Artist database

This is the Artist Database of BMC, which includes information about composers, musicians, orchestras, choirs and groups that are either Hungarian or Hungarian by origin or live in Hungary, as well as information about releases recorded with them.

Lehotka Gábor


organ

Place of Birth
Vác
Date of Birth
1938

 
20 July 1938, Vác - 29 December 2009, Vác

Versatile organist, composer, organ expert, former Head of Department and university professor of Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music.

He started to study music when he was a grammar school student in Vác. His first teacher was the composer Tibor Pikéthy (also the first organist of the cathedral in Vác). From 1953 to 1958 he visited Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music, where his organ teachers were János Hammerschlag, Kálmán Halász and Ferenc Gergely. His teacher in composition was Rezső Sugár. 1958 he was accepted to the organ department of Ferenc Liszt Academy, where he became a pupil of Sebestyén Pécsi and graduated summa cum laude in 1963. Between 1961 and 1966 he also studied composition under the guidance of Endre Szervánszky.

In 1963 he became the soloist of the National Philharmonia and henceforth he regularly had concerts in Hungary. From 1965 he often performed abroad as well, he toured in almost every countries in Europe - the most invitations came from Germany, France and the USSR. He had a concert in the Notre Dame and the Saint-Germain-des-Pres (Paris), where he regularly returned due to the invitations to the Festival Estival. Within the frames of the Avignon Festival he performed in Grignan, where he was a regular guest for two decades. In 1978 he was engaged in composing again, beside organ works he also wrote orchestral-, chamber- and choir works.

Selected works: Sermon on the Mount (2003), Esther (2005), Mass of Ják (1989), Latin mass (1993), Organ concerto No. 1. “Hommage ŕ Händel” (1963, revised 1999), Organ concerto No. 2. (2003), Violin concerto (1984), Trumpet concerto (1998), Amor Sanctus (1991-1999), C., CXII., CL., I., XXIII., Psalms.

From 1969 he was teaching in Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music (Budapest), then from 1975 at the Ferenc Liszt Academy - from 1985 as associate professor, then from 1990 as university professor. Until his retirement in 2008 he was in charge of the organ department. From 1965 he had been publishing around fifty records. He was invited to the jury of many international organ contests.

He contributed to the built-up of the first Hungarian organ, which was fabricated 1976 in Vác. Later as expert he took part in the fabrication of numerous organs in Hungary (1980, Bartók Room - Szombathely; 1983, Zoltán Kodály Vocational School - Kecskemét; 1989, House of Arts - Szekszárd; 1995, Academy of Music - Budapest; 1996, Synagogue at Dohány Street - Budapest). In 2008 he was accepted to the correspondence course of Sola Scriptura Academy of Theology.

Published books: The organ is my instrument (1993), Methodology of organ teaching (2000), Gorsium Organ school (2000). He regularly published in periodicals and daily journals as Muzsika, Parlando, Kritika, Magyar Nemzet, Magyar Egyházzene and Hangszervilág.

Organ works: Deux piéces en ancienne forme: Motifs contractés et Passacaille (1967); Cinq chansons hongroises pur Mme Peyrol (1979); Noël pour un curé de Provence, “L’abbé Charles Mery” (1981); Musique d’orgue inaugurale (I Symphonie) (1982); Variations et fugue sur un théme de John Lennon (1986); Passacaille et Fugue (1987); Prelude, choral and fugue to Silbermann organ (1988); Symphonie Maclou (1992); Passacaglia, chorals and postludium to Trost organ (1994); Choral symphony - the first movement of the symphony can be performed independently: “Ein’ feste Burg…” choral variation (1995).

Chamber music: Chamber music to woodwind instruments, percussions and harp (1964); String quartet (1965); Baroque sonata for trumpet and organ (1988); Quintet for woodwind instruments (1991); Four Korean folk songs for trumpet and organ (1996); Quintet for brass winds (1996).
Orchestral works: Hommage á Händel, Organ concerto (re-orchestrated 1999); Violinconcerto for large orchestra (1984); Mass of Ják for mixed choir and great orchestra (revised 1999); Cinq chansons hongroises (orchestrated in 2000).

Other pieces: Five piano pieces (1963).

Choral works: Four choral works (1966); Mass of Ják (mixed choir, organ) (1988); New Testament in Hungarian (mixed choir, organ) (1991); Psalms: C. (mixed choir, organ) (1991); CXII. (mixed choir, organ) (1991); CL. (mixed choir, organ) (1991); I. (mixed choir, organ) (1992), XXIII. (mixed choir, organ) (1999); Latin mass (mixed choir) (1993); Amor Sanctus - fifteen choral works with organ suit to medieval poems (1990-1992).
Gábor Lehotka was awarded with Liszt Prize in 1974, then with Ferenc Liszt Grand Prize in 1975. He received the title Merited Artist in 1978 and he was also awarded by the Kodály Association in 1983. In 1986 he won the title Chevalier de l’orde des Arts et des Lettres (France) and in 2005 the title Deputy Director General (Cambridge International Center).
 
