Search - Laszlo Lajtha, Nicolas Pasquet :: LAJTHA: Symphony No. 2 / Variations, Op. 44

In the realm of Hungarian music of the 20th century, Laszlo Lajtha (1892-1963) ranks as Hungary's greatest symphonist. His peers, Bartók and Kodaly, were off mastering other realms, but Lajtha stuck to the broader palette of the symphony. And what symphonies they are. The Symphony 2 (1938) fairly overflows with somber colors that perhaps anticipate the coming Second World War. It's not particularly depressing music--Lajtha seemed never to make his music too personal (as in Bartók's latter string quartets). His Variations (1948) is a 40-minute set of 11 variations for orchestra that clearly demonstrates his compositional acumen and his inventiveness. --Paul Cook