Hungarian Composer Research Articles

“An Era More than Bleak”

AbstractFerenc Farkas, a remarkable twentieth-century Hungarian composer, was one of the most influential professors of composition throughout the history of the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. A less known chapter of his life is his involvement in the ethnicist and anti-Semitic political movements of Hungary, during the late 1930s and early 1940s. In 1940, he was among three musicians who elaborated a proposal to establish, in line with the rise of corporatism, a Hungarian Music Chamber. One of the main aims of the new organization would have been a total exclusion of Jewish musicians from all branches of Hungarian musical culture. The Chamber was never actually founded. In 1941, Farkas left Budapest for the Transylvanian city Kolozsvár (Cluj), where he was appointed professor of composition at the Conservatory. One of his first students was György Ligeti, a native Transylvanian, born into a Hungarian family suffering under the anti-Semitic legislation of the Hungarian state. As Ligeti recollected, Farkas “wanted to teach me everything he had learned from his teacher Ottorino Respighi.” Based on archival sources, this study offers new insights into the personal and professional connection between Ligeti and Farkas during the 1940s, and also follows Farkas's post-war path from relative isolation and marginalization to the elite of state socialist music culture.

Evocations of China in the Music of György Ligeti

This paper traces the shifting significance of China in the music of Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006). In early instances of chinoiserie from the 1940s—including a black-key piano exercise and incidental music for the puppet play Spring Flower—Ligeti resorts to pentatonic essentializing to evoke childlike visions of a fairytale Orient. A half-century later, in his 2000 song cycle Síppal, dobbal, nádiheged vel, China reemerges as a far more nuanced, though no less imaginary space. Ligeti’s settings of Chinese-themed verses by Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres function as coded expressions of alienation and foreignness from an exile composer separated from his homeland.

Черты фовизма в фортепианной музыке Белы Бартока на примере цикла «Шесть румынских народных танцев»

The research objective is to characterize piano music of Béla Bartók (1881-1945), an outstanding Hungarian composer, pianist, teacher, ethnographer and musicologist. The paper describes the prerequisites for the emergence of the musical style "Fauvism" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and Fauvism in piano music, identifying the Béla Bartók’s role in the development of musical Fauvism style; defines the specifics of the composer’s piano style on the basis of the analysis of his works. The research novelty lies in substantiating the uniqueness of Bela Bartok's piano handwriting defined by the focus of his composer’s language on the authentic Hungarian folklore. As a result, the main features of Bela Bartok's piano style are revealed: minimization of textured layers and the use of a limited number of structural elements; rejection of sound sensuality; the special role of accentuation; contrasting use of extreme registers of an instrument; grotesque scherzo motility.

The Collaborative Effort of Zoltán Kodály and His Students in the Development of the Kodály Concept

The Kodály Concept is known as a highly respected approach to music education, having had a great influence on the development of music education methodologies in many countries. Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, philosopher, and educator who achieved a high level of recognition and respect during his lifetime. The development of this methodology has been attributed to him when, in fact, its creation was the result of the collaboration between Kodály and several of his students, including Jenő Ádám (1896–1982), Lajos Bárdos (1899–1986), Gyula Kertész (1900–1967), György Kerényi (1902–1986), Erzsébet Szőnyi (1924–2019), and Katalin Forrai (1926–2004). Despite the political turmoil of this time (1914–1989), Kodály and his students were able to establish a very effective music education system for the entire Hungarian population. Not only was Kodály held in high regard by the people of his country, but he also had the respect of the communist party that ruled Hungary. Although he never became a communist, he managed to use the government to achieve his goals for music education. Had they won the Revolution of 1956, when the Hungarian people tried to overthrow Soviet rule of their country, many people believe Kodály would have been elected president.

