Hungarian Romantics besides Liszt and von Dohnanyi

[LateRomantic75]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Hungary seems to have had a comparative scarcity of composers during the Romantic Era, as opposed to most other European countries. Only Liszt and von Dohnanyi have any considerable recognition today. (We mustn't forget, though, that Bartok's early works and Kodaly's Summer Evening and SQ no. 1 are in a late-romantic style). I am only aware of six other Hungarian romantics:

Ferenc Erkel (1810-1893): Composer of nationalist operas. I'm ashamed to say I'm not familiar with any of his music.

Mihaly Mosonyi (1815-1870): Composer of mainly instrumental music influenced by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Chopin. Marco Polo has recorded three discs of his music. I only know the disc with his Symphony and PC; I enjoyed the rather Beethovenian symphony but was not particularly impressed with the concerto.

Julius (Gyula) von Beliczay (1835-1893): Not much information on this composer can be found. There is an OOP Hungaroton disc of his Symphony in D minor and Serenade for Strings. I must say I was very impressed by the Symphony, a dramatic work rather akin to Volkmann's First. Don't recall what the Serenade is like. I see there are threads on him here.....

Odon Mihalovich (1842-1929): Now this is an intriguing composer. Only some of his songs have been recorded (on Hungaroton), which I haven't heard. Wikipedia says that he was strongly influenced by Wagner and his works incorporate elements of Hungarian nationalism. He composed five complete operas, four symphonies, seven symphonic poems, among other works. IMSLP holds the full score of of his Symphony no. 1.

Emanuel Moor (1863-1931): I've brought him up before; another intriguing and prolific composer. He composed five operas, eight symphonies, over a dozen concertos, and numerous chamber and piano works. A couple discs of his chamber music involving cello have been released, and they display an imaginative mind at work. As I announced recently, his Concerto for Two Cellos has been recorded, but I haven't heard it yet. A great deal of his music is held at IMSLP.

Miklos Radnai (1892-1935): Mainly noted as a conductor and an enthusiast for premiering new works, Radnai was also a composer who, according to Wikipedia, composed in an post-romantic, impressionistic vein. Among his major works are two operas, a choral symphony Symphony of the Magyars, a violin concerto, and several orchestral and chamber works. Nothing of his has been recorded.

Also, there's Miklos Rozsa, but his music is more neo-romantic than truly "romantic".

So, any thoughts on the composers listed above? Who am I missing?

[LateRomantic75]

There's also Albert Siklós (1878-1942), composer of two operas, three symphonies (including one for twelve double basses!), four orchestral suites, and concertos for cello (2), piano, and violin. None of his music appears to be recorded. Three works of his, including a Piano Quintet, are held at IMSLP.

[X. Trapnel]

Leo Weiner surely qualifies as a late romantic

[Alan Howe]

The obvious omission is Goldmark.

[Alan Howe]

Julius (Gyula) von Beliczay (1835-1893): Not much information on this composer can be found. There is an OOP Hungaroton disc of his Symphony in D minor and Serenade for Strings.

The CD was in fact released on the Pannon Classic (sic) label - in a limited edition of 300 copies.

[LateRomantic75]

Of course I would forget two obvious examples!

There's also Hans von Koessler (1853-1926), who was born in Germany, but worked in Hungary for 26 years, where he was known as Janos Koessler. He composed an opera, two symphonies, symphonic variations for orchestra, and a plethora of chamber works. CPO recorded his String Quintet and String Sextet, both highly accomplished works in a Brahms meets Reger style. They also bring to mind the outstanding chamber works of Paul Juon. I'd certainly like to hear his orchestral works if they are still extant.

[thalbergmad]

Geza Zichy seems to have had much success in his day both as a performer and a conductor, despite losing his right arm in a hunting accident.

When I hurt my right arm after falling off me bike, I spent a while attempting to play some of his transcriptions without much success.

I cannot see how his piano concerto could be played with one hand. It would not be a walkover with two.

Thal

[LateRomantic75]

We mustn't forget Jeno Hubay, the author of four tuneful, hugely enjoyable VCs that are certainly more than just virtuoso fluff. His Viola Concerto is also a fine work. He also composed two symphonies which I'd like to hear.

There's also the Hungarian-American composer Gabriel von Wayditch (1888-1969), whose output consists mainly of fourteen grand operas. Interestingly, his opera The Heretics is cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest opera ever written!

[Balapoel]

A few that haven't been mentioned (or expanded):

Gyula Beliczay (1835-1893), Symphony in d minor, Symphony in A, suite de bal, Serenade in d minor, all for orchestra. Chamber music includes at least 3 string quartets (g minor, a minor, B), piano trio, and various works for chamber duos.

