Leó Weiner - Works for Orchestra (László Kovács)

Information

Composer: Leó Weiner

• Franz Liszt - Sonata in B minor (arr. Weiner)
• Preludio, Notturno and Scherzo diabolico
• Passacaglia for piano
• Toy Soldiers

North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra

László Kovács, conductor

Date: 2010

Label: Hungaroton

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Leó Weiner (16 April 1885 – 13 September 1960) was one of the leading Hungarian composers and music educators of the first half of the twentieth century. He was born in Budapest and later studied at the Budapest Academy of Music, where he taught from 1908 to 1949. Among his many notable students were conductors Antal Doráti and Georg Solti, violinist Tibor Varga, cellist János Starker and pianist György Sebők. As a composer Weiner published about 30 works, including a string trio, three string quartets, two violin sonatas, five divertimenti for orchestra, a symphonic poem, and numerous chamber and piano pieces.

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Lászlo Kovács studied at the Budapest Liszt Academy as a trombonist and as a conductor, making his début in the latter capacity at the Hungarian State Opera at the age of twenty-one. After serving as an assistant to conductors such as János Ferencsik, Lamberto Gardelli, Giuseppe Patane and Yuri Simonov, he built an international career and in 1984 be became general music director of the North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra (Miskolc). Kovács has made more than 50 CDs and several hundred radio recordings, and conducts 70-80 concerts annually. Since 1979 has been on the teaching staff of the Liszt Academy.

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