Takács Jenő
Composer
25 September 1902 Cinfalva [Siegendorf, Austria] - 14 November 2005 Kismarton [Eisenstadt, Austria].
Composer, pianist, folk music researcher and music teacher.
He started his music studies at the age of twelve in the music school of Jenő Buresch in Sopron. From 1916 he has given many concerts in the town - his first substantive piano concert was held 1921 in Kismarton. He has regularly composed ever since he turned fifteen. After high-school graduation (1920) he became pupil of the Vienna Music Academy (1921-1926), where he studied piano with Paul Weingarten, composing with Joseph Marx, harmonics with Richard Stöhr and counterpoint with Hans Gál.
In 1922 he won first prize for his violin-piano suite, awarded by the Salzburg Chamber Music Association. In 1926 he met Béla Bartók. From 1927 to 1932 he was piano teacher at the Conservatory of Cairo (Conservatoire de la musique). During his residence in Egypt he studied the Arabic music and also attended the lectures of the Institute de la Musique Arabe. From 1932 he spent two years on the Philippines, where he was Head of Department of piano and composing department of the University of the Philippines in Manila, but he also collected and recorded the ancient music of local primitive tribes. During school holidays he gave concerts in Japan and China.
In 1934 he had concerts in Cairo and Alexandria and then toured and held lectures in the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and Hungary. He was professor of the Conservatory of Cairo until 1937. In 1938 he had concerts in the USA. In 1939 he moved to Sopron and attained Hungarian citizenship.
In the scholar year 1940/41 he was piano teacher in the music school of Szombathely. Between 1942 and 1948 he was director of the Conservatory of Pécs, he conducted the municipal orchestra and also took part in organizing local concerts.
In 1947 and 1948 he gave concerts in Italy and Switzerland, and he also spent some time in Rome as scholarship holder of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1948 he left Hungary for ever, first he became guest teacher of the Conservatory of Genf, then from 1952 to 1970 piano and composing teacher at the College-Conservatory University of Cincinnati. In the last scholar year he won the title „Fellow of the Graduate School”. In 1970 he returned to Burgenland and settled down in Siegendorf. In 1987 he became honorary member of the Austrian Composers’ Association.
His oeuvre consists mainly of vocal, orchestral, chamber and piano music. His ballet „The legend of Nile” was presented in 1940 and until 1948 it was on agenda at the Hungarian State Opera House 27-times. The Concerto for piano, string orchestra and percussions was presented 1947 by Alfred Brendel on the radio of Lausanne. A number of his compositions (like Partita für Klavier solo) had international success with Paul Badura-Skoda.
Throughout his long career he has received a number of awards: the Großes Ehrenzeichen des Burgenlandes and also the title „Freeman of Siegendorf” (1962), the Austrian State Prize (1963), the Cultural Prize of Burgenland Province (1976), the Liszt Memorial Plaque (1977), the Bartók Memorial Plaque (1981), the Kéry Prize and the Memorial Ring of Cinfalva (1982), the Kodály Memorial Medal (1983), the Bartók-Pászory Prize (1990), the Golden Medal of Merit from Vienna and the Haydn Medal from Eisenstadt (1993), the Small Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic (1994) the Komtur’s Cross of Burgenland (1997), the Pro Cultura Hungarica Award (2000), the Middle Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic and the Grand Austrian State Prize (2002).
Composer, pianist, folk music researcher and music teacher.
He started his music studies at the age of twelve in the music school of Jenő Buresch in Sopron. From 1916 he has given many concerts in the town - his first substantive piano concert was held 1921 in Kismarton. He has regularly composed ever since he turned fifteen. After high-school graduation (1920) he became pupil of the Vienna Music Academy (1921-1926), where he studied piano with Paul Weingarten, composing with Joseph Marx, harmonics with Richard Stöhr and counterpoint with Hans Gál.
In 1922 he won first prize for his violin-piano suite, awarded by the Salzburg Chamber Music Association. In 1926 he met Béla Bartók. From 1927 to 1932 he was piano teacher at the Conservatory of Cairo (Conservatoire de la musique). During his residence in Egypt he studied the Arabic music and also attended the lectures of the Institute de la Musique Arabe. From 1932 he spent two years on the Philippines, where he was Head of Department of piano and composing department of the University of the Philippines in Manila, but he also collected and recorded the ancient music of local primitive tribes. During school holidays he gave concerts in Japan and China.
In 1934 he had concerts in Cairo and Alexandria and then toured and held lectures in the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany and Hungary. He was professor of the Conservatory of Cairo until 1937. In 1938 he had concerts in the USA. In 1939 he moved to Sopron and attained Hungarian citizenship.
In the scholar year 1940/41 he was piano teacher in the music school of Szombathely. Between 1942 and 1948 he was director of the Conservatory of Pécs, he conducted the municipal orchestra and also took part in organizing local concerts.
In 1947 and 1948 he gave concerts in Italy and Switzerland, and he also spent some time in Rome as scholarship holder of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1948 he left Hungary for ever, first he became guest teacher of the Conservatory of Genf, then from 1952 to 1970 piano and composing teacher at the College-Conservatory University of Cincinnati. In the last scholar year he won the title „Fellow of the Graduate School”. In 1970 he returned to Burgenland and settled down in Siegendorf. In 1987 he became honorary member of the Austrian Composers’ Association.
His oeuvre consists mainly of vocal, orchestral, chamber and piano music. His ballet „The legend of Nile” was presented in 1940 and until 1948 it was on agenda at the Hungarian State Opera House 27-times. The Concerto for piano, string orchestra and percussions was presented 1947 by Alfred Brendel on the radio of Lausanne. A number of his compositions (like Partita für Klavier solo) had international success with Paul Badura-Skoda.
Throughout his long career he has received a number of awards: the Großes Ehrenzeichen des Burgenlandes and also the title „Freeman of Siegendorf” (1962), the Austrian State Prize (1963), the Cultural Prize of Burgenland Province (1976), the Liszt Memorial Plaque (1977), the Bartók Memorial Plaque (1981), the Kéry Prize and the Memorial Ring of Cinfalva (1982), the Kodály Memorial Medal (1983), the Bartók-Pászory Prize (1990), the Golden Medal of Merit from Vienna and the Haydn Medal from Eisenstadt (1993), the Small Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic (1994) the Komtur’s Cross of Burgenland (1997), the Pro Cultura Hungarica Award (2000), the Middle Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic and the Grand Austrian State Prize (2002).
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Farkas Ferenc: Aria e Rondo all'ungherese | Capriccio | C10894 | |
| 2003 | Saltus Hungaricus | Bayer Records | BR 100 340 | |
| 2015 | Levente Puskás & Judit Váradi: Saxon | Magánkiadás | ISRC HU-AK5-17 | |
| 2015 | Hungaroton-Hang-Verseny 2000 díj nyertesei | Hungaroton | HCD 19452 | |
| 2018 |
Végh Sándor zenei anyanyelve
(Végh in his Mother Tongue) |
BMC Records | BMC CD 263 | 2 CDs |