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Gyula Major (1858-1925)

Started by Alan Howe, Thursday 10 July 2014, 19:20

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Alan Howe

Does anyone know any of the music of this Hungarian composer?

(b Košice, 13 Dec 1858; d Budapest, 30 Jan 1925). Hungarian composer and pianist. He studied the piano with Erkel and Liszt. His music combines a nationalistic melodic flavour and Germanic formalism, resolved most successfully in the prize-winning 'Hungarian' Symphony op.17 and the 'Hungarian' Piano Sonata op.35. Notable among his other works are the symphonic poem Balaton (1906) and the folk opera Mila (1913).

http://www.answers.com/topic/jakab-gyula-major#ixzz375jjbnHN


Works with Opus number

    Op.4 - piano trio in C minor (1885)
    Op.8 - Capriccio in F for piano (1892)
    Op.9 - 2 pieces for piano (Menuet, Impromptu) (1889)
    Op.12 - Concert Symphonique (by 1895)
    Op.14 - concerto symphonique- allegretto scherzando, arr. for piano (1894 from Deutsch & Co.) (also published separately by Leuckart in 1896 just as "Op.12 No.2")
    Op.16 - Suite romantique (Fantaisie, Ballade, Romance, Valse-sérénade, Meditation) for piano (1894, Budapest: Deutsch&Co.)
    Op.17 - Symphonie hongroise (Symphony No.2) (Budapest : Pesti Könyvnyomda Részvénytársaság : Bárd Ferencz, ca.1900, at British Library at least (autograph facsimile published score). 4-hand arrangement mentioned in 1901 HMB.)
    Op.18 - Violin Concerto (in A) (1899) (pub. 1899 by Julius Hainauer (score published, parts "(Orch.-St. in Abschrift)", solo-part also published, according to HMB.)
    Op.19 - Zsidó vallásos énekek : ... zenéjöket szerezte és a függelékben foglalt ritualis énekeket az ifjuság igényeihez alkalmazta (for choir) (1891, Méry, Budapest)
    Op.20 - 2nd piano trio in D, 1894, Budapest: Deutsch & Co./Leipzig: Leuckart
    Op.22 - String Quartet no.1 in D minor. (pub. or repub. 1908 by Méry of Budapest.)
    Op.24 - Serenade in G for string orchestra (1895) (prize-winning work from Clausenburger Conservatory. Allegro moderato - Andante moderato ungharese - Gavotte - Allegro molto)
    Op.25 - 3rd symphony in C minor (Ms. Mus. 959 in 4-hand reduction, Budapest/Szech. library?)
    Op.26 - 1re Rhapsodie hongroise (D minor) for piano (1898)
    Op.29 - 2 Sonatinas for Violin and Piano (C, G) (1897)
        5 sonatinas for piano (1898)
    Op.32 - Meine Göttin (after Goethe). Cantate für Männerchor, Sopran Solo, Bariton Solo u. gr. Orchester. (pub.ca.1923., presumably earlier? Ms. Mus. 965, Budapest/Szech. Library?)
    Op.33 - Violin Sonata in D major (1895, Leuckart)
    Op.36 - Scènes millenaires, suite pour piano à 4 mains (1900, Budapest, Pester Buchdruck-Aktiengesellschaft)
    Op.38 - Niels Finn (chorus) (arrangement published 1899. With orchestra, 1901. Another version published 1907)
    Op.40 - Symphony No.4 (F♯ minor?) (4-hand arrangement published 1905? by Breitkopf&Härtel)
    Op.42 - 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody for Piano (1901, Budapest, Pester Steindruckerei-Gesellschaft)
    Op.43 - Junge Liebe (for men's chorus and string orchestra or piano) (pub. 1908, Budapest, Méry)
    Op.44 - Cello Concerto in A major? (minor?) (reduction 1904/05, Breitkopf&Härtel) (full score at Free Library of Philadelphia- orchestra of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, triangle, harp, strings
    Op.45 - Psalm 47 for choir (male or mixed) and orchestra
    Op.49 - Piano Concerto No.2 in A minor (may be Baker "typo" for cello concerto in A minor Op.44)
    Op.51 - Grandpapa's Musical Clock (Grosspapas Spieluhr) (Childrens' Scenes for piano with optional chorus and Illustrations) (Breitkopf und Härtel, 1905.)
    Op.52 - Clerici beati sunt for bass solo, men's chorus and piano
    Op.55 - Balaton (composed 1906 or 1907?) (symphonic poem for orchestra) (published 1908, Méry of Budapest. Reissued 2013 by Musikproduktion Höflich, Munich - see Preface.)
    Op.56 - Rings um den Balaton (Utazás a Balaton körül) (1907, Méry, Budapest)
    Op.57 - Die alte Jungfer (3 part women's chorus and piano): "Ingeried Sletten von Sillehabb"
    Op.58 - Suite galante (1907, Méry, Budapest)
    Op.59 - Der Wasserfall (soprano, 3-part women's chorus and piano): "Die Elfin wohnt in der Felsenhall"
    Op.60 - 3 Volkslieder for 3-part Women's Chorus and Piano (pub.1908, Méry)

    Siciliana (Forsi pir si nun m'ami)
    La vera Sorrentina (Io la vidia Piedigrotta)
    Chanson du XVme Siècle (Vray Dieu d'Amours)

    Op.60a - 2 Songs for 1 voice and piano (Méry, Budapest, 1908)

    Vergessen (Ich ruhe ja schon in einer Gruft)
    No title (Hab' einen Traum begraben)

    Op.61 - Nach dem Strike (Wir schweigen schon) for one male voice and piano (Méry, Budapest, 1908)
    Op.63 - 3 Concert-fantasies for piano with 2nd piano or orchestra (1907)
    Op.63 - 3rd piano trio (according to Baker's)
    Op.68 - Piano Sonata in E minor (pub.1909 by Méry Bèla) (UNC Chapel Hill has, as does Library of Congress, both microfilm)
    Op.69 - Devant les Murailles de Jerusalem, poème hébraïque pour piano (Méry, Budapest, 1909)
    Op.70 - Bosnische Lieder
    Op.79 - Symphony No.5 (composed 1914–1915)

Works without Opus Number

    Traumbilder for Piano 4-Hands (1890)
    Alpenklänge: Waltz(es?) with "R. Law"(?) (1900)
    also by Mayor/Major? & Law: Reine Berthe!/Königin Berthe! Suite de valses for piano ; Eichkätzchen-Polka ; Papagei-Polka. (Berlin: Scheithauer as part of a series of Haus-, Konzert- und Tanz-Musik; later Berlin: Siegel, 1903 for Reine Berthe! )
    Symphonies Nos. 1, 6?
    A szombatosok énekei / Lieder der Sabatharier (pub.ca.1907?, downloadable from Hathitrust. Songs of the Sabbath-Keepers (to translate the title exactly))
    Operas "Lisbeth" & "Erysika" (both prem.1901)
    Opera "Széchi Maria" (1906)
    Opera "Mila" (1913)
    String Quartets Nos. 2 in E minor, 3 in C minor

http://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Gyula_Major

Gareth Vaughan

The Op 12 Concerto Symphoniqe was on Mike Spring's radar at one time for Hyperion's RPC series. Score and parts in Fleisher. It looks interesting, as does the piano sonata, a score of which I had, (have, actually - but I can't find it at present!)

Alan Howe


eschiss1

Wrote a lot of the IMSLP list myself from various dribs and drabs of sources which I should have listed to make correction easier. It's probably full of holes... obviously feel free to fix, sorry...

Balapoel

Here are some additions/corrections from Grove:

Chamber
4   Piano Trio No. 1 in c minor   1881
   String Quartet No. 1 in A   1882 (lost)
20   Piano Trio No. 2 in D   1892
21   String Quartet No. 2 in c minor   
22   String Quartet No. 3 in d minor   1896
29.1   Violin Sonatina No. 1   1897
29.2   Violin Sonatina No. 2   1897
32   Piano Quintet in A   
33   Violin Sonata No. 1 in D   1895
39   Sextet in Bb for piano and winds   
53   Violin Sonata No. 2 in g minor   1907
54   String Quartet No. 4 in e minor   1905
62   Piano Trio No. 3 in Bb   1907

Operas
19   Dalma (4, Major, after M. Jókai), op.19, not perf.;    1891
30   Széchy Mária (3, Radó), op.30, Kolozsvár, 1906;    1906
41   Erzsike (prol, 1, A. Radó), op.41, Budapest, 24 Sept 1901 (n.d.);    1901
78   Mila (folk op, 3, R. Batka and M. Wassermann), op.78, Bratislava, 1913   1913

Concerti
   Piano Concerto No. 1   1882
12   Concert symphonique for 2 pianos and orchestra   1888
18   Violin Concerto in A   1899
44   Cello Concerto in A   1905
49   Piano Concerto No. 2 in a minor   
63   Drei Konzertfantasien, pf, orch, op.63 (n.d.);    1907

Symphonies
5   Symphony No. 1 in a minor, op.5, 1883–4,
17   Symphony No. 2 in b minor 'Hungarian', op.17   1900
25   Symphony No. 3 in c minor   
40   Symphony No. 4 in f# minor   1904
79   Symphony No. 5 in D for soprano, baritone, and orchestra, Op. 79 (1910-12)
   Symphony No. 6, ?1918, incomplete

Other Orchestral
   Overture, 1881;
16   Suite romantique, op.16 (n.d.);    
24   Serenade, str, op.24 (Leipzig, n.d.);    1895
26   Rapsodie Hongroise, arranged for orchestra   
36   Scènes millénaires, op.36 (n.d.);    
55   Balaton, sym. poem, op.55, 1906 (n.d.)

