JÁNOS SEBESTYÉN
ABOUT THIS SITE
I discovered his art for myself during the summer of 1979. I was thirteen and had recently found the score of Bach's Italian Concerto at my local library in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Wanting to hear this work, and having little to spend, I purchased his Bach recital on the VOX/TURNABOUT label for the grand sum of $3.77. Despite the low price, I was initially disappointed due primarily to the rather muffled, jangling sound of the harpsichord used for the recording. Even at this early age I was fairly certain I knew what a good harpsichord should sound like, and it was difficult getting past the sound of this instrument. The music, however, was so engaging I could not stop listening, and there was a natural musicality in Sebestyén's playing that I found appealing - it just sounded right to me. I loved the intensity of his Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, the solemnity of the Toccata in C minor and the high spirits of the Italian Concerto. I knew I wanted to hear more from this artist, and before long I had his VOX recordings of Portuguese music, old Hungarian dances and concertos by Monn, Albrechtsberger and Dittersdorf - unusual repertoire that further increased my interest in the harpsichord. I also wanted to learn something about Sebestyén himself, but information seemed impossible to find. Eventually I discovered Qualiton Imports in New York, and through them I began to acquire his HUNGAROTON recordings. While I had enjoyed several of the VOX recordings, these were of a considerably higher quality and the album notes offered at least some biographical information. Late in the summer of 1983 his recording of concertos by Cimarosa and Seixas was released. This soon became a favorite, as it demonstrates many of the qualities I appreciate in his playing. A few months later I located his address in a reference book and wrote him a letter. I was very excited when just after Christmas I received a reply. I decided then that I would attempt to collect all of Sebestyén's recordings.
Of his recordings, about half are on the HUNGAROTON label. These span most of his career, from 1958-2002. Many of his recordings for other labels were the result of a collaboration with two prolific record producers: Thomas Gallia and Paul Déry. Gallia was born in Budapest in 1921 and came from a prominent musical family; his grandfather, István Thomán, studied piano under Liszt and was later Bartók's teacher. His career began at the Hungarian Radio in 1947 and in 1951 he became chief engineer for MHV, the predecessor of HUNGAROTON. After the Hungarian Revolution in 1956 he worked in Paris for PATHÉ MARCONI then DISQUES CHARLIN. In 1961 he moved to Milan where he was studio director for the ANGELICUM label. A few years later, with Déry, he formed SONART, an independent production company. Déry had been on the staff at the Hungarian Radio with Gallia. He was a professional singer and later worked as a musician in East Germany before accepting Gallia's offer to join him in Milan. Déry served as editor and producer for their recordings, while Gallia was the sound engineer. The majority of Sebestyén's work with them dates from the late 1960s and early 1970s, with many of the sessions taking place in the studio of the Angelicum concert hall in Milan. The recordings were made while Sebestyén was on tour in Italy and often had to be completed in one or two days. The extremely limited budget accounts for the less-than-ideal harpsichord used - there was no money for the rental of a better instrument so they simply made do with the Neupert available in the studio. Sebestyén's compensation was not particularly generous either. He received $150 for each of the VOX recordings, while some of those for other labels were made gratis for friends. Despite these limitations, the sessions often resulted in performances of a spontaneous, concert-like quality and many of the reviews were positive. The LPs were published by various labels including ANGELICUM, CBS ITALIANA and ARISTON in Italy, BAM in France, and VOX in the United States and England. Between them, Gallia and Déry produced more than two thousand classical recordings. Déry passed away in 1992, followed by Gallia in 1997. Sebestyén's last session with Gallia took place in January 1996 and included the Hasse and Bach/Vivaldi organ concertos published by HUNGAROTON. In 1994 he was kind enough to reply to a letter I wrote him regarding the recordings he made with Sebestyén.
