Dobos Kálmán
Composer
Place of Birth
Szolnok
Date of Birth
1931
Kálmán Dobos was born in Szolnok in 1931. In 1945 he lost his eye-sight due to an explosion. His started his musical studies in the same year. His intention was to become a pianist, but soon his interest turned towards composition. In 1950 he was admitted to the Faculty of Composition of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. In the following years his professor was János Viski. He also studied piano under Ernő Szegedi, history of music under Dénes Bartha and András Szőllősy, musical science under Lajos Bárdos, and folk music under Pál Járdányi. Gradually, composition became the most important activity in his life. In Vercelli, Italy he won a prize for his works for choir, and later won prizes at several other competitions, too. After graduating from the Academy, he became an employee of the Hungarian Radio, where he worked between 1957 and 1992.
Dobos' compositions have been broadcast and performed in concerts both in Hungary and abroad from the beginning of the late 50s. He played first performance of his pieces in Budapest in 1958, in Vienna in 1961-63, then again in Budapest in 1967.
He has been travelling the world ever since, and altogether 69 recordings have been made of these performances by radio and TV companies. He prefers to play his own compositions but occasionally performs works of Liszt, Bartók, Weiner, and Kodály.
He is mostly interested in chamber music, but has composed symphonic works, as well as choral works, church music and pieces for wind orchestra. Scores of his compositions have been published in Budapest and Paris. Besides composing, he has also written monographies on Manuel De Falla, Edvard Grieg and his teacher, János Viski.
Kálmán Dobos applies, among others, serial and aleatorial techniques indigeniously, and wants to create a synthesis of works of Bartók, Webern, Boulez, Ligeti and contemporary Polish composers having a similar artistic concept. He tries to make use of the most modern forms of musical expression.
Kálmán Dobos has been awarded with several prizes, among them the Erkel Award in 1999.
Dobos' compositions have been broadcast and performed in concerts both in Hungary and abroad from the beginning of the late 50s. He played first performance of his pieces in Budapest in 1958, in Vienna in 1961-63, then again in Budapest in 1967.
He has been travelling the world ever since, and altogether 69 recordings have been made of these performances by radio and TV companies. He prefers to play his own compositions but occasionally performs works of Liszt, Bartók, Weiner, and Kodály.
He is mostly interested in chamber music, but has composed symphonic works, as well as choral works, church music and pieces for wind orchestra. Scores of his compositions have been published in Budapest and Paris. Besides composing, he has also written monographies on Manuel De Falla, Edvard Grieg and his teacher, János Viski.
Kálmán Dobos applies, among others, serial and aleatorial techniques indigeniously, and wants to create a synthesis of works of Bartók, Webern, Boulez, Ligeti and contemporary Polish composers having a similar artistic concept. He tries to make use of the most modern forms of musical expression.
Kálmán Dobos has been awarded with several prizes, among them the Erkel Award in 1999.
| Title | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Psalm No. 103 | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1983 |
| Psalm No. 112 | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1991 |
| Psalm No. 119 | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1991 |
| Psalm No. 46 | Mixed choir | 1971 |
| Psalm No. 91 | Mixed choir | 1980 |
| Ad Mariam | Mixed choir | 1963 |
| Adagio and Fugue | Chamber Music | 1959 |
| Antiphone for Pontiffs | Male choir | 1980 |
| Inner Movements | Chamber Music | 1970 |
| Introduction, Variations and Fugue on the Melody of the Geneva Psalm No. 103 | Instrumental solo | 1990 |
| Ferenc Deák | Male choir | 1975 |
| Remembrance | Solo voice(s) with orchestra | 1959 |
| Reply | Mixed choir | 1953 |
| Sound Phenomena | Orchestral work | 1968 |
| Hymn about St. Martin | Mixed choir | 1996 |
| Three Christmas Antiphones | Male choir | 1976 |
| Three Lyrical Songs | Female choir | 1988 |
| Three Madrigals | Female choir | 1956 |
| Three Hungarian Dances | Orchestral work | 1964 |
| Chamber Concerto for Violoncello and Ensemble | Chamber Music | 1993 |
| Chamber Music for Violin and Piano | Chamber Music | 1962 |
| Chamber Music for Five Brass-Players | Chamber Music | 1957 |
| Two Movements | Chamber Music | 1960 |
| Adagio and Fugue for String Quartet | Chamber Music | 1959 |
| Mass ´74 | Mixed choir | 1974 |
| Meditation | Instrumental solo | 1964 |
| Manifestations | Chamber Music | 1967 |
| Melódia | Chamber Music | 0 |
| Missa Aperta | Female choir | 1966 |
| Simple Mass | Choir and solo instrument(s) | 1981 |
| Missa brevis | Instrumental solo | 1957 |
| Missa brevis | Mixed choir | 1957 |
| Hungarian Folk Songs from Moldavia | Solo voice(s) with chamber orchestra | 1974 |
| Musica da camera | Chamber Music | 1962 |
| Mystery | Solo voice(s) with ensemble | 1995 |
| Four Little Songs | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1952 |
| Passacaglia for Trumpet and Organ | Chamber Music | 1996 |
| Whitsun Variations | Choir, solo instrument(s) & orchestra | 1984 |
| Rosary | Female choir | 1979 |
| Souvenir | Mixed choir | 1995 |
| Symphony | Symphony orchestra | 1957 |
| Sonatina for Two Horns | Chamber Music | 1976 |
| Sonata | Chamber Music | 1956 |
| Sonata | Instrumental solo | 1957 |
| Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, No. 2 | Chamber Music | 0 |
| Without Regard | Mixed choir | 1993 |
| On the Way | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1957 |
| Variations and Fugue on a Hungarian Melody of the 16th Century | Instrumental solo | 1974 |
| Projections | Chamber Music | 1975 |
| Flashes | Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) | 1963 |
| String Trio | Chamber Music | 1963 |
| Variations to the Memory of King St. Steven | Instrumental solo | 1988 |
| Wanderlied | Choir with accompaniment | 0 |
| Under the North Star | Children's choir | 1976 |
| Inherences | Chamber Music | 1985 |
| Autumnal Rondo | Mixed choir | 1964 |