Family and Childhood
Péter Nógrádi was born into a family of music lovers. His grandfather, a jack-of-all-trades who worked as a cinema musician during his university years, often played the piano at home. Even as a child, the composer enjoyed improvisation on the piano. From the age of nine, he began regular piano studies at I. Kerületi Zeneiskola (District I Music School). His musical development was triggered by his acquaintance with two romantic musical works (Liszt’s Les Préludes and Tchaikovsky’s Italian Capriccio). His adoration for musical Romanticism, discovered at the age of six, was overshadowed by his discovery of the Baroque style. Later, he rediscovered Romanticism, but this time, with a mature mind, he was attracted to musical depths. This stylistic openness remains characteristic of the composer to this day. At the same time, naturally, his sphere of interest gradually expanded towards 20th-century and contemporary music as well.
From early childhood, he drew, painted, and wrote poems; he practices this latter art form to this day. Indeed, in some of his musical works, he has utilised his own texts (e.g. Mondókák (Nursery Rhymes), 2001). It was from his drawing skills that his orientation towards architectural engineering later grew, followed by a short career in that field.
Search for a Path
His commitment to composition became serious at the age of 14. As a secondary school student, he enthusiastically participated in the rehearsals and performances of the choir of Veres Pálné Gimnázium (Veres Pálné Secondary School), led by conductor Gábor Ugrin. Meanwhile, he consciously continued his piano studies and took advanced music theory lessons from György Geszler at the District XI music school. After finishing secondary school, he gravitated towards a career in architecture. Already a qualified engineer, between 1974 and 1978, he struggled once again with finding his vocation, and it was at this time that he finally committed himself to the musical profession. The tribute to the parental home (namely, that he had acquired his engineering degree) and the responsibility towards himself likely matured under this genuine and difficult decision. He left the technical career the moment he set his sights on musical heights, at the age of twenty-six.
He restarted his musical studies in 1974 with Pál Károlyi (1934-2015). The curriculum consisted mainly of counterpoint and chorale harmonisation, but he was also encouraged to write independent compositions. In 1976, he applied to the Liszt Academy, but was not admitted on the first attempt. After this, he attended Zeneművészeti Szakközépiskola (Secondary School of Music) for two years, taking composition lessons from István Fekete Győr and studying other musical subjects. His first recorded compositions also date from this time, for example, Mielőtt (Before) – a cantata for soprano and piano based on a Pilinszky poem (1978). Between 1978 and 1983, he completed the composition course at the Liszt Academy in the class of József Soproni (1930-).
Role Models
His masters: Beside his piano player grandfather, he had three composition masters. He learned the basics of composition and the elaboration of inspiration from Pál Károlyi. At the same time, Károlyi was a significant revolutionary and national thinker, who was long sanctioned by the state precisely because of these two commitments. István Fekete Győr further deepened the theoretical and practical foundations of composition. Finally, under the leadership of József Soproni, he acquired proficiency in various techniques, styles, and musical forms. Under the master’s supervision, he received the necessary guidance on modes of expression for his individual works as well.
It is a curious coincidence that both Károlyi and Soproni were students of the same composer, who died tragically early: János Viski (1906-1961). Nógrádi has a similar respect towards the works of the author, who was driven to his death after the revolution. The social, historical, and musical manifestations of his masters, becoming important in specific periods, must have been fundamental for the musician just starting his career. His college piano teacher, László Almásy, also played an important role in the development of his Hungarian identity.
Outstanding Role Models
The composer significantly enriched the musical knowledge brought from home in two national competitions. He was one of the winners of the radio quiz “Dupla vagy semmi” (Double or Nothing) on Johann Sebastian Bach in 1972, and on Franz Schubert in 1974. Both composers fundamentally defined his later career in terms of both form and thinking.
As described above, the emotional richness and naturalness of the Baroque style was closer to his heart. The variety, motoric drive, and melodic world of Baroque music are not alien to today's musical mode of expression. The Baroque gives ample space for improvisation and passions. This musical language is the first in European music history through which distinct creative personalities emerge.
Although he has not returned to the grand Romanticism of Liszt and Tchaikovsky since then, he enhusiastically studies the scores of Gustav Mahler, Jean Sibelius, and Richard Strauss. The use of time and space applied by Anton Bruckner in the slow movement of Symphony No. 7 was a great discovery for him. Janáček's operas captivated him just as much as they did quite a few members of his generation. The Moravian master’s orchestration, voice leading, original world of rhythm and harmony, and the sincere passion of his music also became important points of reference.
As a Music Teacher
Even at the time of his career change, it was already apparent to him that making a living as a composer would be difficult. As a student at the Liszt Academy, he still managed to get internships in several places (for example, as a music school tutor). Later, he found employment at the National Széchényi Library, at the Hungarian Radio Corporation, and at Editio Musica Budapest. After this, for the 30 years remaining until his retirement, he earned his living teaching piano in music schools. This thirty-year career presented him with many rich experiences; he retired in 2015. At the same time, daily teaching was an undeniable burden for him. Yet, as a cheerful creator, he turned even this situation to his advantage in composition; numerous pieces owe their creation to his students.
Works written for music school or conservatoire performance are typically short, in accordance with the students' knowledge as well as the limitations of the given instrument. Beyond direct pedagogical purpose, every piece was simultaneously a style study and orchestration exercise, which later paid dividends in his larger works.
Another consequence of his work as a music teacher is that occasionally he evoked a piece from the teaching repertoire in one of his creations. Thus, Krieger’s Minuet in A minor is evoked first as an illustration for the Milán Füst poem titled Szózat a sírból (Appeal from the Grave) in the Magyar requiem (Hungarian Requiem). Similarly, Bartók’s piece Furulyaszó (Sound of the Flute) (from Book III of the Gyermekeknek (For Children series)) also enriched the list of quotations provided herein. For those who did not attend music school, this quotation is merely a melancholic musical scene, while those who pursued musical studies at least at a basic level have many experiences tied to practising these works.
Chamber Music
Among the more than eighty works of art constituting the oeuvre, choral works and chamber pieces play a prominent role. As a member of the Fiatal Zeneszerzők Csoportja (FZCS, Group of Young Composers), he was author of numerous concerts between 1984 and 1991. The Tomkins Énekegyüttes (Tomkins Vocal Ensemble), led by János Dobra, regularly premiered works by FZCS members. In the decades since 1991, the number of such performances dwindled dramatically. Except for the assistance of a few enthusiastic choral conductors, the author is forced to organise the premieres of his choral works – and his instrumental pieces – himself.
In his chamber works, the performers are soloists in both the aesthetic and technical sense. His Vonónégyes (String Quartet) is a work of outstanding significance among these chamber pieces. It is dense, intense music, which at the same time alludes to the great questions of the genre's history, and almost stretches symphonic boundaries. A characteristic compositional principle is how the author enters into dialogue not only with the outside world, but also with his own pieces. The most excellent example of this is associated with flute artist Zoltán Gyöngyössy: “This is the Antiphona, which was made from the original solo flute piece titled Fuvallat (Breeze) and dedicated to the memory of Zoltán Gyöngyössy. This was once performed by the renowned flute artist. The title Antiphona, used in Roman liturgy, means antiphony (responsive singing), based on the response between the precentors and the people. This time, I use this form of answer in a more transcendental sense: Zoltán Gyöngyössy, who has already passed, is in contact with me, the author, and the audience, reinforced by the dialogue of the piano and the three flute segments.”
After 1983, five chamber orchestra works were born. In 1997, A Bárány menyegzője (The Marriage of the Lamb) (In memoriam Zs[olt] D[urkó]) won a prize, followed by the Kamarakoncert (Chamber Concerto) in 2000, and finally, in 2013, the highly successful Csontváry-partita (Csontváry Partita). In all five, dense structure and allusion technique are combined with playfulness. Beside the worldly chaos resounding in the music, a promise of harmony is also formulated. A critic summarised the most important characteristics of the author's style in connection with A Bárány menyegzője: “Timbre-fantasy coupled with formal discipline and a form shaped with a sure hand characterised Péter Nógrádi's composition dedicated to the memory of Zsolt Durkó […], the sympathetic, quiet lyricism of which is countered by a great emotional outburst.".
Choral Works
Vocal works brought regular success to the creator. As he stated: “It is interesting that choral works make up a considerable part of my oeuvre, yet initially this genre did not attract me. In my youth, I felt Kodály's world of sound to be a bit outdated. Later, this changed, and I owe the real inspiration to Ferenc Sapszon Sr., the former conductor of Rádiókórus (Radio Choir), with whom I worked together in the Budaörs choir for a prolonged period.”
He himself was a member of church choirs, and thus a significant part of his mixed choir works appeared in their performances. Although he sometimes worked for leisure, in numerous cases he wrote for his own ensemble or upon commission. It also happened that he participated in the premiere of his own piece as composer, organist, and singer (e.g. Missa choralis, 2001).
It shows the playful side of the author that he also undertook the transcription of pop music works. At the request of the Banchieri Énekegyüttes (Banchieri Vocal Ensemble) of Nyíregyháza, he transcribed eleven songs by the Illés ensemble for a six-part choir. These 11 pieces and the Vásári népballada (Market Folk Ballad) written to a poem by Sándor Weöres (in his own style) appeared in the contemporary Hungarian and Japanese composer anthology titled Liliomdal (Lily Song) in 1998, and in the album Az Illés szekerén (On Elijah's Chariot) in 1999.
