Márk Rózsavölgyi
Encyclopedia
Márk Rózsavölgyi (ˈmaːrk ˈroːʒɒvøːlɟi; born Mordecai ("Motke") Rosenthal, 1789 Balassagyarmat
– 23 January 1848, Pest
) was a Hungarian
composer
and violin
ist. He has been called "the father of csárdás
".
, where his bust (made by Jelena Veszely in 1973) can be found in the Palóc
-parkland. His family is believed to have had klezmer
connections.
From the ages of 11 to 19 he worked as a clerk in Vienna
, Pressburg
, and Prague
, teaching himself to play the violin. Returning to Pest, he dedicated himself to music, composing in the Hungarian traditional styles, including the verbunkos
. his first works were published in Pest in 1811; eventually he published over 200 works. In 1812, he was appointed conductor of the orchestra at the German Theater in Pest
.
Basing himself in Pest, he travelled through the Habsburg Empire for many years, including extended stays in Baja
and Temesvár
.
In 1824, he was made a regular salaried member of the Philharmonic Society of the county of Veszprém
, and his name "Rosenthal" was Magyarized to "Rózsavölgyi" (both mean 'rose valley' in German (or Yiddish) and Hungarian respectively) on the occasion of his election. (This name change was not however officially recognised until 1846). He gave several official concerts during the coronation ceremonies at Pressburg in 1825; and in 1835 he appeared at the Court Opera House in Vienna
on the occasion of the Diet of Pressburg. Two years later, at the opening of the new National Theater of Pest, the Hungarian Orchestra of that city played a work composed by him for the occasion, and he subsequently became a regular member of that orchestra.
During the 1840s he formed his own band, and performed before Franz Liszt
in May 1846 in Pest. Liszt used some of Rózsavölgyi's melodies in his own Hungarian Rhapsodies
(nos. 8 and 12). After 1846 his health began to decline.
A number of famous Roma musicians, including Patikárus, Sárközi, Farkas, and others, were pupils of Rózsavölgyi. After his death, the Hungarian nationalist poet Sándor Petőfi
sang his praises in a long poem, reproaching the Hungarian people for permitting the last years of the artist to be clouded by financial difficulties.
Rózsavölgyi died in relative poverty in Pest and was buried there in the Jewish cemetery.
His son Julius (Gyula) founded a music publishing company in 1850, which still exists in Budapest
. Another son, Leopold, became a doctor.
Balassagyarmat
Balassagyarmat is a town in northern Hungary. It was the seat of the Nógrád comitatus.- History :The town's coat-of-arms bears the Latin inscription "Civitas Fortissima" , because in January 1919 Czechoslovak troops crossed the demarcation line delineated in December 1918 in preparation for the...
– 23 January 1848, Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
) was a Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. He has been called "the father of csárdás
Csárdás
Csárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from csárda . It originated in Hungary and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat...
".
Life and music
Rózsavölgyi was born to a poor tradesman's family in BalassagyarmatBalassagyarmat
Balassagyarmat is a town in northern Hungary. It was the seat of the Nógrád comitatus.- History :The town's coat-of-arms bears the Latin inscription "Civitas Fortissima" , because in January 1919 Czechoslovak troops crossed the demarcation line delineated in December 1918 in preparation for the...
, where his bust (made by Jelena Veszely in 1973) can be found in the Palóc
Palóc
The Palóc are a subgroup of the Magyars in Northern Hungary. While Palócs have retained distinctive traditions, including a very apparent dialect of Hungarian, Palócs are also ethnic Hungarians by general consensus....
-parkland. His family is believed to have had klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
connections.
From the ages of 11 to 19 he worked as a clerk in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Pressburg
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, teaching himself to play the violin. Returning to Pest, he dedicated himself to music, composing in the Hungarian traditional styles, including the verbunkos
Verbunkos
Verbunkos is an 18th-century Hungarian dance and music genre. Erroneously, this genre was sometimes attributed to Gypsies, because usually they were the musicians, although the Magyars themselves were sometimes performers,as well....
. his first works were published in Pest in 1811; eventually he published over 200 works. In 1812, he was appointed conductor of the orchestra at the German Theater in Pest
Pest (city)
Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and...
.
Basing himself in Pest, he travelled through the Habsburg Empire for many years, including extended stays in Baja
Baja, Hungary
Baja is a city in , southern Hungary. It is the second largest city in the county, after the county seat at Kecskemét, and is home to around 37,000 people....
and Temesvár
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
.
In 1824, he was made a regular salaried member of the Philharmonic Society of the county of Veszprém
Veszprém
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.-Location:...
, and his name "Rosenthal" was Magyarized to "Rózsavölgyi" (both mean 'rose valley' in German (or Yiddish) and Hungarian respectively) on the occasion of his election. (This name change was not however officially recognised until 1846). He gave several official concerts during the coronation ceremonies at Pressburg in 1825; and in 1835 he appeared at the Court Opera House in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on the occasion of the Diet of Pressburg. Two years later, at the opening of the new National Theater of Pest, the Hungarian Orchestra of that city played a work composed by him for the occasion, and he subsequently became a regular member of that orchestra.
During the 1840s he formed his own band, and performed before Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
in May 1846 in Pest. Liszt used some of Rózsavölgyi's melodies in his own Hungarian Rhapsodies
Hungarian Rhapsodies
Hungarian Rhapsody redirects here. For the 1979 Hungarian film Hungarian Rhapsody . For the 1928 German film Ungarische Rhapsodie.The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R106, is a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846-1853, and later in 1882 and 1885...
(nos. 8 and 12). After 1846 his health began to decline.
A number of famous Roma musicians, including Patikárus, Sárközi, Farkas, and others, were pupils of Rózsavölgyi. After his death, the Hungarian nationalist poet Sándor Petőfi
Sándor Petofi
Sándor Petőfi , was a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He is considered as Hungary's national poet and he was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848...
sang his praises in a long poem, reproaching the Hungarian people for permitting the last years of the artist to be clouded by financial difficulties.
Rózsavölgyi died in relative poverty in Pest and was buried there in the Jewish cemetery.
His son Julius (Gyula) founded a music publishing company in 1850, which still exists in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Another son, Leopold, became a doctor.
Recording
Rózsavölgyi: 'Ballroom Dances' (17 dances and dance -sequences). Festetics Quartet. Hungaraton HCD 31781 (1998)External links
- Rózsavölgyi.hu (only in Hungarian)