Тотальная симметрия как главный инструмент формотворчества Белы Бартока на примере балета «Деревянный принц»

The subject of this article is the study of a principal feature of the compositional technique of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók — the symmetrically organized architectonics of his works, which is manifested at different levels: dramatic, thematic, and tonal-harmonic. The use of symmetry, in particular, mirror symmetry, contributed to the creation of ideal proportions, which the composer so much aspired to. Along with mirror symmetry, another characteristic feature of Bartók’s style is the application of the golden ratio principle of form that shows the real patterns of composition. The validity of the golden ratio principle becomes especially evident in the conditions of irregular rhythm, pronounced in the composer’s works. The author of the article establishes that rather specific of Bartók is the fact that the effect of the golden ratio principle in his works often extends both to the form as a whole and to smaller parts within the whole. Golden ratios, designed as symmetrical structures, can be observed in Bartók’s works both in the traditional (long + short part) and the inverted form (short + long part). All these characteristic features were traced on the example of the ballet The Wooden Prince.

Recontextualizing Brahms'sHandel Variations, Op. 24 through Robert Volkmann and Emanuel Moór

Brahms'sHandel Variations, Op. 24 (1861) stands out for its direct quotation of the Baroque master's Harpsichord Suite No. 1 in B-flat (HWV434), as well as its treatment of the theme in ‘old forms’. While the composer's knowledge of antiquated forms finds expression through canonic treatment, a siciliano, musette and fugal finale, the 25 variations written in the strict Baroque variation style further underscore his commitment to tradition.Several earlier revivals of Handel include settings by Louis Spohr, Ignaz Moscheles and Robert Volkmann of Handel's familiar ‘Harmonious Blacksmith’ tune. In 1856, Volkmann treated the theme to the fantasy variation, winning approval from performers and critics alike. Unnoticed, however, was the finale's remarkable modernization of Baroque keyboard styles through the revival of harpsichord texture, timbre, harmony, rhythm and melodic figurations. The unprecedented fidelity to the keyboard medium, literature, as well as expressive modes deserves a re-evaluation in relation to Brahms's setting.Brahms's return to the Baroque style variation served as a model for later composers. One case study is that by the neglected Hungarian composer Emanuel Moór (1863–1931). A former student of Volkmann and an ardent admirer of Brahms, Moór composed his Variations and Fugue on a Hungarian Theme. Op. 24 in 1890, which coincidentally bears the same opus number, as well as a Baroque fugal finale. This article examines Brahms's musical predecessors in the Handel revival, as well as his influence on Moór, allowing us to reassess the historical context and import of Brahms's Handel Variations, Op. 24.

The Traditional and the Innovative in the Dramaturgy and Composition of Béla Bartók’s Ballets

This article investigates the development of the 20th century ballet genre on the example of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881—1945). The study aims to reveal the features of B. Bartók’s ballets in the context of trends in Western European art of the 20th century and to show the composer’s innovative techniques. The article identifies specific musical formative means that reflect the genre definition of “pantomime”, and emphasizes his innovation. The early 20th century ballet art is an extremely bright phenomenon associated with the active search for new ways of developing the genre, which took place at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Classical ballet, which had reached its peak in the works of the Russian ballet school and the works of M. Petipa, was suddenly recognized as outdated and unviable. The new generation of choreographers sought to refute, to a certain extent, the genre’s old laws. The idea of searching for new means of expression became the leading one, and the canon of classical choreography was replaced by pantomime and a new unusual dance technique, which later became known as modern dance. B. Bartók’s ballets “The Wooden Prince” (1917) and “The Miraculous Mandarin” (1919) are examples of the new type of ballet performance of the early 20th century. The article shows that the composer focused on creating a symphonic score corresponding to the ideas of pantomime. His appeal to this had been primarily dictated by the librettos themselves, in which B. Balázs and M. Lengyel had defined the work character in this way. Naturally, the rejection of classical ballet’s traditional forms influenced the works’ compositional features. The article demonstrates that the scores of “The Wooden Prince” and “The Miraculous Mandarin” are distinguished by a new approach to the musical structure, in which the principles of instrumental forms play a significant role. At the same time, each of the ballets expresses the dialectical pair of “canon and heuristic” in its own way: “The Wooden Prince” retains to a certain extent the flair of classical ballet; in “The Miraculous Mandarin”, this genre pattern is violated almost ostentatiously. In this work, B. Bartók’s appeal to such an anti-classical subject reflects the era’s new trends associated with the artistic movement of expressionism. In the Hungarian composer’s ballets, the dualism of the traditional and the innovative gives rise to a different type of ballet score itself.

Art in the Age of Globalisation: Dialogue of Cultures (Ural Opera Ballet Theatre’s Production of the Opera Tri Sestry)

The article explores the dialogics of art and the role of art as a tool of dialogue between cultures on the example of the Ural Opera Ballet Theatre’s recent stage production of the opera Tri Sestry (Three Sisters), which demonstrates a successful interaction between different cultural traditions.Interpreting Chekhov’s play from a late 20th century perspective, Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös presented new responses to the questions that tormented the play’s characters one hundred years ago. In his work, which blends French and German avant-garde techniques with structural elements drawn from film narrative and the Japanese Noh theatre tradition, he added a radically new dimension to Chekhov’s play. As a result, he was able to open up latent meanings the play within the great time space proposed by the Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. In turn, Christopher Alden (USA), the Artistic Director of the Ural Opera Ballet production, merged voices from different artistic traditions into a new contemporary musical image.

Contemporary Voices from Eger. A Cross-section from the Piano Works of László Kátai

"The main purpose of the article is introducing the Hungarian contemporary composer, László Kátai. He is a retired associate professor who worked for almost 30 years at the Music Department of Eszterházy Károly College (Eger, Hungary). His compositions are strongly connected to Hungarian folk music and his musical language is based on Béla Bartók’s style amongst some other influences. The analysis of four piano compositions is the essence of the study. Keywords: László Kátai, Bartók’s style, piano pieces, musical analysis, Hungarian folk music"

Tone Classification Matches Kodàly Handsign with the K-Nearest Neighbor Method at Leap Motion Controller

<p>Hands can produce a variety of poses in which each pose can have a meaning or purpose that can be used as a form of communication determined according to a general agreement or who communicate. Hand pose can be used as human interaction with the computer is faster, intuitive, and in line with the natural function of the human body called Handsign. One of them is Kodàly Handsign, made by a Hungarian composer named Zoltán Kodály, which is a concept in music education in Hungary. This hand sign is used in interactive angklung performances in determining the tone that will be played by the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm classification process based on hand poses. This classification process is performed on the extracted data from Leap Motion Controller, which takes Pitch, Roll, and Yaw values based on basic aircraft principle. The results of the research were conducted five times with the value of k periodically 1,3,5,7,9 with test data consisting pose of 874 Do', 702 Si, 913 La, 612 Sol, 661 Fa, 526 Mi, 891 Re, and 1004 Do punctuation on 21099 training data. The test results can recognize hand poses with the optimal k value k=1 with an accuracy level of 94.87%.</p>

