and Europe and collaborated with many major contemporary composers. In 2013 she won a Grammy ...

ECM Records ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) is an independent record label founded by Karl Egger, Manfred Eicher and Manfred Scheffner in Munich in 1969. While ECM is best known for jazz music, the label has released a variety of recordings, and ECM's a ...

* ''Atlantis'', for solo baritone, boy soprano, zymbalom, virtual choir and orchestra (1995) * ''Psychokosmos'', zymbalon concerto (1993) * ''Chinese Opera'' (1986)

Ensemble works

* ''Secret kiss'', melodrama for narrator and 5 instruments (2018) * ''da capo (Mit Fragmenten aus W. A. Mozarts Fragmenten)'', for cimbalon or marimba and ensemble (2014) * ''Dodici'', for 12 cellos (2013) * Octet (2008), for flute, clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones * ''Sonata per sei'', for two pianos, three percussion and one sampler keyboard (2006) * ''Snatches of a conversation'', for double-bell trumpet solo and ensemble (2001) * ''Paris–Dakar'', for trombone solo, brass and percussion (2000) * ''Shadows'', for flute, clarinet and ensemble (1996) * ''Psy'', first version for harp, alto flute/piccolo and viola; second for harp, alto flute/piccolo and violoncello (1996) * ''Triangel'', percussionist and ensemble (1993) * ''Brass – The Metal Space'', actions for 7 brass players and 2 percussionists without conductor (1990) * ''Steine'', for ensemble (1985–90) * ''Windsequenzen'', for ensemble (1975/1987) * ''Intervalles-Interieurs'', ensemble and electronics (1981) * ''Windsequenzen'' (1975/1987)

Vocal music

* ''Goretsch! Goretsch!'', for mezzo-soprano solo (2017) * ''Die lange Reise'', for soprano and piano (2014) * ''Herbsttag'', for female choir (2011) * ''Schiller, energische Schönheit'', for 8 singers, 8 wind instruments, 2 percussion and accordion (2010) * ''Octet Plus'', for soprano, flute, clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones (2008) * ''Solitude / Egyedül'', for children or women's choir, in memoriam Kodály (1956/2006) * ''Drei Madrigalkomödien'', for 12 voices: :*"Insetti galanti" (1970–90) :*"Hochzeitsmadrigal" (1963–76) :*"Moro Lasso" (1963–72)

Chamber music and solo works

* ''Lisztomania'', for piano four hands (2018) * ''désaccord 2'', for 2 violas, in memoriam B.A. Zimmermann (2018) * ''Joyce'', for clarinet solo (2018) * ''Joyce'', for clarinet and string quartet (2017) * ''Sentimental'', for trumpet in E-flat doubling flugelhorn (2017) * ''"Now, Miss!"'', for violin and cello, based on Samuel Beckett's "Embers" (2016) * ''The sirens cycle'', soprano and string quartet (2015/16) * ''Molto Tranquillo'', trio for piccolo doubling alto-flute, cello and piano (2015) * ''para Paloma'', violin solo (2015) * ''O rose!'', piano solo (2015) * ''a Call'', violin solo (2015) * ''Lectures différentes'', saxophone quartet (2014) * ''New Psalm'', percussion solo (2012/13) * ''Dances of the Brush-footed Butterfly'', piano solo (2012) * ''Cadenza'', flute solo (2008) * ''Natasha'', soprano, violin, clarinet and piano (2006) * ''Erdenklavier-Himmelklavier'' ''nr. 2.'', piano solo (2003/2006) * ''Encore'', string quartet (2005) * ''Un taxi l´attend, mais Tchékhov préfère aller à pied.'', piano solo (2004) * ''Erdenklavier-Himmelklavier nr. 1.'', piano solo (2003) * ''Zwei Promenaden'', percussion, keyboard and tuba (1993/2001) * ''Derwischtanz'', for 1 or 3 clarinets (1993/2001) * ''Kosmos'', solo or two pianos (1961/99) * ''Two poems to Polly'', solo cello (1998) * ''Psalm 151'', for percussion (1993) * ''Thunder'', solo timpani (1993) * ''Korrespondenz'', for string quartet (1992) * 5 ''Klavierstücke'', piano solo (1959/60/61)

Electronic music

* ''Psy'', tape (1996) * ''Elektrochronik'', tape (1974) * ''"Now, Miss!"'' violin, synthesizer with tape (1972) * ''Music for New York'' (1971) * ''Cricketmusic'', tape (1970) * ''Mese (Märchen /Tale/Conte)'', tape (1968)

