József Sári was born in 1935 in Lenti. He at
tended the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest,
where he studied composition with Endre Szer
vánszky and choral conducting with Zoltán
Vásárhelyi. After a decade of music teaching,
piano accompaniment, and conducting, he
moved to Germany from 1971 until 1984 to
work as a freelance composer and private
music teacher. After returning to Hungary, he
taught at the Béla Bartók Secondary Music
School in Budapest and the Liszt Academy of
Music and was the Head of the Music Theory
Department at the latter from 1992 until 1997.
He was the leader of the DLA Doctoral Committee there until his retirement
in 2005. He also worked at Hungarian Radio from 1997 and is a member of the
Széchenyi Academy of Literature and Arts. The majority of his works are solo,
chamber, and orchestral pieces, but he has also composed two operas. The
first one, entitled Sonnenfinsternis, was commissioned by the Pforzheim Opera,
which premiered it in 2000, and it was also performed by the Hungarian State
Opera in 2009. The second one, entitled Der Hutmacher, received its premiere
in Regensburg in 2008. His works have garnered significant recognition
internationally, including at the Tribune Internationale des Compositeurs as
well as with the World Music Days of the International Society of Contemporary
Music. He was awarded the Internationales Arbeitskreis für Musik Prize, and
the Bärenreiter Hausmusik Prize, and in Hungary the Kossuth Prize, the Erkel
Prize and twice both the Bartók–Pászthory Awards, as well as the Artisjus
Prize. He is also the recipient of the title of Merited Artist Award. His works
are available on the CD with various labels, including Hungaroton, Budapest
Music Center, and Fonó.
OPERAS
Sonnenfinsternis (1999), 2 Parts, 15 Scenes Lib: Elisabeth Gutjahr (after Arthur
Koestler)
Der Hutmacher (2007), 1 Part, 12 Scenes Lib: Thomas Bernhard, Franz Csiky
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Fossilien (1976), str. orch. Pub: UMP EMB SR: HCD 31766
Attributumok/Attributes (1990), chbr. orch.
Concertino (rev. 1995), orch.
Zenit (1995, rev. 1996), double str. orch. SR: HCD 32576
Párhuzamosok, amelyek a végtelen előtt találkoznak/Parallelograms
That Meet Before Infinity (1997, rev. 1998, 2000), fl., str. orch.
SR: BMC CD 074
Con spirito (1998), orch. Pub: Accent
Concordia (2000), cimb., str. orch.
Sonnenfinsternis – Négy zenekari kommentár/Sonnenfinsternis – Four
Orchestral Commentaries (2002) SR: HCD 32576
Leoniden (2004), cimb., orch. SR: HCD 32576
Korsholm Concertino (2005), chbr. orch.
A kalaposmester – szvit/The Hatmaker – Suite (2011), orch.
Erinnerung an einen Genius (2018), str. orch.
CHAMBER WORKS (VOCAL)
Two Songs to Poems by Lőrinc Szabó (1965), Bar, fl., cl., hn., vl., vlc.
Two Intermezzos to Poems by Dezső Kosztolányi (1965), T, cl., vlc.
Frag-mente (1982), S, vl. Lib: Composer Pub: Akkord
Drei Goethe-Lieder (1999–2001), S, pno. Lib: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Sonnenfinsternis – Vocal Parts from the Opera (2005), T, S, chbr. ens.
Lib: Elisabeth Gutjahr
Two Songs to Poems by Dezső Kosztolányi (2006), T, pno.
Two Songs to Poems by Georg Trakl (2010), S, pno.
Zwei Heine-Lieder (2010), S, pno. Lib: Heinrich Heine
Elmegyek már közületek… (2015), S (MS), cl. Lib: Folk Texts
Three Songs to Poems by Sándor Weöres (2019), S, pno.
Three Songs to Poems by Rabindranath Tagore (2021), S, pno.
CHAMBER WORKS AND WORKS FOR ENSEMBLE (INSTRUMENTAL)
Contemplazione (1970), fl., pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Meditazione (1970), bs., pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Movimento cromatico indiretto (1972), fl., pno., perc.