The evolution of B. Bartok’s piano style

Subject actuality. The article highlights the evolution of the compositional style of the Hungarian composer, taking into account the performance component of Bartok as a pianist. Based on existing musicological sources (works by A. Alekseev, B. Sabolcha, S. Sigitov, J. Uyfalushi, I. Martynov, I. Nestev, A. Malinkovskaya) the historical periodization of the general interest in Bartok’s work is indicated. Despite the study of many aspects of his creative activity, the performance of B. Bartok still remains without special analysis. Therefore, the process of studying the work of B. Bartok today can not be considered completed. The issues of interaction between the compositional and performance style of B. Bartok, modern interpretations of his works remain opened. The Ukrainian listener is familiar with a limited range of B. Bartok’s works, so the emphasis on the artist’s performance serves as an additional stimulus for the actualization of his art in our time. The main presentation of the material. The evolution of B. Bartok’s piano style was identified as a problem by L. Gakkel through the constituent parameters of the piano style: 1) the “realistic-non-pedal” sound image of the piano; 2) coloristic shock-noise method of sound construction; 3) textured accentuated tone as a tonal-harmonic ground. Indeed, many works of the composer testify to this interpretation of the piano: “Two elegies op. 8 / b, Burlesque three pieces op. 8c, Suite op. 14, Etudes op. 18, Sonata; three concertos for piano and orchestra. However, there are a number of works written quite traditionally, in the classical key. In these works B. Bartok uses the coloristic possibilities of the piano quite avariciously (wide range of registers, pedal effects), a striking example is the “Romanian folk dances” op. 8-a). Milestones of the piano evolution of the artist’s style are marked: Rhapsody, cycles “Romanian folk dances”. Etudes op. 18 – a sample of expressionist aesthetics, extremely complex in pianistic terms. They use extreme technical difficulties that require maximum arm stretching and great physical strength.Most of Bartok’s piano works were written in the first two creation periods – early and experimental. The composer’s attention was focused on three genre areas: folklore, pedagogics, innovation. The communicative semantics of these spheres, of course, influenced the composer’s decisions in the formative field, texture, piano technique, the level of virtuosity. The regularities are traced: B. Bartok’s “commitment” to primary (song and dance) and romantic genres (elegy, rhapsody, rich people), program cyclicity; constant interest in creating a repertoire for children, which solves two tasks at once: the promotion of folk music and the children involvement into a new musical language. Note as a contradiction the fact that the analysis of the works of B. Bartok, created in the first and second period, does not fully confirm the version of L. Gakkel, about a radicalistic change in the sound image of the piano. Probably, in B. Bartok’s work the new did not exclude the old one. The basic quality of B. Bartok’s piano style is its national characteristic, which is shrouded in the resources of the latest technique of musical composition. Conclusions. B. Bartok-pianist by genotype belongs to the Liszt’s branch of European pianism. The Liszt’s tradition is a combination of classical-romantic performing principles, which is especially evident in the works of disciples and followers of F. Busoni, K. Martinsen, K. Arrau, and G. Gould. In general, the evolution of B. Bartok’s piano style can be seen as a movement from the romantic – through folklore – to the neoclassical tradition, which is manifested in the change of musical-linguistic resources (rhythm, harmony, features of musical form, texture, melody). As a result, also the sound image of the piano was being changed. Auditory analysis of B. Bartok’s performing style allowed us to conclude that, unlike many pianists of the romantic tradition, B. Bartok uses pedal effects very avariciously, preferring clear and precise pronunciation (utterance) of all elements of the texture. We state the «imposition» of the classical tradition, which originates from harpsichordists, and new trends associated with the percussive understanding of the piano. From the point of view of the temporal organization of the musical form, his works are distinguished by metrical variability and polyrhythm; rhythmic discrepancy of textured layers; extensive use of repetition techniques and ostinato techniques. The foundations of Bartok’s mode-harmonic mentality (reliance on ancient modes of folk music; mode variability in the conditions of chromatic tonality) determine the difficulties of mastering the «intonation dictionary» of his piano works, and in general the technical equipment of the texture. Thus, Bela Bartok’s piano writing style is an expression of the artist’s innovative thinking, in which the performing component of his own abilities played a key role.

Sonatina for Cello and Piano by Zoltan Kodaly in the Light of Stile Evolution.

The creative heritage of Zoltan Kodaly, an outstanding Hungarian composer and folklorist of the twentieth century, attracts attention with its deeply original national character, classical style and mastery of musical forms. However, often in the sphere of interests of musicologists, the analysis of his innovative musical and pedagogical system, symphonic and vocal music, prevails. Considering in this article one of the little-studied rarely performed Kodaly’s works - Sonatina for cello and piano-this paper fill the gap. Sonatina analyzed in a complex way: from the point of view of its formal structure, expressive features, style and musical language as such. The author also reveals the role and place of this composition in a number of other chamber and instrumental works of the composer in General and cello works in particular. Considering the stylistics of the Sonatina, we make generalizations about the nature of the evolution of the Kodaly’s musical language, from early instrumental compositions to significant symphonic and vocal-instrumental scores in the late period. Also discussed is the question of the relationship between vocal and instrumental principles in Kodaly's work and his preference for the cello, as an instrument that more fully and accurately conveys The specifics of vocal intonation than the violin – on which he began musical training in childhood. The analysis of harmonic features shows the proximity of Sonatina to folk origins, which is manifested in a particularly sensitive use of the possibilities of diatonics. Conclusions resumes inferences about the performance specifics of the Sonatina, its place in the concert and pedagogical repertoire. Conclusions emphasize the importance of this work for the formation of a unique compositional language of Zoltan Kodaly.

