Arrabona - Múzeumi közlemények 35/1-2. (Győr, 1997)

Ernő Barsi wurde 75 Jahre alt - Baróthy Zoltán: Dr. Ernő Barsi, the music-master and violinist

Zoltán Baróthy: Dr. Ernő Barsi, the music-master and violinist The author has been Ernő Barsi's colleague as a teacher of music and has accompanied him on the piano for almost 25 years. He demonstrates that Ernő Barsi has a special method for teaching music: following Kodály, he emphasizes the primacy of the musical mother-tongue: folk music, in order to achieve his pedagogical assets. Ernő Barsi's method is free from any conflicts; he encourages his pupils to make music together, thus providing artistic experience for teacher and student alike. As a violinist, he fully identifies himself with the moral values and musical message of the performed composition, and in his concerts he describes personally the significance of the given piece of music for musical theory and history. His style as a performer is characterized by melodiousness, as if he was singing on his instrument. István Bojtor: The preacher Ernő Barsi prepared himself for preaching the Gospel at the theological faculty of the reformed college at Sárospatak. He followed the pattern given by his teachers, Zoltán Szabó and Lajos Darányi. His personality was affected decisively by his homeland and by the Bible. The Bible is, first of all, the source of his Christian faith, and only secondarily is it part of an ethical, dogmatic, scientific, and cultural heritage. In Ernő Barsi's own words: "As long as I live in the Lord, I should serve wherever I can." Barsi is one of the most up-to-date, most interesting, and most understandable preachers. He knows the way his audience thinks about life well. He has held almost 4000 lectures in his life so far, and he remained a faithful reader of the Bible all the while. The text to preach was given to him through daily reading of the Scriptures, when more and more verses fascinated him. Then he nursed and "pondered them in his heart", and once he was asked to preach, he ascended the pulpit with a clear message. He never delivers a sermon on the same way as he wrote it down; he does not read it out, but speaks in a free and vivid style. His spoach is clearly formulated, to be understood equally well by intellectuals, village peasants, shepherds and industrial workers. His outstanding knowledge is not vain, because he considers the message, God's word, much more important than his own personality. Lajos T. Varga: Harmonies of the Melodiarium The author is one of Barsi's students, and was a member of the choir lead by him at the Teachers' Training College. This ensemble toured through many different regions of the country, singing Hungarian folk songs. He recalls that on the 300th anniversary of Ferenc Rákóczi's birthday, Barsi performed a solo violin version of the Rákóczi march. Two decades later the Kazinczy Society published a collection of songs transcribed from a 6-12-line staff system, with the title "Tulip brought up on the Bodrog riverside". In this volume, Barsi rendered a musical chronicle of the Sárospatak College, and made the most beautiful songs public property. His former choir gives concerts under the name "Győr Melodiarium Chamber Choir" throughout the country, with its members taking pleasure each time in the joyful and serene singing together under the leadership of professor Barsi. ARRAB0NA 35/1-2.