The Faithful Creator
Péter Nógrádi is one of the few artists of the late twentieth century who openly embrace their faith. He was active as a church conductor and cantor as well, where occasionally he performed his own liturgical music. The first sacred and/or liturgical music appears in the oeuvre as early as the late Kádár era. In 1982, he still refers to Attila József in the Karácsonyi kantáta (Christmas Cantata), but in 1987, taking a particularly courageous stance, he wrote a symphonic meditation series titled Via Crucis. This orchestral work, employing the largest apparatus of the oeuvre, stands out among the religious music of the era. The holy act is given voice in the collision and layering of musical planes in such a way that the listener hears it as a modern confession.
Each of the works written for liturgical purposes was born for real-world use. A harmony of modernity and intelligibility had to be established so that church choirs could sing the pieces. De profundis, Tenebrae factae est, or In principio (all three created in 1987) resounded with a new harmony, and a broad-arched, easy-to-sing melody. Along these stylistic traits looms the tradition by which the author achieves the old goal of Artúr Harmath and Lajos Bárdos (namely, the renewal of Hungarian church music) on his own independent path.
In the nineties, he continued to create new liturgical music, for example, Az Úr angyala (The Angel of the Lord), Az Úristent magasztalom (I Praise the Lord), and the Kyrie (all in 1996). It is characteristic of these pieces that they are built on known and currently used melodies (often based on folk music), which the author develops, varies, or counterpoints after their introduction. The well-known melody helps the congregants join in. Standing out from the series is the choral work Suscipe, which was born for the 2005 competition of the Hungarian Province of the Society of Jesus, and which was premiered by the Flemish Radio Choir in Bruges in 2012. The last liturgical piece was the modern rewriting of the folk hymn beginning Oltalmad alá futunk… (We Fly to Thy Patronage...), recorded in 2012. The category of sacred music is also enriched by the mystery play Isten a szekéren (God on the Cart) (2014), the text of which was adapted by Ferenc Sántha at the composer's request. The close relationship between sacrality and the profane world is indicated by the fact that in the mystery play, the Lord is symbolised by the organ in the orchestra, while the peasant is symbolised by the cimbalom.
Between 1982 and 2012, the composer gave to Hungarian church music a significant number of modern liturgical pieces suitable for church use, yet easily accessible to congregations. His church music creations have also become subjects of musicological research (see, for example, Dóra Czakó: A kortárs magyar vokális egyházzene funkciója (The Function of Contemporary Hungarian Vocal Church Music), 2015).
Decades of Success
After 2000, Péter Nógrádi's fame increased significantly; he entered the ranks of known and regularly performed authors. In 2001, he wrote the Esztergomi kantáta (Esztergom Cantata) upon request for the consecration of the Mária Valéria Bridge. In the following years, he revised, reworked, and rewrote numerous works in other forms. In 2006, he won prizes in two composition competitions almost at the same time, first with Októberi ima (October Prayer), and then with Magyar requiem (Hungarian Requiem). In recent years (2014), he finished the previously mentioned Csontváry-partita and the mystery play Isten a szekéren. Since 2001, his works have been published by Editio Musica Budapest (EMB), and recordings of the more important pieces of the oeuvre have been made by Hungaroton (2009) and the Hungarian Radio Corporation. Today, the high points of the oeuvre (for example: Magyar requiem (Hungarian Requiem), Kantáta (Cantata), Csontváry-partita (Csontváry Partita)) are available on online video-sharing sites. His artistic activity was also recognised by the Hungarian Academy of Arts, electing him to the position of one of its academicians.
The Hungarian Requiem
The author's best-known creation is undoubtedly the Magyar requiem (Hungarian Requiem), performed with the contribution of the Magyar Rádiózenekar (Hungarian Radio Orchestra) and released on CD by Hungaroton, which he wrote upon the call of the Németh László Alapítvány (László Németh Foundation) for orchestra, mixed choir, and two soloists (to poems by Gáspár Nagy, György Gömöri, István Vas, Milán Füst, András Fodor, and István Sinka). The texts of the requiem offer a selection of poems singing about 1956. The five-movement funeral mass follows the original liturgy in its ideological content, and on a single occasion, in movement IV, the Latin text (Dona eis requiem) is briefly recited. The seven movements can be divided into nine chapters based on double bars and text boundaries, eight of which are organised around a poem each, while the last can be considered an epilogue
Movement I (Andantino) – in which the soprano soloist sings György Gömöri’s poem Ősz fordulóján (At the Turn of Autumn) – is built on slowly unfolding string harmonies. Meanwhile, on the horn, in long, sustained notes, a Transylvanian folk song quotation collected in Válaszút (Crossroad) (“Turn, my dear horse, towards the sunset”) sounds in the manner of a cantus firmus. According to the author's intention, this movement conveys the attitude of the person of the present who mourns and remembers. In Movement II, the cor anglais evokes the sacred space and time of the István Vas poem (Az új Tamás (The New Thomas)) with oriental music. The choir sounds for the first time in Movement III, singing István Sinka’s poem Üdv néked, ifjúság! (Hail to Thee, Youth!). Singing about resurrection, the aforementioned oriental colouring appears here too, as well as a grand-scale allusion to the Budavári Te Deum.
