It is 135 years since the birth of Zoltán Kodály, whose multifaceted work earned him recognition around the world. His best known orchestral and oratorical works are still regularly played and admired elements of the international concert repertoire, as are his choral pieces arranging the Hungarian songs he had collected or setting the verses of Hungarian poets to music. Most people, however, first encountered his name through the music education methodology known as the Kodály concept. This method allows even people whose natural attributes might not make them suitable for such to become musically literate.
The Kodály concept, which was added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in 2016, reached its heyday in the 1960s, when - not least of all because through the music and voice primary schools established based on Kodály's instructions - singing and choral activities received quite a lot of social recognition. Kodály - who won the Kossuth Prize three times, was a regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and later served as its president - was respected as a cultural idol. The number of photos taken of him was worthy of a film star. As part of this Kodály anniversary year, a selection of these are being put on display.


Presented by: Müpa Budapest