Piano Sonatas
35   Piano Sonata No. 1 in A 'Hungarian'   1896
68   Piano Sonata No. 2 in e minor   1909


Alan Howe

Thank you very much. That's helpful.

Gareth Vaughan

Not that helpful. Grove is often full of errors and this entry is no exception. The Op. 12 Concerto Symphonique is definitely NOT for 2 pianos & orchestra, simply for piano and orchestra. It was an edition of Grove that ascribed two piano concertos to Bronsart, the second in the same key as Brull's 2nd PC - that error was swiftly corrected. Another entry made Raimund Dreyschock the father of Alexander, and made Felix the latter's son!!! (Raimund was Alexander's younger brother; Felix was Alexander's nephew.)

Alan Howe

Thanks for your vigilance, Gareth. Warning heeded.

Balapoel

Well, perhaps that one (out of the many I provided, including details on all of the symphonies, lacking in the first list) was in error, but hardly 'not that helpful'. I was going to add details on other aspects of his ouevre (piano, vocal), but that's fine.

Mark Thomas

Oh, please do, Balapoel. A full catalogue is always so much more useful than a partial one.

Gareth Vaughan

I didn't mean to denigrate your research, Balapoel, nor your posting. I merely wanted to point out that Grove is not nearly as reliable as one could hope (or, indeed, has a right to expect), particularly when it comes to the sort of composers discussed on this forum.

Gareth Vaughan

I give below a list of Major's scores held by the Hungarian State Library which was supplied to me by Mrs Boglárka Illyés in July 2007:

Handwritten scores:
Ms. mus. 963 Suite romantique
Ms. mus. 956 Symphonia I.
Ms. 957 Symfonie in c-moll III. Op. 25.
Ms. mus. 2.685  III. Symphonie. C-moll. Op. 25 Original handwritten score
Ms. mus. 2.686 IV. Symphonie (Fis-moll) Op. 40.
Ms. mus. 6.202  IV. Symphonie. Original handwritten score
Ms. mus. 2.684 Sinfonia in A. (On the title page: Nessunoz senza difetti)
Ms. mus. 64 Balaton. Original handwritten score
Ms. mus. 4.985/a Bosnische Rhapsodie für Orch. No. 1. Op. 71.
Ms. mus. 961 Magyar Rapszódia
Ms. mus. 905 Nyitány a besztercebányai színház 1882-iki október ....-i megnyitására. Original manuscript
Ms. mus. 960 Ouverture für das Orchester Op. 1. Bp. 1881. Original manuscript
Ms. mus. 2.687 V. Symphonie. Op. 79. [D-dur] Mit Sopran-, Alt- (nicht obligat) und Baryton-Solo.
Ms. mus.7.885 Symphonie hongroise.
Ms. mus. 896 Symphonie V. op. 79. Für grosses Orchester und Gesang. Op. 79. Original manuscript.
Ms. mus. 759 Violin Concert in A-dur op. 18. Original handwritten score.

Printed scores:
Z 42.193 / Z 52.819 / Z 58.075 Balaton. Op. 55. Bp. [1907]. Méry, Orpheus
Z 42.189 Bosnische Rhapsodie Op. 71.
Z 42.195 Suite millénaire
Z 42.191 Rhapsodie hongroise No. 1. Bp. [1896] Zipser-König
Z 42.192 Suite romantique
Z 42.181 Symphonie hongroise. Op. 17.

Balapoel

okay. Additions to the lists provided above:

Piano
The 5 sonatinas are Opp. 29 and 31 (~1898)
Devant les Murailles de Jerusalem, poème hébraïque pour piano (Méry, Budapest, 1909)
Zongora-iskola: hülönös tekintettel a kèpezdeí tantervre, pf tutor, 1890–99

Vocal
46   Lieder und Gesange   
47   Lieder und Gesange   
48   Lieder und Gesange   
   Jewish Songs, I-xii, 1889-92


eschiss1

the (vocal) score of sym. 5 says "composed 1914-15"; I suspect the compiler of the Grove list may be wrong here, unless this applies specifically to the composition of/arrangement of the vocal score.
Devant les murailles is Op.69 (and is in the list on IMSLP.)
Does "Sinfonia in A. (On the title page: Nessunoz senza difetti)" = Op.5 or should it be listed as a Symphony No.0?

Op.12 is pretty clearly not for "2 pianos" and orchestra, at least not in its published form - see IMSLP. It's a piano concerto.

Gareth Vaughan

Pazdirek lists both the Op. 12 and Op. 49 PCs, but I have not been able to find a copy of the published score of Op. 49. Curiously, Pazdirek does not list any piano sonatas, but the copy of the sonata I have (somewhere) is certainly a printed one, so it must have been published.