Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1986 (14. évfolyam, 47-50. szám)

1986 / 50. szám

inaugural address. The text of his speech was published in Nyugat, (no. 3, vol. 29) the leading literary journal between the two wars. The author, who incidentally knew Bartók personally, quotes the speech where Bartók said that Liszt did really not “break with tradition altogether in the field of forms, Liszt brought also into that area much that was new.” As far as Liszt’s book on Gypsy music is concerned, it is well known today that it was based “on the fallacy that the music performed by the Gypsies in Hungary, nay, that even the music of the Hungarian peasantry, is of Gypsy origin.” What came as a surprise during the author’s research was the discovery that five sentences of the original Bartók text (translation given) were omitted in the Nyugat version presumably for political reasons. The author is a former senior US Foreign Service Officer of career. □

Lotze, Dieter P. “Imre Madach.” In: Critical Survey of Drama: Foreign Language Series, Pasadena: Salem Press, P.O. Box 1097, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632, pages 1227-1234.

“Most Hungarian critics consider Madach 1823-1864 their country’s greatest philosophical dramatist. This assesment is based almost exclusively on his most important play, The Tragedy of Man, frequently referred to as the “Hungarian Faust.” The drama gives an overview of the history of mankind within a wider metaphysical framework. While the playwrite chose a topic of universal significance and deliberately avoided specific reference to his native culture, Hungarians have for many generations recognized the spirit of his drama as uniquely representative of their national experience. Since its first successful production at the Budapest National Theater in 1883, it has remained a popular favorite of the Hungarian stage." The Tragedy of Man is essentially a Romantic work. Madach is a true Romantic in his use of literature as the vehicle to express his own feelings and record his struggles. His play depicts his efforts to overcome his bitterness and to arrive at a new assessment of womanhood. It is significant, though, that it is woman as mother, not as lover, who eventually foils the designs of the spirit of negation.” Much of what was written about Madach during the past one hundred years, tried to identify his philosophical position while little was said on the European context in which his writing appeared. The author is prof, of German at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, and author of Imre Mada'ch in the Twayne’s World Authors Series (1981). □

MISCELLANEOUS

We welcome THE HUNGARIAN QUARTERLY at its first anniversary. The original HUNGARIAN QUARTERLY appeared in Budapest between 1934 and 1944. When after World War II the editor and most of the contributors were imprisoned or deported to Siberia, the journal folded for good, or so it seemed. The post-1956 government felt the need to reaching out to the English speaking world and in 1959 initiated THE NEW HUNGARIAN QUARTERLY, which is still in existence under the editorship of Ivan Boldizsár. Because of ideological differences, there was an explicit need for an independent English language periodical. THE HUNGARIAN QUARTERL /tries to respond to this need. The first issue of THE HUNGARIAN QUARTERLY (in exile) appeared in the fall of 1985. Its self-proclaimed objective is “to spread true knowledge concerning the Carpathian Basin

ARTICLES & PAPERS (Continued)

and its peoples. To explore the possibilities of mutual understanding and cooperation between the coexisting nationalities for the sake of a lasting peace, justice and prosperity.” The journal is published by the Danubian Press, Inc. in cooperation with the Danubian Research and Information Center. The editor is Albert Wass; assistant editor is Anne Atzel. Members of the editorial board are as follows: Edward Chaszar, Christopher Hites, László' Juhasz, László Könnyú', and Antal Lelbach. Annual subscription is. $12.00 Single copy $4.00. Overseas subscription is US $18.00. Correspondence may be addressed to: Danubian Press. Rt. 1, Box 59, Astor, FL 32002.

The European Institute of the Wilson Center (Washington, D.C.) announced the appointment of John R. Lampe, prof, of history, U. of Maryland, as secretary of its East European Program upon the retirement of George W. Hoffman, who served as acting secretary since 1984. An attractive 32-page summary of activities is available upon written request. Address: East European Program, European Institute, The Wilson Center, Smithsonian Institution Building, Washington, DC 20560. □

Mary Wilder Green will retire as of January 1987, after 26 years of service in the National Science Foundation. She headed the anthropology program, which awarded a good many research grants to Hungarianists. Though her retirement is well deserved, we are sorry to see her go. Her successor for a two-year term will be Nancy J. Parezo from Arizona State Museum. Persons interested in the program may want to write to her at: Anthropology Program, NSF, 1800 “G” Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20550. Telephone: 202-357-7804. °

The American Association for the Study of Hungarian History

jointly with the Hungarian Chair at the U. of Indiana, Bloomington, announced an annual “Book Award”. “The prize should be made to the most significant contribution to the understanding of Hungarian history, in book form or an essay. It should bein English and it should be published by a journal or publishing house of high prestige in North America. The work to be nominated should be published not earlier than January 1, 1984. Members of AASHH are cordially invited to select and nominate their candidate for the Book Award - 1986. (AASHH Newsletter.) □

TREASURES OF HUNGARY, GOLD & SILVER FROM THE

9TH TO THE 19TH CENTURY, catalogue of a traveling exhibit organized by the Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York, and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibits Service, with support from the U.S. Information Agency, and the Ministry of Culture and Education of Hungary. The treasure was exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York; the Art Institute in Chicago; the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in California, and the Blaffer Gallery in Houston, Texas. The Chicago exhibit was funded in part by a grant from the American Hungarian Foundation. The catalogue was prepared by Judit H. Kolba and Annamária T. Nemeth, and edited by László Borsányi. It contains 70 black/white and colored plates, a collection of hallmarks, biographical sketches of masters, a bibliography, and a map of place names mentioned in the catalogue. An introduction puts the collection in proper historical perspectives. The publisher is Corvina kiadó, Budapest (1986). Forint 310. □

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NO. 50, WINTER, 1986-1987, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER