Harmat Artúr
Composer
Place of Birth
Nyitrabajna
Date of Birth
1885
27 June 1885 Nyitrabajna – 20 April 1962 Budapest
Composer, music teacher, church conductor, one of the greatest figures of the Hungarian sacred music of the 20th century. He was perfectly aware of the art and style of Palestrina and he taught it professionally.
He studied at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where he was pupil of Ferenc Kersch (sacred music) and Viktor Herzfeld (composing), and graduated in 1908.
First he worked as singing teacher in Nyitra, and from 1912 in Budapest, then between 1920 and 1946 he was inspector of singing teaching. From 1921 until 1927 he was choir director of the Palestrina Mixed Choir, and from 1922 to 1926 he taught composing in the Municipal Upper School for Music. Between 1922 and 1938 he was conductor of the Budapest Downtown Parish Church, and from 1938 to 1956 the conductor of the Saint Stephen’s Basilica.
He taught Gregorian and liturgical music, music theory and counterpoint at the Music Academy. In 1927 he established the Sacred Music Department here. In 1951 he took part in the founding of the choir-master summer training and also in the developing of its curriculum, which was named after him in 2000.
Works:
Masses and motets (Latin and Hungarian texts), Te Deum, 150th Psalm, Stabat Mater (mixed choir and organ), De profundis (mixed choir); a number of sacred and secular choral works; organ works. He compiled the new song repertory (Holy is my Lord! 1931) with Sándor Sík, and the Cantus Cantorum for choir-masters with Alajos Werner (1958), which is partly translated to Hungarian and is amended with explanations. Artúr Harmat wrote a two-volume school book titled Cointerpoint (1947; 1958).
Artúr Harmat was awarded with the Erkel Prize in 1956.
Composer, music teacher, church conductor, one of the greatest figures of the Hungarian sacred music of the 20th century. He was perfectly aware of the art and style of Palestrina and he taught it professionally.
He studied at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where he was pupil of Ferenc Kersch (sacred music) and Viktor Herzfeld (composing), and graduated in 1908.
First he worked as singing teacher in Nyitra, and from 1912 in Budapest, then between 1920 and 1946 he was inspector of singing teaching. From 1921 until 1927 he was choir director of the Palestrina Mixed Choir, and from 1922 to 1926 he taught composing in the Municipal Upper School for Music. Between 1922 and 1938 he was conductor of the Budapest Downtown Parish Church, and from 1938 to 1956 the conductor of the Saint Stephen’s Basilica.
He taught Gregorian and liturgical music, music theory and counterpoint at the Music Academy. In 1927 he established the Sacred Music Department here. In 1951 he took part in the founding of the choir-master summer training and also in the developing of its curriculum, which was named after him in 2000.
Works:
Masses and motets (Latin and Hungarian texts), Te Deum, 150th Psalm, Stabat Mater (mixed choir and organ), De profundis (mixed choir); a number of sacred and secular choral works; organ works. He compiled the new song repertory (Holy is my Lord! 1931) with Sándor Sík, and the Cantus Cantorum for choir-masters with Alajos Werner (1958), which is partly translated to Hungarian and is amended with explanations. Artúr Harmat wrote a two-volume school book titled Cointerpoint (1947; 1958).
Artúr Harmat was awarded with the Erkel Prize in 1956.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 |
A magyar egyházi zene 100 éve - A Szent István Bazilika kórusának válogatott felvételei
(Hundred years of Hungarian sacred music) |
Magánkiadás | NL 1998 2 | |
| 2006 |
Ünnepi Mise a Mátyás-templomban
(Solemn Mass in the Matthias Church) |
Hungaroton | HCD 12879 | Reissue of Hungaroton SLPX 12879 (1988) |
| Title | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| De profundis | Choral music | 1932 |
| Missa Sancti Stephani Regis | !to be determined | 0 |
| Love Song to the Colt Leather Flask | Choir with accompaniment | 0 |