Zoltán Gárdonyi


Zoltán Gárdonyi was a Hungarian composer and musicologist. He taught at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music for 26 years.

Life and work

Gárdonyi was born in Budapest. His mother, the pianist Maria Weigl, studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music with Liszt's pupil, István Thomán, at the same time and in the same class as Béla Bartók. At the age of 17, Gárdonyi began his studies in composition with Zoltán Kodály at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. After studying with Paul Hindemith and Arnold Schering in Berlin, he taught as a professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest from 1941 until 1967. He also led the faculty for Protestant sacred music until it was closed by the communists in 1949.
His oeuvre includes sacred music, orchestral works and chamber music. Three of his motets for choir a cappella were published in German by Schott, "Finnisches Busslied", "Der Herr ist mein Hirte" and "Singet dem Herren". Gárdonyi's musicological research yielded findings related to Bach and Liszt. His works were published in Germany, Hungary, Sweden and the United States. Gárdonyi lived in Germany with his family beginning in 1972. He died in Westfalian Herford a few weeks after his 80th birthday.
His son is the composer and concert organist Zsolt Gárdonyi.

Performances and recordings

Some of Gárdonyi's works were recorded, including his three organ sonatas and the Partita sopra Veni Creator Spiritus, played by Dezső Karasszon, as well as several further organ works and German motets. The Partita is a symphonic organ composition, consisting of the following mouvements: introduction, theme, four variations and finale, based on Martin Luther's hymn for Pentecost "Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist".

Publications

Zoltán Gárdonyi edited the Etudes and the Hungarian Rhapsodies by Franz Liszt for the Editio Musica Budapest.

Selected Works

Orchestral
Concertante
Chamber music
Organ
Piano
Vocal
Choral