Sándor Veress (, – ) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internatio ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

of Hungarian origin. He was born in Kolozsvár/Klausenburg,

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 ...

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise o ...

, nowadays called

Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , ...

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

, and died in

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

. The first half of his life was spent in Hungary; the second, from 1949 until his death, in Switzerland, of which he became a citizen in the last months of his life. Veress studied and later taught at the

Franz Liszt Academy 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 ...

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 ...

. Among his teachers were

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 ed ...

, with whom he studied composition, and

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 Hu ...

, with whom he studied piano; as an assistant to László Lajtha he did field research on Hungarian, Transylvanian, and Moldavian

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

. Among the composers who studied under him are

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

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 György ...

Heinz Holliger Heinz Robert Holliger (born 21 May 1939) is a Swiss virtuoso oboist, composer and conductor. Celebrated for his versatility and technique, Holliger is among the most prominent oboists of his generation. His repertoire includes Baroque and Classic ...

, Heinz Marti, Jürg Wyttenbach and Roland Moser. He wrote numerous

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

pieces and symphonic works. He wrote one opera, ''Hangjegyek lázadása'' (1931).Opera Glass
/ref> Veress was awarded the

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 d ...

in 1949 in Hungary (though as an émigré he was unable to collect this award) and the Bartók-Pásztory Prize in 1985; in Switzerland he received the Berne canton prize in 1976.

Selected works

;Opera * ''Hangjegyek lázadása'' (1931) ;Ballet * ''A Csodafurulya'' (The Magic Flute) (1937) * ''Térszili Katicza'' (1943) ;Orchestral * ''A Csodafurulya'' (The Magic Flute), Ballet Suite for chamber orchestra (1937) * ''Musica ungaresca'' (1938) * Sinfonia No.1 (1940) (dedicated to the Japanese emperor and government for the 2600th National Foundation Day) * ''Quattro Danze transilvane'' for string orchestra (1944, 1949) * ''Threnos in memoriam Béla Bartók'' (1945) * ''Respublica nyitány'' (Respublica Overture) (1948) * Sonata for orchestra (1953) * Sinfonia No.2 ''"Minneapolitana"'' (1953) * ''Expovare'' for flute, oboe and string orchestra (1964) * ''Musica concertante per 12 archi'', for 12 strings (1966) * ''Orbis tonorum'' for chamber orchestra (1986) ; Concertante * Concerto for violin and orchestra (1939, 1948) * ''Nógrádi verbunkos'' for violin and orchestra (1940) * ''Hommage à Paul Klee'' for 2 pianos and string orchestra (1951) * Concerto for piano with percussion and string orchestra (1952) * ''Nógrádi verbunkos'' for viola and string orchestra (1940, 1956); arrangement by D. Marton * ''Passacaglia concertante'' for oboe and string orchestra (1961)(dedicated to Heinz Holliger) * Concerto for string quartet and orchestra (1961) * Concerto for clarinet with harp, celesta, vibraphone, xylophone, percussion and string orchestra (1982) * ''Tromboniade'' for 2 trombones and orchestra (1990) * ''Concertotilinkó'' for flute and string orchestra (1991) ;Chamber and instrumental * String Quartet No.1 (1931) * Sonatina No.1 for violin and piano (1932) * Sonatina for cello and piano (1933) * Sonatina for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1933) * Sonata for violin solo (1935) * String Quartet No.2 (1937) * Sonata No.2 for violin and piano (1939) * ''Nógrádi verbunkos'' for violin and piano (1940) * ''Cukaszöke csárdás'' for violin and piano (1940) * String Trio (1954) * ''Tre quadri'' for violin, cello and piano (1963) * Sonata for cello solo (1967) * ''Diptych'' for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon (1968) * ''Introduzione e Coda'' for clarinet, violin and cello (1972) * ''Memento'' for viola and double bass (1983) * ''Baryton-Trio'' for

baryton The baryton is a bowed string instrument similar to the viol, but distinguished by an extra set of sympathetic but also pluckable strings. It was in regular use in Europe until the end of the 18th century. Design The baryton can be viewed as a ...

, viola and cello (1985) * ''Geschichten und Märchen'' for 2 percussionists (1988) ;Piano * Sonata (1929) * ''Szonatina gyermekeknek I'' (Sonatina for Children I) (1932) * ''Szonatina gyermekeknek II'' (Sonatina for Children II) (1932) * Sonatina (1932) * ''Szonatina kezdő zongorázóknak'' (Sonatina for Young Pianists) (1933) * ''Tizenöt kis zongoradarab'' (15 Little Piano Pieces) (1935) * ''Venti Pezzi'' (20 Pieces) (1938) * ''6 Csárdás'' (1938) * ''7 Danze ungheresi'' (1938) * ''Billegetőmuzsika'' (Fingerlarks), 88 Exercises (1946) * ''Homage to Wales'', 3 Short Pieces based on Welsh folk melodies (1948) * ''Cinque Pezzi'' (5 Pieces) (c.1950) ;Vocal * ''Canti Ceremissi'', 9 Folk Song Arrangements for mezzo-soprano and piano (1945) * ''Cinque Canti'' (5 Songs) for mezzo-soprano and piano (1945); poems by

Attila József Attila József (; 11 April 1905 – 3 December 1937) was one of the most famous Hungarian poets of the 20th century. Generally not recognized during his lifetime, József was hailed during the communist era of the 1950s as Hungary's great ...

* ''Elegie'' for baritone, harp and string orchestra (1964); poem by

Walther von der Vogelweide Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170c. 1230) was a Minnesänger who composed and performed love-songs and political songs (" Sprüche") in Middle High German. Walther has been described as the greatest German lyrical poet before Goethe; his hund ...

;Choral * ''Orbán'' for male chorus (1924); poem by

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; sk, Alexander Petrovič; sr, Александар Петровић; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet of Serbian origin and liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's ...

* ''Gyermekkar és három kánon'' for children's chorus (1929) * ''Karácsonyi kantáta (Christmas Cantata) for female chorus (1934) * ''Tizennégy férfikar magyar népi dallamokra'' (14 Male Choruses on Hungarian Folk Tunes) for male chorus (1934) * ''Erdélyi kantáta'' (Una Cantata transilvana), 4 Folk Song Arrangements for mixed chorus a cappella (1935) * ''Két virágének'' (2 Flower Songs) for male chorus (1936) * ''Tizenöt gyermekkar'' (15 Children's Choruses) (1936) * ''Betlehemi kántáló'' (Christmas Chant) for female chorus (1937) * ''A búbánat keserüség'' (Sorrow Makes You Truly Bitter) for male chorus (1938) * ''Rabaközi nóták'' (Songs from Rábaköz) for male chorus (1940) * ''Sancti Augustini psalmus contra partem Donati'' for bass solo, mixed chorus and orchestra (1944); poem by Augustinus * ''Laudatio musicae'' for soprano, chorus and chamber orchestra (1958); poem by

Valentin Rathgeber Johann Valentin Rathgeber (3 April 1682 – 2 June 1750) was a German composer, organist and choirmaster of the Baroque Era. Life Rathgeber was born in Oberelsbach. His father, an organist, gave him his first music lessons. At the beginning of ...

* ''Ode all'Europa'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1962); poem by

Gyula Illyés Gyula Illyés born ''Gyula Illés'' (2 November 1902 – 15 April 1983) was a Hungarian poet and novelist. He was one of the so-called ''népi'' ("from the people") writers, named so because they aimed to show – propelled by strong so ...

* ''Songs of the Seasons'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1967); poems by

Christopher Brennan Christopher John Brennan (1 November 1870 – 5 October 1932) was an Australian poet, scholar and literary critic. Biography Brennan was born in Haymarket, an inner suburb of Sydney, to Christopher Brennan (d. 1919), a brewer, and his wife M ...

* ''Das Glasklängespiel'' for soloists and chamber orchestra (1978); poems by

Hermann Hesse Hermann Karl Hesse (; 2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include '' Demian'', '' Steppenwolf'', '' Siddhartha'', and ''The Glass Bead Game'', each of which explores an individual' ...

;Film score * ''Talpalatnyi föld'' (The Soil under Your Feet) (1948)

References

External links

Sándor Veress international homepage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Veress, Sandor 1907 births 1992 deaths Musicians from Cluj-Napoca Hungarian classical composers Hungarian male classical composers Swiss classical composers 20th-century classical composers Hungarian opera composers Swiss opera composers Male opera composers Franz Liszt Academy of Music faculty Pupils of Béla Bartók Pupils of Zoltán Kodály Romanian emigrants to Switzerland 20th-century Hungarian male musicians Hungarian ethnomusicologists 20th-century Swiss composers