André Hajdu (; ; 5 March 1932 – 1 August 2016) was a Hungarian-born Israeli

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and

ethnomusicologist Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...

Biography

Hajdu studied at the

Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Franz Liszt Academy of Music (, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the Liszt Collection, which features several ...

in Budapest with Endre Szervánszky and Ferenc Szabó (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and

Zoltán Kodály Zoltán Kodály (, ; , ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music education. ...

(ethnomusicology). As a Kodály disciple, he was involved for two years in research about Gypsy musical culture and published several articles on this subject. After the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...

, Hajdu escaped to Paris and continued his studies at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

with

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

(composition) and

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

(philosophy of music), obtaining the 1st prize in the discipline. Among his class mates were

Gilbert Amy Gilbert Amy (born 29 August 1936) is a French composer and conductor. Career Born in Paris, Amy entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1954, where he was taught and influenced by Olivier Messiaen and Darius Milhaud and studied piano with Yvonne ...

William Bolcom William Elden Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, a Grammy Award, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. He ...

, Philip Corner and

Paul Méfano Paul Méfano (March 6, 1937 – September 15, 2020), was a French composer and conductor. Biography Paul Méfano was born in Basra, Iraq. He pursued musical studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, and then later at the Paris Conservato ...

. In Paris he met a variety of stimulating people from the playwright

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

to Prof. Israel Adler of the

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. It is the second-ol ...

, who brought him on his first visit to Israel in 1966. Hajdu took up residence in Jerusalem in 1966. He taught at the Tel Aviv Music Academy from 1966 to 1991 and at

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 ...

since 1970. He served as chairman in the Music Department there and founded a composition department. His notable students have included Aharon Razel,

Gil Shohat Gil Shohat (; born 7 September 1973) is an Israeli classical music composer, Conducting, conductor, pianist and lecturer. Biography Gil Shohat was born in Tel Aviv. His mother is ''Ha'aretz'' theatre critic Tzipora (Tzipi) Shohat. He grew up in Ra ...

Yonatan Razel Yonatan Razel () is an American-Israeli singer, writer, composer, musical arranger and conductor. Biography Yonatan Razel was born in New York and moved to Israel at a young age with his family. Razel is the brother of musicians Aaron Razel a ...

Yoni Rechter Yoni Rechter (; born 18 November 1951) is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and singer. Biography Yonatan (Yoni) Rechter was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is the son of Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and stepson of Israeli actr ...

Matti Kovler Matti may refer to: * Matti (given name), people with the given name * Matti (surname), people with the surname * Matti, Karnataka, a village in India * '' Matti: Hell Is for Heroes'', a 2006 film about Matti Nykänen See also * Masa (disambigu ...

and Matan Porat. Hajdu composed many pedagogical works, particularly for piano and theory through a creative approach (involving the player to the process of composing) e.g. Milky Way, Art of Piano-playing, Book of Challenges, Concerto for 10 young pianists. All this is connected with the practice of creative teaching in the Israel Arts & Science Academy in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching. He also studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject. He was deeply involved in Jewish topics, not only on the usual folkloristic or liturgical levels, but also confronted more abstract subjects of Jewish thought (Oral Law, philosophical books of the Bible) as well as Jewish History. In 2005 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Jerusalem Hebrew University. Hajdu died in Jerusalem at age 84.

Awards

* In 1955, Hajdu won the first prize with his Gypsy Cantata at the competition of the World Festival of Youth in Warsaw. * In 1997, he was awarded the

Israel Prize The Israel Prize (; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History Prior to the Israel Prize, the most significant award in the arts was the Dizengoff Prize and in Israel ...

, for music.

Selected works

;For the Stage * ''Ludus Paschalis'', a medieval passover play (1970) * ''The Story of Jonas'', Opera for children's choir (1985–1987) * ''Koheleth (Ecclesiaste)'', a biblical recitation with 4 celli ;Orchestral * ''Petit enfer'' (1959) * ''The Unbearable Intensity of Youth'' (1976) * ''Bashful Serenades'' for clarinet and orchestra (1979) * ''On Light and Depth'' (1983–1984) * ''Concerto for an Ending Century'' for piano and orchestra (1990) * ''Continuum'' for 15 players and piano (1995) ;Strings * ''Truath Melech (Rhapsody on Jewish Themes)'' for clarinet and string orchestra (1974) * ''The False Prophet'' for narrator and string orchestra (1977) * ''Divertimento'' (1988) * ''Overture in Form of a Kite'' (1985) ;Chamber * ''5 Sketches in Sentimental Mood'' for piano quartet (1976) * ''Instants suspendus'' for violin, viola or cello solo (1978) * ''Sonatine à la française'' (Sonatina in French Style) for flute and cello (1990) * ''Variations'' for string quartet (1997) * ''Birth of a Niggun'' for flute, clarinet and piano (1998) * ''Mishna-Variations'' for string quartet (1998) * ''Music for Three'' for violin, cello and piano (1999) ;Piano * ''Plasmas'' (1957) * ''Diary from Sidi-Bou Said'' (1960) * ''Journey around My Piano'' (1963) * ''Noir sur blanc'' (1988) * ''Metamorphoses'' (1997) * ''5 Inventions'' for piano 4-hands (1983) ;Songs * ''The Floating Tower'' (Mishnayoth) (1972–1973) * ''Bestiary'' (Ted Hughes) (1993) * ''Merry Feet'' (1998) * ''Nursery Songs'' ;Vocal-orchestral * ''Cycles of Life'', Cantata (1985) * ''Dreams of Spain'' (1991); about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain * ''Job and His Comforters'', Biblical and Historical Oratorio (1995) ;Choral * ''House of Shaul'' for mixed chorus (1974) * ''The Question of the Sons'' (1974) * ''Bitzinioth Nov'' (Song of the Sea) (1973) * ''Mishnayoth'' (1972–1973) * ''Proverbs of Solomon'' for choir and percussion (1978)

Discography

* On Light and Depth. I.M.I. (Israel)
Ecclesiaste
R.C.A. Victor (France)
Dreams of Spain
- Hungaroton (Budapest)
Concerto for an ending century
- Hungaroton (Budapest) * Truath Melech. Plane (Germany)
Book of Challenges
(Israel)
Retro-Portrait
(Israel)
Music For Chamber Ensembles
(Israel)

References

Sources

*Kennedy, Michael (2006). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', second edition. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. *Schleifer, Eliyahu (2001). "Hajdu, André". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was a British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was published as the first edition ...

and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.

External links

Official Andre Hajdu website

Andre Hajdu page from Bar-Ilan University site

Andre Hajdu at the Israel Composers' League

Ha'Oman Hai Ensemble on Facebook

Ha'Oman Hai Ensemble: Kulmus Ha-Nefesh
* Bibliography on Andre Hajdu, in Ronit Seter,
Israeli Art Music
, on Oxford Bibliographies (accessed 14 May, 2024)