Béni Egressy

Béni Egressy (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbeːni ˈɛɡrɛʃi]; born Galambos Benjámin; 21 April 1814 – 17 July 1851 in Sajókazinc) was a Hungarian composer, librettist, translator and actor. He created a number of popular melodic compositions, including the one to Mihály Vörösmarty's patriotic poem Szózat.[1] He also authored the librettos of the operas Hunyadi László and Bánk bán by Ferenc Erkel.

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

Biography

Egressy was born in 1814 in Sajókazinc, today a part of Kazincbarcika, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Hungary, to a Protestant pastor.

He entered the stage in 1834, like his older brother Gábor Egressy, and in 1837 became a member of the national theatre in Prague. During the Revolution of 1848, he took part in the fighting and became a member of the Hungarian Honvéd resistance. After the rebellion, he received amnesty and returned to the stage.

Works

Egressy was more notable for his acting rather than his compositions. Nevertheless, he composed music for "The Szózat", a famous poem by Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty. The song later became the unofficial "second Hungarian national anthem", besides the Himnusz. His musical works are characterised by a wealth of melodies, having many of the attained great popularity in his homeland.

See also
  • Béni Egressy
  • Tombstone

References
  1. Hamilton, Kenneth (2005). The Cambridge companion to Liszt. Cambridge Companions to Music. Cambridge University Press. p. 107.


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