Features of the Performance of Compositions by Romantic Composers (On the Example of F. Liszt's Creativity)

Romantic art is a high example of lyrical-psychological, vital-truthful embodiment of the inner spiritual world of a person. The attraction to figurative concreteness, the desire to fill the sound of the piano with emotional warmth and intonation expressiveness, the colorful characteristics of different keys, characteristic of romantic composers, are fertile material for performers. It is difficult to count all the romantic composers of different national schools, who differ from each other in their original piano style, imaginative sphere and artistic thinking. Pianists of Uzbekistan, the most frequently performed such works of the romantics, as the piano concertos of F.Chopin, R. Schumann, E. Grieg, J. Brahms. Among them, a huge layer of the piano heritage of the great Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) remains steadily relevant and arouses interest. The versatility of the creative hypostases of F.Liszt gives grounds for a powerful development of research thought in the study of each of the individual spheres of his activity. In scientific research devoted to F.Liszt, the questions of performing interpretation of his numerous piano compositions occupy an important place.

Algorithmic Compositions are a Phenomenon of Electronic Music

Electronic music can be subdivided into a number of varieties. They include music composed for electronic musical instruments; music the basis of which is the transformation by electronic means of sounds surrounding the human being; music created by means of sounds automatically generated by electronic means, as well as music programmed on the computer, or algorithmic music. The present article is devoted to examining an experiment in the sphere of algorithmic music which during the course of a long time is carried out by composer, scholar and writer David Cope – a researcher of musical artificial intellect. Cope is the developer of programs for analysis and creation of musical compositions in the styles of well-known composers. The article applies the method of comparative analysis for comparing a musical composition by Hungarian composer Bela Bartok and its model created by means of algorithmic composition with David Cope’s program. Creation of style according to a model is an enthralling experiment making it possible to perceive in an adequate manner the music of famous masters, to carry out competent interpretations in musicological analyses, to establish the components of a composer’s style, observing important components of his mannerisms, and to perfect oneself in computer programming. Nonetheless, a composition created by a master still surpasses the mechanical version by the presence of inimitable creative enlightenment inspiring in its solution of the posed creative goal, which is impossible to recreate automatically. Keywords: electronic music, algorithmic composition, contemporary music, musical style, David Cope.

Dance Genres In Zoltan Kodaly Works

The article deals with various forms of implementation of dance genres in the works of the outstanding Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly. Analyzes the characteristics of dances in various cycles, such as "Dances from Marosszek", "Dances from Galanta", "Kalai Qetesh". The specificity of national originality of these opuses is revealed in comparison with the cycles of dance pieces of some other XIX – XX century’s composers.

Folklorism and Classical Tradition in László Lajtha's Late String Quartets

Abstract The gains from the folk music collection movement initiated by Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály in the first decade of the twentieth century set a path for Hungarian music theory that continued to influence the approach to composition in later decades. Placing folklore material in composed, classical works is complicated by tonal and formal problems and by political overtones. For quotations or thematic material from folk music may introduce complex implications and associations. So the way a composer imbues folk music calls for more than mere technical skill – it embodies an artistic statement. This article analyzes two works by the Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist László Lajtha (1892–1963): his string quartets nos. 7 and 10 completed in the early 1950s. Through these two quartets I attempt to fathom the aesthetic, ideological and personal motives behind Lajtha's use of folk material in classical composition. Analysis of the composing process involved and the reception the two works received reveal the manifold scope that folk music brings as a source of inspiration.

Hungarian instrumental music in the context of the formation of a national style

The purpose of the article is to identify the historical preconditions for the formation and development of instrumental music of Hungary in the context of the establishment of a national style. The methodology of the article is to apply the general scientific principle of objectivity. The main methods in the study of the chronology of formation and the genesis of the national instrumental art of Hungary were: historical, source-study, analytical, structural-logical and the method of theoretical generalization. The scientific novelty of this work is that there was carried out a comprehensive retrospective review of the evolution of Hungarian music from the time of the formation of the nation, defined and systematized the characteristic features of the national style in musical art. In it, there were established elements that become fundamental in the further development of many genres of professional music in Hungary, especially the genre of Hungarian chamber-instrumental ensemble. Conclusions. It is explored that the unique style "verbunkos" is created as a result of the evolution of the instrumental musical art of Hungary. Born as ceremonial music, later it developed into a generalized musical style that combining features of national music on many levels (genre, intonation, musical harmony, rhythmic, artistic-figurative, etc.). Verbunkos synthesized elements of various historical stages of the formation of a national style, becoming a peculiar genetic code of the Hungarian people of the Romantic epoch. As a kind of instrumental music in its original version, the verbunkos became a solid foundation and a powerful impetus for the development of the national variety of the genre of chamber- instrumental ensemble, brightly presented in the works of Hungarian composers of the following generations: M. Moshonyi, J. Hubai, E. Dokhnanyi, J. Lendwai, E.Wyner, Z. Koday, B. Bartoka, and others.