Movement IV is based on András Fodor's poem Elszántak (The Determined Ones), which focuses on revolutionary struggles. During the performance of the male choir, the orchestra comments on the text, and the tension between the two musical planes is apparent. The hopelessness of the struggle is indicated by the increasingly wild sound of the music and the thunder of the percussion. At this tragic moment, after all this has subsided, the Transylvanian folk song “Árva vagyok, nincs gyámolom” (Orphan I am, I have no help) is sung by a single female voice, unaccompanied. Movement V mourns the dead with Milán Füst’s poem Szózat a sírból (Appeal from the Grave). The aforementioned Krieger quotation is joined by a Slovak willow-flute tune from Bartók’s piece Furulyaszó (Sound of the Flute). Meanwhile, in the orchestra, melodic fragments of the Hungarian folk song from the Zobor region “Meghalok, meghalok” (I am dying, I am dying) pay tribute to the executed and fallen revolutionaries.
In Movements VI-VIII, the choir and the tenor soloist offer justice to the victims and curse the executioners. Although the horn is prominent in melodic tasks throughout the whole of the piece, in these three movements its role in the commemoration is almost equal to the choir. In the IX. Epilogo movement, no one speaks anymore, and even the instruments only create atmospheric noise effects. There are times when one need not, times when one cannot speak, and times when it is not fitting to speak...
Future, Plans
Grand orchestral creations are missing from the oeuvre. We have seen that the realistic frameworks of performability dictate the genre and apparatus of the works rather than a higher aesthetic horizon. Thus, during future competitions, another Keresztút (Crossroad) or a grand orchestral work might be formulated. The musically active author is also inspired by collaborating musicians, so concertos may yet emerge. At the same time, heeding Kodály's advice, authors of our age tend not to reveal their specific plans.
Characteristics of the Nógrádi Style
Closing his experimental period, Péter Nógrádi applies the principles of neotonality. He is not a member of any single musical school on either a practical or theoretical level, nor does he use the neomodal methods represented by Steve Reich or John Adams.
In his music, tonality is easily graspable, just as it was, for instance, in Kodály’s most avant-garde pieces. Unlike the composers of the turn of the century, Nógrádi uses tonality with semantic value. At the same time, he dares to break away from tonal frameworks; moreover, serial, aleatoric trends and cluster techniques are not alien to him either, yet, in the manner outlined above, he subordinates all instruments to meaning. He often utilises the possibilities of play offered by allusions, quotations, and homage techniques. His quotations include known music history examples, folk songs, or signals that the audience can recognise. His allusions counterpoint the original musical base text or form a new plane of interpretation relative to it. This is often accompanied by a speech-like but highly refined rhythmic writing style.
In every case, he employs multiple musical planes. In his cappella choral works or oratorical creations, he simultaneously employs both the sacred and the ordinary: the elevated mood consciously mixes and clashes with profanity. He often plays with intertextuality, forming palimpsest layers, and meanwhile, through his play with tonality, he can maintain emotional tension, saturation, or a tragic mood throughout. In his recently created works, a certain painful timbre, a serious tone suggesting contemplation, can be heard repeatedly, which, however, is counterbalanced by explicitly humorous works (Vásári népballada (Market Folk Ballad), Tengertánc (Sea Dance), Rumba, Bordal (Drinking Song), Blues). His style has been further enriched in recent years; his tonality plays have become even more expressive, and his melodies have made his musicality even more multifaceted.
Summary
Péter Nógrádi is a significant creator of Hungarian musical life. He is outstanding in the creative fields of chamber and church music. He owes his success to his consistent style; he has been able to keep his sense of fresh modernity, while remaining intelligible. As the author professes: “The goal is to create as many valuable works as possible. Ones that truly touch the listener, in which I can pass on the miracle that art can give to man. If this succeeds, it can bring recognition with it, which of course feels good, but the essence is passing on the experience.”
[2015]