
Mátyás Seiber
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 Franz Liszt Academy of Music to study with Kodály. He developed an 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 Wind Sextet (1925) 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 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 (1959). 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. His former teacher Kodály and György Ligeti both composed pieces in memoriam.
Worklist
Gallery


Chronology
Born in Budapest
Studied in Budapest with Kodaly and discovered a striking similarity between Macedonian folk music and Plato's 5th-century musical descriptions
Lived in Germany as a musician, journalist, cellist, and conductor
Head of the first European jazz class at the Hochschen Konservatorium in Frankfurt
Emigrates to England
Founder of the 'Dorian Singers' in London and wrote the soundtrack for the film adaptation of 'Animal Farm'
Died in a car accident near Johannesburg, South Africa
Kodaly and Ligeti write works in Seiber's memory
Products
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Composer: Mátyás SeiberSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: percussionProduct number: BSS 32379Product TypeIn stockAs low as €9.99Incl. Tax -
(Ungarn)Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Hilger SchallehnEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Instrumentation: men's choir (TTBB)Product number: C 46029Product TypeIn stockAs low as €1.99Incl. Tax -
(Ungarn)Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Hilger SchallehnEdition: Choral scoreSeries: Schott Choral Music
Instrumentation: female choir (SSAA)Product number: C 46028Product TypeIn stockAs low as €1.99Incl. Tax -
Composer: Mátyás SeiberSeries: Edition Schott
Instrumentation: clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 10527Product TypeIn stockAs 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 Q54802In stock€2.99Incl. Tax
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BluesComposer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Rainer ButzMedia Type: E-score PDFInstrumentation: 3 soprano recordersProduct number: ED 20789 Q13574In stock€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 10714Product TypeIn stockAs 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 10429Product TypeIn stockAs 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 10341Product TypeIn stockAs 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 257Product TypeIn stockAs low as €17.99Incl. Tax -
from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: flute and pianoProduct number: ED 12426Product TypeIn stockAs low as €7.99Incl. Tax
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from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: alto saxophone and pianoProduct number: ED 12424Product TypeIn stockAs low as €5.99Incl. Tax
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from "Easy Dances"Composer: Mátyás SeiberArranger: Stefan de HaanInstrumentation: clarinet and pianoProduct number: ED 12423Product TypeIn stockAs 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 12347Product TypeIn stockAs 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 12252Product TypeIn stockAs 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 12251Product TypeIn stockAs 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 257-50In stock€84.00Incl. Tax, Excl. Shipping