Gyula Major (1858-1925)

[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]

Thanks, Gareth. Intriguing...

[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.