Theater and film music

* Sándor Sára: ''Könyörtelen idök – Relentless Times'' (1991) * Judit Elek: ''Tutajosok Raftsmen'' (1990) * Sándor Sára: ''Tüske a köröm alatt – Thorn under the Nail'' (1987) * Károly Makk: ''Macskajáték – Cat´s play'' (1974) * Mihály Szemes: ''Az alvilág professzora – The professor of inferno'' (1969) * Ferenc Kardos: ''Egy örült éjszaka – A Crazy Night'' (1969) * János Tóth: ''Aréna – Arena'' (1969) * Zoltán Huszárik: ''Amerigo Tot'' (1969) * Shakespeare: ''Téli rege – The Winter´s Tale'' (1969) * Shakespeare: ''Athéni Timon – Timon of Athens'' (1969) * Katona: ''Bánk bán'' (1968) * ''Foltos és Fülenagy – Spotty and Bigears'' (1966) * János Szücs: ''Szomjuság – Thirst'' (1965) * Gábor Oláh: ''Három kivánság'' (1965) * ''Hét szem mazsola – Seven Raisins'' (1965) * ''Ellopott bejárat – Stolen Entrance'' (1965) * Anouilh: ''Becket'' (1965) * Madách: ''Az ember tragédiája – Tragedy of Man'' (1964) * Lermontov: ''Hóvihar – The Storm'' (1964) * Pirandello: ''Hat szerep keres egy szerzöt – Six characters in search of an author'' (1964) * István Szabó: (1964) * Iván Lakatos: ''Mozaik – Mosaic'' (1964) * ''Twist Oliver – Oliver Twist'' (1963) * Tennessee Williams: ''Üvegfigurák- The Glass Menagerie'' (1963) * O'Neill: ''Amerikai Elektra – Mourning becomes Electra'' (1963) * Pál Gábor: ''Aranykor – Golden Age'' (1963) * Zoltán Fábri: ''Nappali sötétség – Darkness at noon'' (1963) * István Bácskay-Lauro: ''Igézet – Spell'' (1963) * János Rózsa: ''Tér – Space'' (1962) * Pál Gábor: ''Prometeusz – Prometheus'' (1962) * Pál Gábor: ''A megérkezés – The Arrival'' (1962) * Károly Esztergályos: ''Ötödik pozicióban – In fifth position'' (1962) * Büchner: ''Leonce és Léna – Leonce and Lena'' (1961) * Sean O'Casey: ''Az ezüst kupa – The Silver Tassie'' (1961)

Portrait-film and documentary film

* ''The seventh door'' * ''En souvenir de Trois Soeurs'' * ''Talentum'' * ''Trois Soeurs'' – opera film * ''Le Balcon'' – opera film * ''Angels in America'' – opera film

Withdrawn compositions

* ''désaccord'' – pour deux altos (2001) * ''600 Impulse'' (2000) * ''Der Blick'', tape (1997) * ''Endless Eight II.'' for ensemble – Apeiron musikon (1988–89) * ''Pierre Idyll'' (1984) * ''Endless Eight I.'' for ensemble (1981)

As conductor

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer. One of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century, he combined elements of European modernism and American "ultra- ...

: ''What Next?''
ECM 1817
*

Friedrich Cerha Friedrich Cerha (born 17 February 1926) is an Austrian composer, conductor and music educator. Education and Career Cerha was born in Vienna, Austria, and educated at the Viennese Music Academy (violin with Váša Příhoda, composition with ...

: Konzert für Violoncello und Orchester / Franz Schreker: Kammersymphonie
ECM 1887
*

Helmut Lachenmann Helmut Friedrich Lachenmann (born 27 November 1935) is a German composer of contemporary classical music. His work has been associated with "instrumental musique concrète". Life and works Lachenmann was born in Stuttgart and after the end of ...

: ''Schwankungen am Rand''
ECM 1789
*

: '' Concerto for Viola and Orchestra'' / Eötvös: ''Replica for Viola and Orchestra'' /

György Kurtág György Kurtág (; born 19 February 1926) is a Hungarian classical composer and pianist. He was an academic teacher of piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967, later also of chamber music, and taught until 1993. Biography Györ ...

: ''Movement for Viola and Orchestra'' (with

and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra (RKO), 1999
ECM New Series 1711
*

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

: ''

The Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring''. Full name: ''The Rite of Spring: Pictures from Pagan Russia in Two Parts'' (french: Le Sacre du printemps: tableaux de la Russie païenne en deux parties) (french: Le Sacre du printemps, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral ...

'',

Junge Deutsche Philharmonie The Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (''Young German Philharmonic'', JDPh) is one of the national youth orchestras of Germany. Unlike the Bundesjugendorchester, which is composed of pre-university students aged 14–19, the Junge Deutsche Philharmon ...

, 2004, BMC Records *

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled '' Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...

: Sinfonia for 8 Voices and Orchestra / Ekphrasis (Continuo II) for Orchestra, Göteborgs Symfoniker, London Voices, 2005, Deutsche Grammophon – 0289 477 5380 3 GH