LISTEN:
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Through my conversations with Sebestyén, I have come to realize that his recordings are, at least for him, only a small and not particularly important aspect of his career. He has concentrated most of his energy on his concerts, which have taken him to more than twenty-five countries around the world. During the 1960s his harpsichord recitals were predominate, but by the late 1980s he returned almost exclusively to the organ and piano. Being a self-professed romantic, his playing style is more suited to these instruments. Tastes in harpsichord performance had also changed to a more historically-informed style and his colorful manner of playing was no longer in fashion. In 1990 he made a final harpsichord tour of northern Italy, performing Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Soler and De Falla on a Sperrhake harpsichord that accompanied him from Hungary. Today, he continues to concertize as organist and pianist. A notable exception took place in September 2000 when he participated in performances of Bach's multiple harpsichord concertos for the opening concert of the First International Harpsichord Competiton, Budapest.
Like several other performers of his generation, Sebestyén did not actually set out to become a harpsichordist - it simply came about through circumstance. At the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music he studied composition, piano and organ, with the latter remaining as his preferred instrument. However, in Stalinist Hungary of the early 1950s there were few opportunities for organists. In 1957 he was asked to play the harpsichord part for a performance of Frank Martin's Petite Symphonie Concertante. This performance brought about a renewed interest in the instrument, which was unfamiliar to many in Hungary at that time. After this concert Sebestyén became known as a harpsichordist, and he has since endeavored to promote this instrument as a viable medium for more than just early music. He demonstrated this with his first solo harpsichord recording in 1963, performing, in addition to Bach, transcriptions of Prokofiev and Frank Martin, as well as a new work by Emil Petrovics. His harpsichord recitals often included his own transcriptions of piano compositions by contemporary composers such as Miklós Rózsa and Konstantin Iliev. Many of these transcriptions and a number of original 20th century harpsichord compositions were recorded by the Hungarian Radio. Some of Sebestyén's finest performances are among these recordings: two examples being János Decsényi's demanding Divertimento for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra from 1958 and the great Concert Champêtre by Poulenc. Further information on the harpsichord revival in Hungary can be found in Sebestyén's essay A Short History of Harpsichord Playing in Hungary.
LISTEN:
FRANCIS POULENC
One aspect of his art that is of great importance to Sebestyén, and known only to those who have heard his concerts, is his gift for improvisation. Whether performing as pianist or organist, on the large romantic organ in Pécs or the tiny ancient organ in Sion, Sebestyén has the ability to exploit the resources of any instrument at his disposal in the style of his choice. His partners in improvisation have included the pianist Geoffrey Tozer, soprano Laura Faragó, flutist István Matúz, bassist Aladár Pege, and for more than twenty years he has collaborated with the pianist and organist István Lantos. Two of his improvisations can be heard at the website La Folia - A Musical Cathedral.
Besides his concert and recording activities, Sebestyén also established the first harpsichord class at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in 1970. He was professor until 2009, and his many successful students include Szilvia Elek, Zsuzsa Elekes, Péter Ella, Anikó Horváth, Desző Karasszon, Judit Péteri, Hédi Salánki, András Szepes, Miklós Spányi and Ágnes Várallyay. Beginning in 1950, he also worked for the Hungarian Radio in various capacities, including that of senior music producer from 1969-94. For forty-five years he wrote and hosted several popular radio programs, which include Those Radio Years, From the Diary of a Radio Man and Wings of Memories. These regular broadcasts began in 1962, covering all aspects of European musical life and history during the past century. While it may surprise those who know him only from his concerts or recordings, Sebestyén is at heart a radio man, and this is perhaps his first love and true calling. He currently writes a monthly program for the Hungarian Catholic Radio.
I admire much in Sebestyén's playing; he understands the architecture of music. With his sense of timing and command of line he can turn a seemingly simple piece, such as one of Bach's Little Preludes, into a work of significance. He is not a specialist, which is rare among performers today, but is at home in the entire keyboard repertoire. If you are looking for technical perfection in his playing, you will not always find it. Instead, you will find a relaxed and unmannered musicality that cuts to the heart of a composition, bringing it to life in a way that is both natural and convincing. Sebestyén is an artist I never tire of hearing.
Robert Tifft
Paul Gabler, Marco Papi, Dénes Csiky, Éva Györki, Lászlo Terdik, Ágnes Várallyay,
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