
Mátyás Seiber
Country of origin:
Hungary
Birthday:
May 4, 1905
Date of death:
September 24, 1960
About Mátyás Seiber
Mátyás Seiber grew up in Budapest. After attending the grammar school, where he was regarded as 'outstanding' in Mathematics and Latin, he progressed to the Music Academy to study with Kodály. He developed his interest in medieval plainchant, and built on the research of Kodály and Bartók, providing vocal setting of many nations’ folksongs. He had a gift for languages. Many choirs benefited over the years from these lifelong interests.
While still in Hungary, he entered his 1925 Wind Sextet in a composition competition – with Kodály and Bartók on the jury. The opponents to the “progressive” music he personified did not allow him to win; furious, Bartók resigned from the jury.
In 1927 he left Hungary, and started lecturing in Frankfurt, with a reference from Kodály. There he inaugurated the first academic study of Jazz. In the early 1930’s, the Nazi disapproval of Jazz and Jews (however secular) entailed emigration.
After a period travelling as part of a ship’s string quartet, playing his first instrument, the cello, he settled in London in the mid-thirties. He taught musical appreciation at Morley College, at the invitation of Michael Tippett. Later, but while still at Morley College, he trained his own choir, The Dorian Singers, who disbanded only on his death.
He also became renowned for his teaching of composition, from home in Caterham, where he moved after marriage in 1947 to Lilla Bauer, another Hungarian émigré, a Ballet Jooss dancer. She trained with Laban, then lectured at Goldsmith’s College.
Seiber’s reputation as a teacher-composer attracted pupils from all over Europe, including Hugh Wood, Tony Gilbert, Peter Racine Fricker, (who regarded him as the foremost teacher of the century), Ingvar Lidholm, Hinner Bauch, and from Australia, Don Banks. Seiber’s works were performed at Cheltenham, at Venice, and other national and international Music Festivals. He was a founder member of the Society for Promotion of New Music, actively pursuing this throughout his life. He did much to bring Bartók’s work to public notice in Britain. His life and work linked and developed many diverse musical influences, from the Hungarian tradition of Bartók and Kodály, to Schoenberg and Serial Music, to jazz, folksong, film and lighter music, (rewarded by an Ivor Novello Prize for ‘By The Fountains of Rome’). A late collaboration with John Dankworth produced the Improvisations for Jazz Band and Orchestra. His friendships and work associations embraced many soloists including Tibor Varga, Norbert Brainin, guitarists Julian Bream and John Williams, percussionist Jimmy Blades, folksinger Bert Lloyd, and Peter Pears. He also composed film music for his friends, the progressive animation couple Halas & Batchelor, the best known being ‘Animal Farm’. Other film scores included ‘A Town like Alice’. Some of his lighter music, especially dance accompaniments and for the accordion was published under the George S. Mathis pseudonym.
He was tragically killed in a car accident in South Africa while on a lecture tour in 1960. Kodály and Ligeti both composed pieces in memoriam. His widow continues to live in the same house in Caterham, in Surrey; his daughter lives in Cambridge. As Hungary rediscovers its central role in Europe, we seek to commemorate a composer and teacher who contributed so significantly to British and Hungarian musical development of the 20th century.
http://www.seiber2005.org.uk/
Worklist
Gallery

Photo: Gabriele Buckley

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Chronology
1905
Geboren in Budapest
1919
Studium in Budapest bei Kodaly
Entdeckte eine auffallende Ähnlichkeit zwischen mazedonischer Volksmusik unserer Zeit und den Musik-Beschreibungen Platons aus dem 5. Jahrhundert. Mazedonien war eine altgriechische Provinz.
Entdeckte eine auffallende Ähnlichkeit zwischen mazedonischer Volksmusik unserer Zeit und den Musik-Beschreibungen Platons aus dem 5. Jahrhundert. Mazedonien war eine altgriechische Provinz.
1925
Lebensmittelpunkt für einige Jahre in Deutschland als Schiffsmusiker, Musikjournalist, Cellist und Dirigent
1928
Für 5 Jahre Leiter der ersten europäischen Jazzklasse am Hochschen Konservatorium in Frankfurt
1933
Emigrierte über Ungarn und Russland nach England
1945
Gründung des Kammerchors "Dorian Singers" in London
Schrieb die Filmmusik für die ausgezeichnete Verfilmung von Animal Farm
Schrieb die Filmmusik für die ausgezeichnete Verfilmung von Animal Farm
1960
Stirbt bei einem Autounfall in der Nähe von Johannesburg in Südafrika
1961
Kodaly und Ligeti schreiben in seinem Gedenken Werke
Products
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Composer: Mátyás SeiberSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: percussionProduct number: BSS 32379As low as€9.99Incl. Tax -
(Ungarn)Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Hilger SchallehnEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Instrumentation: men's choir (TTBB)Product number: C 46029As low as€1.99Incl. Tax -
(Ungarn)Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Hilger SchallehnEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Instrumentation: female choir (SSAA)Product number: C 46028As low as€1.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Mátyás SeiberSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 10527As low as€4.99Incl. Tax -
for string orchestraComposer: Mátyás SeiberMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: string orchestra
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Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Rainer MohrsMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: cello and pianoProduct number: ED 23042 Q54802€2.99Incl. Tax
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BluesComposer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Rainer ButzMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: 3 soprano recordersProduct number: ED 20789 Q13574€1.99Incl. Tax
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The Four SeasonsComposer: Mátyás SeiberEdition: Piano reductionSeries: Edition Schott
Cantata Secularis
Instrumentation: mixed choir and orchestraProduct number: ED 10714As low as€33.99Incl. Tax -
The Four SeasonsComposer: Mátyás SeiberMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: mixed choir and orchestraLanguage: Latin
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Composer: Mátyás SeiberSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: violin and pianoProduct number: ED 10429As low as€10.99Incl. Tax -
arranged for clarinet in B flat and pianoComposer: Mátyás SeiberEdition: Piano reduction with solo partSeries: Concertino
Instrumentation: clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 10341As low as€11.99Incl. Tax -
for clarinet in B flat and string orchestraComposer: Mátyás SeiberMedia Type: Hire/performance materialEdition: Performance materialInstrumentation: clarinet and string orchestra
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7 Modern DancesComposer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Wolfgang LichterEdition: ScoreSeries: Concertino
Edition Schott
Instrumentation: orchestraProduct number: CON 257As low as€17.99Incl. Tax -
from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: flute and pianoProduct number: ED 12426As low as€7.99Incl. Tax
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from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: alto saxophone and pianoProduct number: ED 12424As low as€5.99Incl. Tax
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from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 12423As low as€7.99Incl. Tax
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Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Denis BloodworthEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Dance Suite, Vol. 3
Instrumentation: 4 recorders (SATB)Product number: ED 12347As low as€9.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Denis BloodworthEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Dance Suite, Vol. 2
Instrumentation: 4 recorders (SATB)Product number: ED 12252As low as€10.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Denis BloodworthEdition: Score and partsSeries: Edition Schott
Dance Suite, Vol. 1
Instrumentation: 4 recorders (SATB)Product number: ED 12251As low as€8.99Incl. Tax -
7 Modern DancesComposer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Wolfgang LichterMedia Type: Sheet musicEdition: Set of parts, each 1 flute I, flute II, Clarinet, oboe, saxophon, trumpet, basson, 4 violin I, 4 violin II, 3 viola, 3 cello, 2 double bassSeries: Concertino
Edition Schott
Instrumentation: orchestraProduct number: CON 257-50€84.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping