Magyar Hírek, 1985 (38. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1985-04-06 / 7-8. szám
The Kodály Institute - centre of the Kodály method at Kecskemét The Kodály Method in Mexico CHRONICLE Gábor Friss, Assistant Professor of the Teachers’ College of the Academy of Music, a member of the last generation, still taught by Kodály, is a true teacher. Being a student of Kodály was a decisive factor in his life. All his life he conducted amateur choirs and orchestras. He became a music teacher then headmaster of the Lorántffy utca General School specializing in music and was then appointed a teacher of the Academy of Music. Spreading the Kodály method at home and abroad is now part of his duties. Since I960 he has lectured in Austria, in the Benelux countries, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, and overseas in the United States and Mexico. He had directed courses times in some of these countries. “I try to adapt Kodály’s principles to the national characteristics, history, folk-music and language of the given country”—Professor Friss explains. Since 1971 he visited Belgium a number of times. First he lectured at the Antwerp conservatorium for half a year. That was where Queen Fabiola, honoured him with her visit. The Queen, an active musician, asked the Hungarian musician to give her lessons. Complying with her request, Gábor Friss taught solfeggio, music theory, music forms, and musical literature to the Queen in her Brussels palace for two hours every week. Even though he spent pleasant weeks and months in Europe as well as in the United States, his most thrilling experience relates to Mexico from where he returned recently. His connection with this country began rather romantically. Carmen Carasco, a Mexican music teacher, was not satisfied with what she could get in her own country, and went to Stuttgart for further tuition. From there she went to the Orff Institute of Salzburg—where Carl Orff’s method of music education is taught, but after a time she felt that she did not really get what she wanted there either, certainly not what she needed in Mexico, where only the well-to-do can afford expensive musical instruments. Dr. Hermann Regner, the director of the Salzburg institute advised her to have a look around in Hungary, to get acquainted with the methods used there. This is how she established contact with Gábor Friss. First she studied the Hungarian system of music teaching for two weeks, then she returned on three separate occasions, and spent a total of half a year familiarising herself with the principles of Kodály. On the very last evening of her stay she asked her teacher whether he would not like to come and see her in Mexico? This is how a Hungarian music teacher found himself in Mexico City, where Carmen Carasco’s sister heads a kindergarten teacher’s college, and she herself is the head of the music department. Only their colleagues and friends were invited to the lectures of Gábor Friss at first, but later in the six-weeks course they organized meetings with various musicians, and the work came to the notice of the press and the television. After he taught there again, the Mexicans organized their first team to visit Hungary, which was followed by three more. Gábor Friss tells that he first gets his audience acquainted with the folk musical idiom of their own country, the next step is the music of other peoples, and this is followed by serious music. Small children listen to music of increasing difficulty. The best classes in Mexico, for instance, attended generally by tenyears old boys and girls move nimbly in the pentatonic scale. This is one of the reasons why Friss began his Mexican lectures with the communal singing of pentatonic hunting songs of the North- Mexican Indian tribe. This was followed by listening to parts of the Indian Symphony of Carlos Chavez, a Mexican composer, the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, and finally the peacock theme of Kodály’s Peacock variations. This was how Mexican and Hungarian folk-music embraced each other. In Oaxaca, South Mexico, four-five years old kindergarten children not only listened to the first movement of Vivaldi’s violin concerts the seasons but also song, danced, even played the theme on a stage. “How old were those you taught?” “They ranged from three to eighty, and this is to be taken literally. I had an eighty year old lady piano teacher at my lesson in Tampico, who said it could do no harm to people to learn something new. I should mention that, I saw the second volume of György Kurtág’s piano cycle, Plays on her piano.” ISTVÁN GÁBOR Hungary’s foreign exchange position improved Mátyás Timár, the President of the Hungarian National Bank revealed in a report on the work and results of the Bank that the foreign currency position of the country has improved. Hungarian foreign trade in 1984 recorded a surplus of about $700 million in convertible currency more than in the previous year, even though less than hoped for. The foreign debt of the country declined, and the structurs of debts also improved, since the total of the shortterm repayment obligations fell. Mátyás Timár’s opinion is that as long as the targets of the national economy are reached in 1985, the foreign debt of the country will be reduced by a total of $1,000 million in 1984 and 1985. Mátyás Timár revealed that Hungary’s credit standing continued to improve, and this was also underlined by the latests loans. Hungary obtained $440 million in loans from the International Monetary Fund, and entered another loan agreement for $200 million with the World Bank. It is also interesting that Hungary succeeded in placing fixed interest bonds in West Germany underwritten by private people, which is an indication that Hungary is considered a good debt risk. The newly raised loans do not mean that a reduction of the indebtedness of the country will not continue. These loans are used exclusively for the financing of export-generating and import-saving investment projects securing more economical material and energy consumption. The Classical Antiquities Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts is again open to the public The classical antiquities section of the Museum of Fine Arts is open to the public again with more objects on display in a new arrangement. János György Szilágyi, the curator of the antiquities, said that the 1,300 objects are now displayed in a chronological arrangement. Early Greek art and works of the preceding ages are shown in the first hall. The second hall displays classical Greek and Hellenistic art, including an antique copy of Polykleitos’s Spear-Bearer, which is a new acquisition. The third hall is devoted to the pre-Roman art of Italy: Phoenician and Hellenistic works from Magna Grecia and Etruscan art. The fourth hall presents the art of Imperial Rome, while the last displays the art of Egypt under Macedonian and later Roman rule supplemented by Coptic art, the whole of which consists of new acquisition. Prizes at the 17th Hungarian Feature Film Paxßde The 17th Hungarian Feature Film Parade Grand n?rix was awarded to István Szabó’s Colonel Redl. Lajos Koltai was the cameraman, and the script was written by the director in collaboration with Péter Dobai. László Lugossy won the prize for best direction with his Petals, Flowers, Wreaths. The jury’s prize was given to Lívia Gyarmathy for A little-bit of me, a little-bit of you. The jury awarded a reserve prize to András Jeles for his Annunciation. Sándor Kardos, the cameraman, and Attila Kovács, who designed the costumes and sets also won prizes. Károly Eperjes and Miklós B. Székely received the best actor prize, and the lay jury awarded the best actress prize to Hédi Temessy and Erika Bodnár. Eleven prizes were awarded on the basis of voting by the Feature film Section of the Federation of Hungarian Film and Television Artists. Tenders Won for School-Room Construction Due to the growing number of secondary school pupils, the standard of tuition can only be assured in Budapest schools by building a total of about 500 new class-rooms. The constructions projects were allotted to various enterprises by tenders. Construction enterprises wishing to tender were given detailed plans and specifications. They prepared their offer on that basis. The number of the tenders submitted exceeded expectations. A total of 82 were received for the construction of seven secondary schools. The new secondary schools, including five academic and two vocational (health and commercial) secondary schools will be in operation during the 1986—1987 academic year. Plans for three further secondary schools, which will open in 1988, are also on the drawing boards. It is to be hoped that completions will not be delayed, since the enterprizes contracted to pay 100,000 forint general damages for each day of possible delay in addition to the penalty for non-performance laid down by law. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s report on crime Dr. Károly Szíjártó, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Hungarian People’s Republic submitted a statement to the press on criminal activities. A reduction was experienced in several categories though no favourable change occurred in general compared to the previous year. There were fewer major traffic offences and fewer offences against social property and fewer cases of corruption in 1984 than in the previous year, but offences of a family nature or against young people as well as sex crimes, disorderly conduct, theft and false pretences increased. All in all 3.7 per cent more offences were reported than in 1983, a total of 157,000. “The greatest problem is”—said Dr. Károly Szíjártó—“that the number of crimes which did not lead to arrest and conviction has increased. Prevention, the family and various organizations for the protection of families, the schools and different mass-organizations may play an important role in the reduction of the number of budding criminals.” 61
