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{{Short description|Hungarian musician}}
[[File:Serly Tibor.jpg|thumb|250px|Tibor Serly]]
[[File:Serly Tibor.jpg|thumb|250px|Tibor Serly]]


{{eastern name order|Serly Tibor}}
{{eastern name order|Serly Tibor}}


'''Tibor Serly''' ({{IPA-hu|ˈtibor ˈʃɛrli}}; [[Lučenec|Losonc]], [[Kingdom of Hungary]], 25 November 1901 – [[London]], 8 October 1978) was a Hungarian [[violist]], [[violin]]ist and [[composer]].
'''Tibor Serly''' ({{IPA-hu|ˈtibor ˈʃɛrli}}; [[Lučenec|Losonc]], [[Kingdom of Hungary]], 25 November 1901 – [[London]], 8 October 1978) was a Hungarian [[violist]], [[violin]]ist, and [[composer]].


== Life ==
Serly was the son of Lajos Serly, a pupil of [[Ferenc Liszt]] and a composer of songs and operettas in the last decades of the 19th century, who immigrated to America in 1905 with his family.<ref name="lexikon">{{cite web|url=http://lfze.hu/lexikon_nagy_elodok/lexikon-1727 |title=Tibor Serly|website=Notable Alumni|publisher=Franz Liszt Academy of Music |access-date=3 February 2019}}</ref> Serly's first musical studies were with his father.
Serly was the son of Lajos Serly, a pupil of [[Franz Liszt]] and a composer of songs and operettas in the last decades of the 19th century, who emigrated to America in 1905 with his family.<ref name="lexikon">{{cite web|url=http://lfze.hu/lexikon_nagy_elodok/lexikon-1727 |title=Tibor Serly|website=Notable Alumni|publisher=Franz Liszt Academy of Music |access-date=3 February 2019}}</ref> Serly's first musical studies were with his father.


Spending much of his childhood in New York City, Serly played violin in various pit orchestras led by his father. In 1922 he returned to Hungary to attend the [[Franz Liszt Academy of Music]] in [[Budapest]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/ead/music/musserly|title=Tibor Serly|website=New York Public Library|publisher=New York Public Library|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> where he studied composition with [[Zoltán Kodály]], violin with [[Jenö Hubay]], and orchestration with [[Leó Weiner]].<ref name="lexikon" />
Spending much of his childhood in New York City, Serly played violin in various pit orchestras led by his father. In 1922, he returned to Hungary to attend the [[Franz Liszt Academy of Music]] in [[Budapest]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.nypl.org/mus/19995#c531558|title=Tibor Serly|website=New York Public Library|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> where he studied composition with [[Zoltán Kodály]], violin with [[Jenő Hubay]], and orchestration with [[Leó Weiner]].<ref name="lexikon" /> He greatly admired and became a young apprentice of [[Béla Bartók]]; Serly would go on to become one of Bartók's great champions, writing and lecturing about him and conducting and recording many of his works.<ref>"The Far-Above-Average Music of Tibor Serly." ''American Record Guide'' 34, no. 6 (February 1968): 459.</ref> For the most part, these efforts received praise, both by Bartók and by colleagues.
He greatly admired and became a young apprentice of [[Béla Bartok]]; Serly would go on to become one of Bartók's great champions, writing and lecturing about him and conducting and recording many of his works.<ref>"The Far-Above-Average Music of Tibor Serly." ''American Record Guide'' 34, no. 6 (February 1968): 459. </ref> For the most part, Serly's efforts were highly praised, both by Bartók and by colleagues.


After graduating in 1925 with high honors in performance and composition, Serly returned to America, where he played viola with the Cincinnati Orchestra (1926–1927), Philadelphia Orchestra (1928–1935), and the NBC Orchestra (1937–1938).<ref> ''Contemporary American Composers: A Biographical Dictionary'' (1976), s.v. "Serly, Tibor."</ref> During these years, Serly formed close relationships with the poets [[Ezra Pound]]<ref>Novák, György: "I am a vi====olerplayer": Pound and Serly in the early 1930s. ''Americana : E-Journal of American Studies in Hungary,'' 2, no. 1. (2006).</ref> and [[Louis Zukofsky]], who wrote a dedicatory poem to Serly, published in the avant-garde magazine, ''Blues'', in February 1929.
After graduating in 1925 with high honors in performance and composition, Serly returned to America, where he played viola with the [[Cincinnati Orchestra]] (1926–1927), [[Philadelphia Orchestra]] (1928–1935), and the [[NBC Symphony Orchestra|NBC Orchestra]] (1937–1938).<ref>''Contemporary American Composers: A Biographical Dictionary'' (1976), s.v. "Serly, Tibor."</ref> During these years, Serly formed close relationships with the poets [[Ezra Pound]]<ref>Novák, György. "I am a violerplayer": Pound and Serly in the early 1930s. ''Americana : E-Journal of American Studies in Hungary,'' 2, no. 1. (2006).</ref> and [[Louis Zukofsky]], who wrote a dedicatory poem to Serly, published in the avant-garde magazine ''Blues'' in February 1929.


