Ittzés Mihály

In the Footsteps of Kodály?
The Chorus in 20th Century Hungarian Music and Musical Life
Mihály Ittzés

The reform of Hungarian music education and the choir movement were based on Kodály’s initiatives from the mid-20s. The German Liedertafel oriented practice and spirit was exchanged for the new folk music-based Hungarian music and the European renaissance a capella repertoire. The Singing Youth movement was organised from 1934. In the amateur choir movement more and more male choirs were reorganised as mixed choirs.
After World War II, especially in the 50s communist cultural policy gave a strongly political face to the choral movement and repertoire. In the 60s a wide gap appeared between the avant-garde and average demand and possibilities. During the past two decades many composers have returned to the earlier tradition of composition techniques.
The successes of Hungarian choirs at international competitions represent the great development based on the Kodály reforms.