Sárosi, Bálint: Bihari, János (English)

HUNGARIAN COMPOSERS 21

Gábor Mátray, the biographer of János Bihari (1764-1827) describes him as 'our nation's most illustrious folk musician'.

Among more than twenty known verbunkos composers of his time Bihari occupies a special place - not so much as a 'composer' (in the sense that the word is used today) - but as a musician with ability the keep abreast of a Hungarian public that was growing in national consciousness.

His stirring music derived from traditional sources, from fashionable music demanded by his audiences, from his own inspiration, and from contemporary novelties. He was a 'creative' performer - as were the best of the gipsy band leaders - and was not concerned with the origins of his musical material.

This short monograhp describes Biharis's life, musical and social environment, and sheds light on his unquestionably important role in the history of Hungarian music.


Author: Bálint Sárosi
Translated by Peter Woodword
English language editor: Jane Pogson
Editor, series editor: Melinda Berlász (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institue for Musicology)
Published by Magus Publishers Ltd
Publishing director: Emőke Tóth
Compositor: Enikő Zágoni Szakács

Supported by National Cultural Fund

The publication can be purchased in person at the BMC Library for a price of HUF 1,500, and can also be ordered from the Editio Musica Budapest webshop.

Already published in the series:

Bárdos, Lajos (1899-1986)
Bihari, János (1764-1827)
Bozay, Attila (1939-1999)
Csíky, Boldizsár (1937)
Dávid, Gyula (1913-1977)
Decsényi, János (1927)
Dohnányi, Ernő (1877.1960)
Dubrovay, László (1943)
Durkó, Zsolt (1934-1997)
Egressy, Béni (1814-1851)
Farkas, Ferenc (1905-2000)
Fusz, János (1777-1819)
Gárdonyi, Zoltán (1906-1986)
Horusitzky, Zoltán (1903-1985)
Hubay, Jenő (1858-1937)
Huszár, Lajos (1948)
Istvánffy, Benedek (1733-1778)
Járdányi, Pál (1920-1966)
Jeney, Zoltán (1943-2019)
Kadosa, Pál (1903-1983)
Kocsár, Miklós (1933-2019)
Kósa, György (1897-1984)
Kurtág, György (1926)
Lavotta, János (1764-1820)
Lendvay, Kamilló (1928)
Maros, Rudolf (1917-1982)
Mihalovich, Ödön (1842-1929)
Mosonyi, Mihály (1815-1870)
Petrovics, Emil (1930-2011)
Pongrácz, Zoltán (1912-2007)
Ránki, György (1907-1992)
Sári, József (1935)
Soproni, József (1930-2021)
Sugár, Rezső (1919-1988)
Szokolay, Sándor (1931-2013)
Szőnyi, Erzsébet (1924-2019)
Szőllősy, András (1921-2007)
Vántus, István (1935-1992)
Verebi, Végh János (1845-1918)
Vermesy, Péter (1939-1989)
Vidovszky, László (1944)
Volkmann, Robert (1815-1883)