Movimento cromatico dissimulato (1972), fl., pno., perc. Pub: UMP EMB
Capriccio disciplinato (1972), vlc., pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Prezzo spregiudicato (1972), ob., cl., bs.
Quartetto per archi (1975) Pub: UMP EMB SR: HCD 31857
Symbole (1978), trb., chbr. ens.
Három dragonyos kockajáték közben/Drei Haudegen beim Würfelspiel
(1978), vl., vlc., pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Mosaiken (1980), 2 pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Kilenc miniatűr/Nine Miniatures (1981), pno. 4 hands Pub: UMP EMB
Xilographie (1982), pno. 4 hands
Zeitmühle (1983), 3–4 melodic instr.
Abschied von Glenn Gould (1983), 4 tr./4 trb./4 melodic instr.
Axiom (1983), 4 fl./4 melodic instr.
Jelenetek/Scenes (1988), 2 fl. Pub: Akkord
Ballada/Ballad (1989), vl., pno.
4 invokáció/4 Invocations (1990), 2 mar./2 cimb./2 vl.
Echóhoz/To Echo (1990), 5–8/9 fl./5–8/9 melodic instr. Pub: UMP EMB
Arión éneke/The Song of Arion (1989), 3 fl. in canon Pub: Akkord
Arions Gesang (in Kanon), Der Weg des Delphins, simultan (1989, 1992),
3 fl., B fl. Pub: Akkord
Praeambulum (1994), 2 fl.
Don Genaro átváltozásai/The Transformations of Don Genaro (1995), 3 tr.
(or 2 tr. and hn.), 3 trb., tuba Pub: Akkord SR: BMC CD 019
Nászzene/Nuptial Music (1996–1997, 2003), 2 fl. Pub: Akkord
Trois Hommages (1996), fl., picc., cl., db. SR: HCD 31857
Kérdések Hillelhez/Questions to Hillel (1996), chbr. ens.: fl., ob., cl., bs.,
hn., 2 tr., trb., tuba, perc., pno. SR: HCD 31857
…es ist vollendet (1997), 2 tr., hn., trb., tuba Pub: Akkord SR: BMC CD 019
Dyaden (2000), 2 cl.
Inkantation (2000), cimb., perc.
Valet (2003), cl., str. quartet
Concordia /B/(2003), cimb./vibr., wind quintet (fl., ob., cl., hn., bs.)
In memoriam T. E. (2003), 2 fl. Pub: Akkord
Trialog (2005), 2 B cl., bs.
Találkozás Diogenésszel/Meeting with Diogenes (2006), fl., ob., cl., bs., 2 tr.,
hn., trb., tuba, pno., perc.
Troika (2008), 2 cl., bs.
Praeludium (2010), 2 fl. Pub: Akkord
Apolog (2013–2014, rev., augm.: 2016), solo vl., fl., ob., cl., bs.
Narration (2013–2014), str. quartet
Quadriga (2015), 2 tr., 2 trb.
Triade (2015), 4 trb.
Tibi luditur (2017), ob., pno.
Memoratus (2020), vl., pno.
String Quartet, No. 2 (2019)
Oktofonie (2020), 8 vl.
Wind Quintet (2020), fl., ob., cl., hn., bs.
Duo für Violine und Viola (2020)
Epistolae (2020), cl., vl.
Fabella, No. 3 (2020), vl., pno.
CHORAL WORKS
Imádunk és magasztalunk Téged/Messe für gemischten Chor und Orgel
(1966–1968 text in Hungarian, 1986–1987 text in German), SATB, org.
