Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1974-02-01 / 2. szám
4 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD Commemorative tribute to the diversified writer, Zsolt Harsányi On the afternoon of January 27, 1974 at the Magyar Reformed Church in New Brunswick, N. J., a memorial to the well-known Hungarian writer, Zsolt Harsányi, was held in remembrance of his passing from this way 30 years ago. The tribute’s theme was entitled: “Szólalj, szólalj, virrasztó .. Harsányi Zsolt, az író és az ember 1887, 1/27 - 1943, 11/29 which was to depict the nature of Harsányi as the writer and the man. The program was presented under the auspices of the Bethlen Gábor Családi Kör, with Dr. András Harsányi furnishing biographical information of his father’s diverse accomplishments along the lines of creative writing and interests. Other contributions to the afternoon’s enjoyable evolvement were recitations by Erzsébet Laskay Ancsin, Zsuzsa Horváth, and András Hamza, as well as Zsuzsa Kovács and Pál Somody. Vocal selections highlighted the memorialization of Zsolt Harsányi’s work as a librettist, among other manifold pursuits, by way of the following: Imre Bertalan sang excerpts from “Háry János”; Sándor Hódy performing with songs from Lehár’s operetta (one tune in particular may be familiar to some in the English translation: “Yours Is My Heart Alone’); and Ilona Boros, soprano, beautifully presenting excerpts from Kálmán’s works — “Szép város Kolozsvár” as well as the lilting “Lári Fári.” Piano renditions by Mrs. Ödön Olchváry and Rosemarie Noone added much to the balance of the presentation, so that at times, voices in the audience rose irrestibly responding to familiar and captivating melodies and memories. Dr. Harsányi recounted early memories of his father, Zsolt, and also gave some background information about their parentage and lineage. One outstanding point of interest, among many others, was that in 1919, when Dr. Harsányi was about five years of age, his father fell into ill health and was actually dead for about three minutes on the operating table. Afterward, the elder Harsányi wrote about the experience of death — about how he saw two faces seemingly emerge, that of his son and of his younger brother — and that he took symbolic meaning from the visages as though of a brightening outlook for the future. In later years many subjects and ideas were discussed in conversations between father and son which were established as daily regimen each afternoon. After Andrew’s necessary work for school was completed, they would seclude themselves from all disturbances of ringing doorbells and telephones, upon instructions to the writer’s mother, and therewith would indulge in intellectual, spiritual and literary téte-a-téte along varying streams of thought. Research and chronology of the various works by Zsolt were carefully done and set down; the subsequent proofreading, recopying, etc. were usually the jobs that were expected to be followed-up on the next day by the son and/or his sister; he was evidently a man of decisive inclination at times, it would seem! Dr. Harsányi musingly recalled that he had actually worked harder on his father’s manuscript of Matthias Rex than on his very own doctoral dissertation — even though that comprised about 400 pages finished! Other written works by Zsolt Harsányi include Stargazer (the life of Galileo), Hungarian Rhapsody (volumes on Liszt’s life), and Love Of Life (about Peter Paul Rubens). Dr. Harsányi stated that when writing beset his father, the latter could prepare the libretto to a play within a three-day period so that rehearsals could begin forthwith by the actors without any major rewriting necessary of the script. He was also a reporter of newspaper articles, but within his heart he was mainly a poet. There was a certain strain of purity, somewhat akin to naiveté, within the core of his essence throughout his entire life. And he also had a good sense of humor. His work he produced by the sweat of his brow, but it is sad to note that there was some exploitation of his endeavors. Throughout the pattern of his life, a theological theme evolved that seemed to be quite evident from the varied activities and writings he had involved himself in. One particularly profound experience remains vividly clear even to today in the mind of Dr. Harsányi, and that is when they together climbed the Acropolis in Greece and, imbued with deeply-stirring queries, he posed what was a pondersome question to him at the time to the elder Harsányi as to what he should he in the future — the father wisely replying that “It matters little what you will do, so long as you do it well, my son; but also that you love it and others, especially those others who do not love you.” It was said that Harsányi was a most prolific writer, and in fact, when he had had a major surgery at another time in his life, that within a few days he was right back at his work writing. Zsolt Harsányi was also a religious man and was greatly honored to write regarding the Sárospatak anniversary celebration, in 1931. The death of his younger brother was another point that cannot go unemphasized and he was moved to remark about the pity of it. When his own death came, it was swift and almost without warning or expectation — yet a few months prior to it, Zsolt Harsányi had written a I