The Kodály Concept in the United States: Early American Adaptations to Recent Evolutions

Zoltán Kodály, a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, and music educator, is widely known for his philosophical and pedagogical contributions to music education. The purpose of this article was to trace the development of the Kodály movement in the United States from its implementation in the 1960s to present day. Questions that guided the research were (1) Who was Zoltán Kodály and what was his philosophy of music education? (2) Who were some of the American music educators who initially implemented the Kodály concept in the United States and what role did they play in the spread of the concept? and (3) How has the Kodály concept evolved in the United States? Following an overview of Kodály and his philosophy, the contributions of Mary Helen Richards, Denise Bacon, Lois Choksy, and Sr. Lorna Zemke during the early years of the Kodály movement are discussed. The evolution of the Kodály concept is discussed in relation to the work of Lois Choksy, Ann Eisen and Lamar Robertson, John Feierabend, Susan Brumfield, and Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka. A conclusion includes suggestions for the advancement of the Kodály concept, including the need for research on the methods of the approach.

Ligeti the Maverick? An examination of Ligeti’s ambivalent role in contemporary music

The Hungarian composer György Ligeti is often described as a maverick by commentators on late twentieth-century music, and this article examines the evidence for using such a label. To what extent can Ligeti be genuinely considered a maverick? Or is this epithet an over-simplification of a more complex situation? The OED’s definition of a maverick (‘an unorthodox or independent-minded person: a person who refuses to conform to the views of a particular group or party: an individualist’) is close to the often stated view of Ligeti when compared with his peers, and it is also the view that Ligeti himself seemed to want to project in his many interviews. When accused by Helmut Lachenmann in 1984 of ‘selling out’—initiated by a performance of Ligeti’s rather postmodernist-sounding Horn Trio—Ligeti claimed that he was actually composing non-atonal rather than postmodernist music. This suggests that he felt that he was not following the prevailing new cultural movement of postmodernism, though works such as Hungarian Rock for harpsichord, with its use of tonality and influences of jazz, seem to undermine this assertion. When one compares Ligeti’s Apparitions for orchestra with Penderecki’s contemporaneous Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, it is possible to observe the similarities of approach, which hint that Ligeti’s music conforms to a more general approach to composing in the 1960s, focused on texture and timbre. When one views Ligeti’s entire oeuvre, one can see that he did in fact follow various contemporary compositional trends. Through a nuanced evaluation of Ligeti’s approach, the article concludes that the term ‘maverick’ does not do justice to the wide range of his output.

«Harakiri» and «Radames» by Peter Eötvös: European reading of Japanese traditions in the operatic drama of the XX century

In the article two chamber operas of the Hungarian composer, Peter Eotvos, «Harakiri» and «Radames» are considered. They represent the early period of the operatic creativity of the author. The conditions and the history of creation the operas, as well as the intonational-dramaturgic analysis of the theatrical words were made. The influence of varieties of the Japanese traditional theater, with which the composer was familiarized during his trip to Japan, was clarified: noh, bunraku, kabuki. The use of Japanese traditions at different levels was revealed in both cases. The chamber opera Harakiri revealed not only Japanese traditional ritual themes, but also the use of characteristic Japanese vocals and traditional wind instruments - shakuhachi. In the case of the chamber opera «Radames», the use of the Japanese puppet theater, the bunraku, was revealed, not at the thematic, but at the technical level, which is primarily manifested in the reception of the management of one actor by three directors at once. Thus, the influence of the theater of the absurd on the given theatrical work of the Hungarian composer was also revealed. As a result of the analysis of music, writing process conditions, literary sources, as well as compositional methods concerning these two chamber operas, their significance in creating the following already full-scale theatrical compositions by the Hungarian composer, Peter Eotvos, was clarified. The article also considers variants of modern interpretations of the analyzed compositions.