Zoltán Kodály(1882-1967)

His work as folk song collector began in 1905. In 1907 he was appointed lecturer at the Academy of Music where he taught music history and composing. His own works were first published in 1910. In 1919 he participated in the work of the musical directorium, for which later a disciplinary procedure was initiated against him, his appointment was declared null and void and he could no longer teach. His isolation came to an end with the international success of Psalmus Hungaricus in 1923 and his musical comedy entitled Hary János became a success the world over in 1926. His musical piece Szekelyfonó was presented in 1932. Further works of Kodaly include: Marosszeki tancok (1927-1930) (Marosszek Dances), Nyari este (1927) (Summer Evening), Galantai táncok (1933) (Galanta Dances), Budavari Te Deum (Buda Te Deum)- to the 250th anniversary of the liberation of Buda (1936), Folszallott a pava (1939) (The Peacock Is Flying) and Concerto (1940). His activity of music history was also of importance, his monograph entitled Hungarian Folk Music was published in 1937. During the Second World War he protected the persecuted but later had to go into hiding himself. He created Missa brevis in 1945. He was involved in the democratic rebirth and became the chairman of the board of directors of the Academy of Music. Between 1946 and 1949 he was the president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Of his work, Czinka Panna was first shown in 1948, Kallai kettos was presented in 1951. Between 1951 and 1967 the first volume of the Treasury of Hungarian Folk Music was published and his views and ideas were manifest in musical education, as well. His work earned him the Kossuth Prize in 1948 and in 1952. He made an important contribution to the study of folklore, music history, music aesthetics, music criticism, as well as to that of literary history, linguistics and the cultivation of the language. He spent his entire life fighting for the musical education of the youth, including the teaching of singing in schools, and the basic function of musical reading and writing as part of the curriculum and the cultivation of choir music based on Hungarian elements. The Kodaly method is today well-known and practised in musical education throughout the world.