Sándor Végh
Encyclopedia
Sándor Végh was a Hungarian
, later French
, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music
violin
ists of the twentieth century.
, Transsylvania, Kingdom of Hungary
, since 1920 Cluj-Napoca
, Romania
). He began studying the piano at the age of six. He entered the Budapest
Conservatory in 1924, taking violin
studies with Jenő Hubay
and composition
with Zoltán Kodály
. He began a career as a solo
violinist and in 1927 played a Richard Strauss
composition under the composer’s baton. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1930, having won the Hubay Prize and the Reményi Prize from the institution in 1927.
In 1934 he became one of the founding members of the Hungarian String Quartet
. He was initially the first violin, but gave that position to Zoltán Székely
and took second chair. He participated with the Hungarian String Quartet in the first Hungarian performance of Béla Bartók
's String Quartet No. 5
.
Végh left the Hungarian Quartet in 1940 to found his own quartet, the Végh Quartet
. During the same season he became a professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
in Budapest. He and the quartet left Hungary in 1946. The quartet continued to give concerts until the mid-1970s; Végh also made solo appearances as a violinist. He took French
citizenship in 1953.
In 1952 he met cellist
Pablo Casals
, who invited Végh to join him in giving summer classes in Zermatt
, Switzerland
(1953-62), and to appear annually in Casals' Prades Festival
(1953-69). He found teaching rewarding, and thereafter taught at the Basel
Conservatory (1953-63), in Freiburg (1954-62), Düsseldorf
(1962-69) and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg
(1971-97).
He founded the International Chamber Music Festival of Cervo
in 1962 and often conducted there. He founded the Sándor Végh Chamber Orchestra and conducted it for a term lasting from 1968 to 1971, and conducted the Marlboro
Festival Orchestra (1974-77). In 1972, following an invitation to visit Cornwall from Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, he founded the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove
http://www.i-m-s.org.uk/. In 1979 he became conductor
of the Camerata Academica at the Mozarteum. With them he made a recording of Mozart
’s divertimento
s and serenade
s that won the Grand Prix du Disque in 1989.
He was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
" in 1986, Doctor
Honoris causa
of Warwick
and Exeter
universities (1987), an honorary appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1988, and the Gold Medal of Salzburg in 1987.
After a short illness in 1997, he died at a hospital in Freilassing
, just across the border
from Salzburg.
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...
, later French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
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....
ists of the twentieth century.
Education
Sándor Végh was born in 1912 in KolozsvárCluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Transsylvania, Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, since 1920 Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). He began studying the piano at the age of six. He entered the 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...
Conservatory in 1924, taking 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....
studies with Jenő Hubay
Jeno Hubay
Eugen Huber , better known by his Hungarian name Jenő Hubay , was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher.-Early life:Eugen Huber was born into a German family of musicians in Pest, Hungary...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
with Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
. He began a career as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
violinist and in 1927 played a Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
composition under the composer’s baton. He graduated from the Conservatory in 1930, having won the Hubay Prize and the Reményi Prize from the institution in 1927.
Career
As his solo career was developing, he joined the Hungarian Trio with Ilonka Krauss and László Vencze.In 1934 he became one of the founding members of the Hungarian String Quartet
Hungarian Quartet
The Hungarian String Quartet was a musical ensemble of world renown, particularly famous for its performances of quartets by Beethoven and Bartók...
. He was initially the first violin, but gave that position to Zoltán Székely
Zoltán Székely
Zoltán Székely was a violinist and composer.Székely studied violin with Jenő Hubay and composition with Zoltán Kodály at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. He composed mainly chamber music...
and took second chair. He participated with the Hungarian String Quartet in the first Hungarian performance of Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's String Quartet No. 5
String Quartet No. 5 (Bartók)
The String Quartet No. 5 Sz. 102, BB 110 by Béla Bartók was written between August 6 and September 6, 1934.The work is in five movements:#Allegro#Adagio molto#Scherzo: alla bulgarese#Andante#Finale: Allegro vivace...
.
Végh left the Hungarian Quartet in 1940 to found his own quartet, the Végh Quartet
Végh Quartet
The Végh Quartet was a Hungarian string quartet founded in 1940 and led by its first violinist Sándor Végh for 40 years. The quartet was based in Budapest until it departed Hungary in 1946. It is particularly known for its recordings of the Beethoven and Bartók cycles...
. During the same season he became a professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
in Budapest. He and the quartet left Hungary in 1946. The quartet continued to give concerts until the mid-1970s; Végh also made solo appearances as a violinist. He took French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
citizenship in 1953.
In 1952 he met cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
, who invited Végh to join him in giving summer classes in Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(1953-62), and to appear annually in Casals' Prades Festival
Prades, Pyrénées-Orientales
Prades is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of the historical Conflent comarca. Its inhabitants are called Pradéens.-Geography:...
(1953-69). He found teaching rewarding, and thereafter taught at the Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
Conservatory (1953-63), in Freiburg (1954-62), Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(1962-69) and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(1971-97).
He founded the International Chamber Music Festival of Cervo
International Chamber Music Festival of Cervo
The first International Chamber Music Festival of Cervo was inaugurated in 1964, the brainchild of the renowned Hungarian violinist Sandor Vegh. It is held every summer in the picturesque church square...
in 1962 and often conducted there. He founded the Sándor Végh Chamber Orchestra and conducted it for a term lasting from 1968 to 1971, and conducted the Marlboro
Marlboro
Marlboro is the name of various geographical locations, frequently named after the town of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England:United States*Marlboro, New York*Marlboro, Vermont*Marlboro, Virginia*Marlboro County, South Carolina; Ohio...
Festival Orchestra (1974-77). In 1972, following an invitation to visit Cornwall from Hilary Tunstall-Behrens, he founded the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove
Prussia Cove
Prussia Cove , formerly called the King's Cove, is a small private estate on the coast of Mount's Bay and to the east of Cudden Point, west Cornwall, UK. Part of the area is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest , a Geological Conservation Review site and is in an Area of Outstanding...
http://www.i-m-s.org.uk/. In 1979 he became conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
of the Camerata Academica at the Mozarteum. With them he made a recording of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
’s divertimento
Divertimento
Divertimento is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the divertimento is most often lighthearted and it is generally composed for a small ensemble....
s and serenade
Serenade
In music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
s that won the Grand Prix du Disque in 1989.
He was awarded "Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
" in 1986, Doctor
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Honoris causa
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
and Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
universities (1987), an honorary appointment as Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 1988, and the Gold Medal of Salzburg in 1987.
After a short illness in 1997, he died at a hospital in Freilassing
Freilassing
Freilassing is a municipality of some 16,000 inhabitants situated in the southeastern corner of Bavaria, Germany. It belongs to the "Regierungsbezirk" Oberbayern and the "Landkreis" of Berchtesgadener Land...
, just across the border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
from Salzburg.
External links
- Biographical article by Elizabeth Mortimer, http://www.mortimer.at/resources/Sandor_Vegh_Camerata_Academia.html.en
- http://www.cervo.com