Alleluia (1993), SATB SR: HCD 31956
Benedictus es Domine (1995), SATB SR: HCD 31770, HCD 31956
Fidelis servus et prudens (2008), SATB SR: Christophorus, CHR 77324,
LC 00612
SOLO WORKS
Episodi (1968), pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Acciaccature (1972), org. Pub: UMP EMB
Variazioni immaginarie (1978), pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Praeludium, interludium, postludium (1979), pno. Pub: UMP EMB
SR: HCD 31857
I mulini di Signa (1980), guitar Pub: UMP EMB
Pillanatképek/Snapshots (1981), pno. Pub: UMP EMB
Elidegenített idézetek/Verfremdete Zitate (1982), prep. pno. Pub: Akkord
Novellette-Series
Novellette, No. 1 (1981), hn. Pub: UMP EMB SR: BMC CD 019
Novellette, No. 2 (2001), ob.
Novellette, No. 3 (2002), trb. Pub: Akkord
Novellette, No. 4 (2002), bs.
Novellette, No. 4b (2002), cl. Pub: Akkord
Novellette, No. 5 (2003), pno.
Novellette, No. 6 (2007–2008), B cl. Pub: Akkord
Novellette, No. 7 (2010), tr.
Novellette, No. 8 (2014), fl. Pub: Akkord
Novellette, No. 9 (2014), ob.
Ananta (1983), trb. Pub: Akkord SR: HCD 32298
Három Etűd/Three Studies (1986), guitar/cimb. Pub: EMB SR: HCD 31857
Megkésett levelek/Belated Letters (1989), cimb.
Arión éneke/Arion’s Song (1989), fl. Pub: Akkord
Echóhoz/To Echo (1990), fl./solo melodic instr. Pub: UMP EMB
Vier Inventionen (1992), pno. SR: Cavalli, CCD 125, LC 05724
Hommage a Soledad (1995), fl. Pub: Akkord
Legenda/Legend (1995), fl. Pub: Akkord SR: HCD 31785
…ma non troppo (1998), org. Pub: Are Edition SR: HCD 31858
Valet (2001), cl. Pub: Akkord
Elégia/Elegy (2005), vlc. Pub: Akkord
Lendület/Impetus (2003), fl. Pub: Akkord
Tractatus (2003), pno.
Sententiola (2004), cl. Pub: Akkord
Air. Zur Genesung einer Kranken (2011), A fl./fl. Pub: Akkord
Epigraph (2012), fl. Pub: Akkord
Rhapsodie (2012), vl. Pub: Akkord
Moment Musical (2012), db.
Képmás/Bildnis (2013), vlc. Pub: Akkord
Fantasie (2013), vla.
Confabulation (2014), vlc. Pub: Akkord
Alkonyati madárdal/Birdsong at Sunset (2014), picc. Pub: Akkord
Labyrinth (2015), vlc. Pub: Akkord
A Deo vocatus – rite paratus – In memoriam Péter Eszterházy (2016–2017),
S melodic instr.
Oszillation (2017), fl. Pub: Akkord
Notiz (2015), fl. Pub: Akkord
Négy parafrázis/Four Paraphrases (2017), vl. Pub: Akkord
Talizmán/Talisman (2018), fl. Pub: Akkord
Fiction (2019), cl.
Glückliche Vögel (2019), picc. Pub: Akkord
Concetto (2019), fl. Pub: Akkord
Fabella, No. 1 (2020), fl. Pub: Akkord
Fabella, No. 2 (2020), fl. Pub: Akkord
Fabella, No. 3 (2020), vl.
Monodie (2002), vl.
PEDAGOGICAL WORKS
Five Children’s Song to Poems by Sándor Weöres (1967), unison chr./voice, pno.
Cinque duetti facili (1964), 2 vl. Pub: UMP EMB
Ghiribizzi – leichte Stücke (1979–1982), pno. Pub: Akkord
Lépésről lépésre…/Schritt für Schritt… (1982), pno. 4 hands Pub: UMP EMB
A kilenc törpe – könnyű zongoradarabok/Die Neun Zwerge – leichte
Klavierstücke, pno. Pub: Akkord
Sul tasto – 12 zongoradarab kezdőknek/Sul tasto – Twelve Piano Pieces for
Beginners (1985)
6 Paragramme (1992), pno. Pub: Akkord
