Theodor Szántó, also seen as Tivadar Szántó (3 June 1877IMSLP gives his date of birth as 3 March 1877IMSLP: Category:Szántó, Tivadar; Retrieved 22 May 20137 January 1934) was a Hungarian Jewish pianist and composer.

Life and career Szántó was born in Vienna, then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His family name was originally Smulevic, of Jewish and Slavic origin. His musical studies were in Vienna and Budapest, and with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin 1898-1901. Larry Sitsky, ed., Music of the Twentieth Century Avant Garde: A Biocritical Sourcebook, p. 85; Retrieved 22 May 2013 He resided in Paris from 1905, Switzerland from 1914, and Budapest from 1921 until his death there in 1934.Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed. (1954), Vol. VIII, p. 263

Szántó contributed substantially to the rewriting of the piano part of the third and final version of Frederick Delius’s Piano Concerto in C minor, and he introduced this version at a Prom Concert in London on 22 October 1907 under Henry Wood.Proms Archive: Prom 57; Retrieved 22 May 2013 For these services, Delius dedicated the Concerto to Szántó. He also played the work at the Proms in 1912, 1913 and 1921.Proms Archive: Theodor Szántó; Retrieved 22 May 2013 This final version has become the standard version, but Delius's original conception has also been recorded.Hyperion Records Delius & Ireland: Piano Concertos; Retrieved 22 May 2013

Theodor Szántó was an early champion of the music of Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók.Marc-André Hamelin, Program Notes, Chamber Music Society of Detroit; Retrieved 22 May 2013 It was his playing of Bartók's Romanian Dance in 1914 that introduced Arthur Hartmann to the music of that composer.Arthur Hartmann, "Claude Debussy as I Knew Him" and Other Writings of Arthur Hartmann, p. 18; Retrieved 22 May 2013 For his part, however, Bartók had little respect for Szántó.Peter Laki, Bartok and His World, p. 18; Retrieved 22 May 2013

He exhibited an interest in the music of Japan by writing at least three works using Japanese influences (an opera, an orchestral suite, and a piano suite).

He also made some piano transcriptions of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Igor Stravinsky, which reveal a virtuoso technique. His complete piano works are recorded by the composer and virtuoso pianist Artur Cimirro for the CD label Acte Préalable

Szanto was considered an important piano teacher.Ezra Mendelsohn, ed., Studies in Contemporary Jewry : Volume IX: Modern Jews and Their Musical ...; Retrieved 22 May 2013 His students included Berta Alves de Sousa in Paris.

Szántó was awarded the Legion of Honour.

Compositions

Original works Szántó's own original compositions include: Violin Sonata, 1906 Land and Sea Symphony, 1909 Contrasts, piano suite, 1912University of Utah; Retrieved 22 May 2013 Variations on a Hungarian Folksong, piano, 1915 Symphonic Rhapsody, 1917 In Japan: Essays and Studies in Japanese Harmony based on Native Songs, piano, 1918-22IMSLP: In Japan (Szántó, Tivadar); Retrieved 22 May 2013 (This work has been recorded by Noriko OgawaBIS: Japonisme; Retrieved 22 May 2013) Taifun: A Japanese Tragedy in Three ActsGoogle Books; Retrieved 22 May 2013Peter Revers, Das Fremde und das Vertraute: Studien zur Musiktheoretischen und ..., Issue 41; p. 152; Retrieved 22 May 2013 an opera on a Japanese subject, set to a libretto by Menyhert Lengyel based on his play Typhoon; the opera was premiered in Mannheim on 29 November 1924, and had later productions in Antwerp, Budapest and Vienna Japan Suite, orchestra, 1926 Magyarorszag: Concert Sonata in Hungarian style, violin and piano; dedicated to Eugène Ysaÿe IMSLP: Magyarorszag (Szántó, Tivadar); Retrieved 22 May 2013

Transcriptions Johann Sebastian Bach: About a dozen transcriptions, including: Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542, 1904IMSLP: Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 (Bach, Johann Sebastian); Retrieved 22 May 2013 (This has been recorded by Cyprien KatsarisDiscogs; Retrieved 22 May 2013 and Marc-André Hamelin; Retrieved 22 May 2013) Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543,1912IMSLP: Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543, 1912 (Bach, Johann Sebastian); Retrieved 22 May 2013 Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546, 1914IMSLP: Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 (Bach, Johann Sebastian); Retrieved 22 May 2013 Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582, 1932IMSLP: Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582 (Bach, Johann Sebastian); Retrieved 22 May 2013 4 Organ Chorale Preludes, c. 1900IMSLP: 4 Orgel-Choralvorspiele von J.S. Bach (Szántó, Tivadar); Retrieved 22 May 2013 Aus der Tiefe rufe ich Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 649 Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod on Paul Stockmann's "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod" Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr, BWV 663 Igor Stravinsky: Suite of five pieces from Petrushka, 1922IMSLP: Petrushka (Stravinsky, Igor); Retrieved 22 May 2013 "Fète populaire de la semaine grasse" "Chez Petrouchka" "Chez le maure" "Danse de la ballerina" "Danse russe" "Marche chinoise" from Le RossignolUniversity of Rochester; Retrieved 22 May 2013

Discography

2017 : Acte Préalable AP0386 – Tivadar Szántó - Complete Piano Works 1 (Artur Cimirro) 2017 : Acte Préalable AP0387 – Tivadar Szántó - Complete Piano Works 2 (Artur Cimirro)

References