When Bartók and his wife immigrated to America during World War II, Serly met them at the docks and helped support them. After Bartók's death in 1945, the family turned to Serly to orchestrate the final seventeen measures of the Third Piano Concerto as well as the viola concerto, which took Serly more than two years to compile from sketches into a performable piece. It is now one of the most widely performed viola pieces. While working on this project, Serly composed the Rhapsody on Folk Songs Harmonized by Béla Bartók for Viola and Orchestra, which has become on his most well-known compositions.
When Bartók and his wife emigrated to America during World War II, Serly met them at the docks and provided support to them. After Bartók's death in 1945, the family turned to Serly to orchestrate the final seventeen measures of the [[Piano Concerto No. 3 (Bartók)|Third Piano Concerto]] as well as the [[Viola Concerto (Bartók)|Viola Concerto]], which took Serly more than two years to compile from sketches into a performable piece. It is now one of the most widely performed viola pieces. While working on this project, Serly composed the ''Rhapsody on Folk Songs Harmonized by Béla Bartók for Viola and Orchestra,'' which has become one of his most well-known compositions.


Serly taught composition at the [[Manhattan School of Music]] in New York City (among other institutions) and was also a featured composer/conductor with the Danish radio orchestra. He taught orchestration to Carlyle W. Hall Sr., a trumpet player and arranger for Tommy Tucker's band, who went on to orchestrate the Broadway hit musical ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'', as well as ''[[Cry for Us All]]'' (a musical version of ''[[Hogan's Goat]]''), ''Come Summer'', and several others.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}} Composer [[Glad Robinson Youse]] also studied with Serly.
Serly taught composition at the [[Juilliard School]] and [[Manhattan School of Music]] in New York City (among other institutions) and was also a featured composer/conductor with the Danish Radio Orchestra. He taught orchestration to Carlyle W. Hall Sr., a trumpet player and arranger for Tommy Tucker's band; composer [[Glad Robinson Youse]], and conductor/arranger/composer Mort Lindsey who worked with Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, and Merv Griffin also studied with Serly.


In the course of rethinking the major developments in harmony found in the work of [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]], [[Darius Milhaud|Milhaud]], [[Sergei Prokofiev|Prokofiev]], and [[Ralph Vaughan Williams|Vaughan Williams]] as well as Bartók and other composers, Serly developed what he referred to as an ''[[enharmonic]]ist'' musical language. In his book ''Modus Lacscivus'' (1975) he explored a set of 82 basic [[tertian]] chords. Serly titled several of his later works as being "in modus lascivus", including sonatas for violin, viola, and piano. (The 1973 edition of his piano sonata misspells the term "modus lascivus" on the cover, copyright, and title pages, putting the "s" and "c" in reverse order.) His ''Concertino 3 X 3'' uses this compositional system, but is most memorable for its formal structure: it consists of nine movements, the first three for piano solo, the second set of three movements for orchestra without piano, and the final set combining the previous sets, played simultaneously.<ref>Smith, Kile. Liner Notes to ''Six Dance Designs, Concertino 3X3, Violin Concerto,'' by Tibor Serly. Albany Troy876, 2006, compact disc. </ref>
In the course of rethinking the major developments in harmony found in the work of [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]], [[Darius Milhaud|Milhaud]], [[Sergei Prokofiev|Prokofiev]], and [[Ralph Vaughan Williams|Vaughan Williams]] as well as Bartók and other composers, Serly developed what he referred to as an ''[[enharmonic]]ist'' musical language. In his book ''Modus Lascivus'' (1975) he explored a set of 82 basic [[tertian]] chords. Serly titled several of his later works as being "in modus lascivus", including sonatas for violin, viola, and piano. His ''Concertino 3 X 3'' uses this compositional system, but is most memorable for its formal structure: it consists of nine movements, the first three for piano solo, the second set of three movements for orchestra without piano, and the final set combining the previous sets, played simultaneously.<ref>Smith, Kile. Liner Notes to ''Six Dance Designs, Concertino 3X3, Violin Concerto,'' by Tibor Serly. Albany Troy876, 2006, compact disc.</ref>


In later life, Serly moved to Longview, Washington, with his second wife, the pianist Miriam Molin. He died at the age of seventy-six after being struck by a car in London.<ref>"Tibor Serly, Composer, Completed Bartok Works." ''Washington Post,'' October 11, 1978.</ref>
In later life, Serly moved to Longview, Washington, with his second wife, the pianist Miriam Molin. He died at the age of seventy-six after being struck by a car in London.<ref>"Tibor Serly, Composer, Completed Bartok Works." ''Washington Post,'' October 11, 1978.</ref>
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/ead/music/musserly Finding aid for the Tibor Serly papers] in the [http://www.nypl.org/musicdiv Music Division] of [http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.]
* [http://archives.nypl.org/mus/19995#c531558 Finding aid for the Tibor Serly papers] in the [http://www.nypl.org/musicdiv Music Division] of [http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/lpa.html The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.]
* [https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_5420150 Finding aid to Tibor Serly papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/archival/collections/ldpd_5420150/ Finding aid to Tibor Serly papers at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.]