Year Title Publisher Code Remark
1966 Bach, J.S. - Lehotka Gábor: Organ Music Hungaroton SLPX 1238 Own
LP
1973 Musica Mundana 5. Hungaroton Own
1973 Zeneművek a főváros egyesítésének 100. évfordulójára
(Compositions to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Unification of Budapest)
Hungaroton SLPX 11699 LP
1975 Liszt Ferenc összes orgonaműve
(Ferenc Liszt: Complete Organ Works)
Hungaroton SLPX 11540-44 Own
5 LPs
1976 Csendes éj
(Silent Night)
Hungaroton SLPX 16598 Reissue on CD: HCD 16598 (1994)
1980 Bach, J.S.: Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Toccata and Fugue in F major Hungaroton SLPX 12198 Own
1981 Vivaldi, Antonio: Intrada e Gloria RV 639, 588; Cessate Essate, Omai Cessate RV 684 Hungaroton HCD 12087
1981 Kodály Zoltán: Organoedia & Choral Works with Organ Hungaroton Own
1987 Vivaldi, Antonio: Credo RV 591; Beatus Vir RV 598; Lauda Jerusaloem RV 609; Gloria RV 589 Hungaroton HCD 11695
1987 Bakfark Bálint Lant Trió: Zene a reneszánszkori Erdélyben
(Bakfark Bálint Lute Trio: Music in Renaissance Transylvania)
Hungaroton HCD 12924
1988 Liszt Ferenc: Organ Works
(Liszt Ferenc: Organ Works)
Hungaroton HRC 095 Own
1989 Bach, J. S.: Cantatas Nos. 161 & 169 Hungaroton Own
1990 Handel, Georg Friderich: Organ Concertos Op.4 Nos.2, 4, 5 and Op.7, No.4 Capriole CA15629
1990 The Instruments Of Classical Music Vol.6-10 Laserlight 15980 5 CDs
1991 Magyarország köszönti II. János Pált Hungaroton SLPX 31432 LP
1994 Csendes éj
(Silent Night)
Hungaroton HCD 16598 Reissue of Hungaroton SLPX 16598 (1976)
1994 Vivaldi, Antonio: Laudate Pueri RV 601; in Fuore RV 626; Nulla in Mundo Pax Sincera RV 630 Hungaroton HCD 11632
1994 Liszt Ferenc: Orgonaművek
(Liszt: Organ Works)
Hungaroton HCD 12562 Own
1995 Haydn, Joseph: 5 orgonaverseny C-dúrban
(Haydn, Joseph: Organ Concertos in C major)
Hungaroton HCD 31175 Own
1995 Liszt Ferenc: Magyar koronázási mise R. 487
(Ferenc Liszt: Hungarian Coronation Mass R. 487)
Hungaroton HCD 12148
1996 Classic Masterworks - George Friedrich Händel Capriccio C49025
1996 Bach, J. S.: Orgonaművek Magyarország legrégibb orgonáján
(Bach, J. S.: Organ works on the oldest organ of Hungary)
Hungaroton HCD 32227 Own
1997 Bach, J.S.: János passió BWV 245 Hungaroton HCD 04024 2 CDs
1997 Pikéthy Tibor, Lehotka Gábor: Orgonaművek
(Tibor Pikéthy, Gábor Lehotka: Organ works)
Hungaroton HCD 31749 Own
1997 Kodály Zoltán: Orgonás kompozíció
(Zoltán Kodály: Works with organ)
Hungaroton HCD 31682
1998 Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Liszt Hungaroton HCD 12891
1998 Bach, Daquin, Händel, Lehotka: Karácsonyi fantázia
(Bach, Händel, Daquin, Lehotka: Christmas Fantasy)
Hungaroton HCD 31822 Own
1999 Barokk álmodozás
(A Baroque Day-dream)
Hungaroton HRC 1005 Echo Collection
2001 Liszt Ferenc: Kantáták és himnuszok
(Liszt: Cantatas & Hymns)
Hungaroton HCD 31960
2001 Lotti Antonio: Kyrie; Gloria; Missia del sesto tuono Hungaroton HCD 32042
2001 Bach, J. S.: Máté Passió BWV 244
(Bach, J. S.: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244)
Hungaroton HCD 12069-71 3 CDs
2003 Gyászzenék
(Funeral Music)
Hungaroton HCD 32260
2003 Dalok és táncok a Vietórisz-kéziratból
(Songs and Dances from the Vietórisz Tabulature)
Hungaroton HCD 32133
2004 Karácsonyi koncert
(Christmas Concert)
Hungaroton HCD 32281
2004 Szőnyi Erzsébet: Orgonaverseny, Hat középkori himnusz, Hárfás kvintett, etc.
(Erzsébet Szőnyi: Concerto per organo e orchestra, Six medieval hymns, Quintet for Harp and String Quartet, etc.)
Hungaroton HCD 32246 Own
2005 Organ Music - Praetorius, Hofhaimer, Hassler, Gabrieli, Bull, Scheidt, Kotter, Scheidemann, Buxtehude Capriccio C49444 5 CDs
2006 Bach, J.S.: d-moll toccata és fúga/ F-dúr Pastorale/ F-dúr toccata és fúga/ C-dúr toccata, adagio és fúga/ c-moll passacaglia és fúga
(Bach, J.S.: Toccata & Fugue in D minor/ Pastorale in F major/ Toccata and Fugue in F major/ Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major/ Passacaglia and Fufue in C minor)
Hungaroton HRC 1056 Own
Echo Collection
2006 Haydn, Joseph: Symphonies, Concertos, String Quartets, The Creation (Masterpieces) Capriccio C49520
2013 101 Essential Classical Masterpieces: Bach Hungaroton Own
2017 Bach, Johann Sebastian: A reformáció és J. S. Bach
(Bach, Johann Sebastian: The Reformation and J. S. Bach)
Hungaroton
2017 The Reformation & Johann Sebastian Bach Hungaroton HCD 32763
2021 Don't Hold Me Bach - The Essential Classics of the Baroque Composer J. S. Bach Hungaroton HCD 32856