Istvan Heller (aka Stephen Heller) (1813-1888), an enormous amount of piano pieces (caprices, fantasias, impromptus, nocturnes, preludes, etc.), including 4 sonatas (d minor, b minor, bb minor)

Joseph Joachim could be considered Hungarian also (born Kitsee, near Bratislava). Of course we all know his works.

Bela Keler (aka Adalbert Paul von Keler) (1820-1882), works for violin and piano, but mostly piano music, and overtures and dances for orchestra, and one symphonic poem (Soldatenleben, op 62)

Franz Lehar (1870-1948), mainly operas, but various orchestral works (ballets, overtures, Violin Concertino in b minor, etc.)

Ottakar Novacek (1866-1900), Hungarian of Bohemian descent., 3 string quartets, various concert-caprices, Piano Concerto in c minor 'Eroica', etc.

Leo Weiner (1885-1960), definitely romantic. Great pieces include Violin Concertos 1 (ind D) and 2 (in f# minor), his Divertimenti, and his violin sonatas.

[alberto]

I would add the name of Imre (Emmerich) Kalman (1882-1954) , like a "lesser brother" of Lehar, author of a lot of romantically oriented operettas, rich in melodic invention.

[eschiss1]

* Violinist-composer Tivadar Nachéz (1859-1930), wrote 2 concertos and a string quartet among other works.
* Gyula (Julius) Major/Mayor (1858-1925). Substantial output contains at least 5 symphonies, concertos for piano, violin and cello, etc. (A couple of works are @ IMSLP, as well as a very incomplete list of his works that I've been dabbling with, just because I suppose.)
* Gustave Szerémi (died 1920?), known only I suppose for his arrangements and test pieces/study pieces for viola and for cello, but I don't know the range of what he wrote.

Based on what I have heard by Novacek, by whom once one only heard the Moto perpetuo (op.11), but who counted e.g. Busoni among his good friends (Busoni premiered, I think, Novacek's piano concerto "Eroico" and, according to a recent Busoni biography, conducted a string-orchestra arrangement of the "Hymnus" from Novacek's (posthumously-published) 3rd string quartet as a memorial to his young departed friend in a concert that also, I think, had the first performance in which Busoni took the solo part in his own piano concerto- something on that order) (and Kneisel also; it was Kneisel, of the eponymous quartet, to whom that quartet was dedicated) - anyhow, based on what I've heard by him, I'd like to hear more still _Good_ stuff, just to say. Same for several others mentioned here. BTW it's Ottokar, not Ottakar, I do think (and yes, not to be over-diacritical, but I know I left a few things off his last name.)

Also: Leo Grill (first string quartet Op.9 in score and recording (thanks, matesic!) on IMSLP, wrote at least one other among other works), 1845 or 1846-1919. Hungarian, pupil of Franz Lachner, taught at Leipzig. If one means, mind, people who put some sort of "Hungarian flavor" (??) into their music rather than people who just happened to be born and live part of their lives in the area, that's a different question and it does to be specific

(Though there's always the light music by the Gungl family to put up also along with Keler who has been mentioned )

Hrm. While about it will also add
*Ernő Lányi (1861-1923), conductor, teacher, composer from Budapest. (One of his works is a string quintet "Hunnia gyásza / Ungarns Trauer" (trans.), Op.170, published 1907.)

[LateRomantic75]

Thank you, Balapoel and Eric, for your fascinating contributions!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Major is IMHO an important and totally neglected composer. The 5th symphony contains parts for soprano & baritone soloists and the 4-hand piano version is available at IMSLP, together with the score of his Concerto Symphonique for piano & orchestra (parts held in Fleisher), which I hope Hyperion may consider in the future. I have a copy somewhere of his piano sonata, an impressive and difficult piece. I confess I know neither the D minor symphony nor the Serenade and was unaware that they had been recorded, If anyone has a copy of that OOP Hungaroton recording I would be very interested to hear these compositions.

[LateRomantic75]

In regard to the D minor symphony and Serenade on CD, surely you must be referring to Beliczay, not Major?

[eschiss1]

I am still? unaware of any recording of Major's larger works. (Indeed, I wish I'd thought to ask about them back in the "download request" forum days we had here. Maybe Bartók Radio Hungary has some broadcast tapes somewhere...)  (BTW yes, like Beliczay, he also went/was published as Gyula, Julius, Jules, etc.)

And I thought the recording of Beliczay's works was on another label, one I'd never heard of, not Hungaroton. So... curiouser and curiouser...

(Major is mentioned in an interesting context in Lynn Hooker's "Redefining Hungarian Music from Liszt to Bartók" (2013), starting p.146. It seems he took offense at an article by Egon Wellesz from 1912- long if perhaps interesting story (Major mentions Mihavolich (positively) in his response to Wellesz' article/review, which Hooker quotes, I see.)

(Also, his "Balaton" has recently been reissued by Musikproduktion Höflich of Munich (2013).)