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[[Category:Hungarian classical violists]]
[[Category:Hungarian classical violists]]
[[Category:Hungarian classical violinists]]
[[Category:Hungarian classical violinists]]
[[Category:Male classical violinists]]
[[Category:Hungarian male classical violinists]]
[[Category:Hungarian classical composers]]
[[Category:Hungarian classical composers]]
[[Category:Hungarian male classical composers]]
[[Category:Hungarian male classical composers]]
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[[Category:20th-century classical composers]]
[[Category:20th-century classical composers]]
[[Category:Pupils of Béla Bartók]]
[[Category:Pupils of Béla Bartók]]
[[Category:20th-century male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Hungarian male musicians]]

Revision as of 05:50, 3 April 2024

Tibor Serly
The native form of this personal name is Serly Tibor. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Tibor Serly (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈtibor ˈʃɛrli]; Losonc, Kingdom of Hungary, 25 November 1901 – London, 8 October 1978) was a Hungarian violist, violinist, and composer.

Life

Serly was the son of Lajos Serly, a pupil of Franz Liszt and a composer of songs and operettas in the last decades of the 19th century, who emigrated to America in 1905 with his family.[1] Serly's first musical studies were with his father.

Spending much of his childhood in New York City, Serly played violin in various pit orchestras led by his father. In 1922, he returned to Hungary to attend the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest,[2] where he studied composition with Zoltán Kodály, violin with Jenő Hubay, and orchestration with Leó Weiner.[1] He greatly admired and became a young apprentice of Béla Bartók; Serly would go on to become one of Bartók's great champions, writing and lecturing about him and conducting and recording many of his works.[3] For the most part, these efforts received praise, both by Bartók and by colleagues.

After graduating in 1925 with high honors in performance and composition, Serly returned to America, where he played viola with the Cincinnati Orchestra (1926–1927), Philadelphia Orchestra (1928–1935), and the NBC Orchestra (1937–1938).[4] During these years, Serly formed close relationships with the poets Ezra Pound[5] and Louis Zukofsky, who wrote a dedicatory poem to Serly, published in the avant-garde magazine Blues in February 1929.

When Bartók and his wife emigrated to America during World War II, Serly met them at the docks and provided support to them. After Bartók's death in 1945, the family turned to Serly to orchestrate the final seventeen measures of the Third Piano Concerto as well as the Viola Concerto, which took Serly more than two years to compile from sketches into a performable piece. It is now one of the most widely performed viola pieces. While working on this project, Serly composed the Rhapsody on Folk Songs Harmonized by Béla Bartók for Viola and Orchestra, which has become one of his most well-known compositions.

Serly taught composition at the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music in New York City (among other institutions) and was also a featured composer/conductor with the Danish Radio Orchestra. He taught orchestration to Carlyle W. Hall Sr., a trumpet player and arranger for Tommy Tucker's band; composer Glad Robinson Youse, and conductor/arranger/composer Mort Lindsey who worked with Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, and Merv Griffin also studied with Serly.

In the course of rethinking the major developments in harmony found in the work of Stravinsky, Milhaud, Prokofiev, and Vaughan Williams as well as Bartók and other composers, Serly developed what he referred to as an enharmonicist musical language. In his book Modus Lascivus (1975) he explored a set of 82 basic tertian chords. Serly titled several of his later works as being "in modus lascivus", including sonatas for violin, viola, and piano. His Concertino 3 X 3 uses this compositional system, but is most memorable for its formal structure: it consists of nine movements, the first three for piano solo, the second set of three movements for orchestra without piano, and the final set combining the previous sets, played simultaneously.[6]

In later life, Serly moved to Longview, Washington, with his second wife, the pianist Miriam Molin. He died at the age of seventy-six after being struck by a car in London.[7]

Works

  • Symphony No. 2 in Two Movements for Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion
  • Rhapsody on Folk Songs Harmonized by Béla Bartók for Viola and Orchestra (1946–48)
  • Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (1929)
  • Concerto for Violin and Wind Symphony (1955–58)
  • Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1958)
  • Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1951)
  • Piano Sonata No. 1 in "Modus Lascivus" (1946)

References

  1. ^ a b "Tibor Serly". Notable Alumni. Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  2. ^ "Tibor Serly". New York Public Library. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Far-Above-Average Music of Tibor Serly." American Record Guide 34, no. 6 (February 1968): 459.
  4. ^ Contemporary American Composers: A Biographical Dictionary (1976), s.v. "Serly, Tibor."
  5. ^ Novák, György. "I am a violerplayer": Pound and Serly in the early 1930s. Americana : E-Journal of American Studies in Hungary, 2, no. 1. (2006).
  6. ^ Smith, Kile. Liner Notes to Six Dance Designs, Concertino 3X3, Violin Concerto, by Tibor Serly. Albany Troy876, 2006, compact disc.
  7. ^ "Tibor Serly, Composer, Completed Bartok Works." Washington Post, October 11, 1978.
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