Sebestyen Pecsi
Jozsef Sebestyen Pecsi was born on 29 October 1910 in Budapest (Hungary). He studied at the Budapest Music Academy under Zoltan Kodaly, Artur Harmat (composition) and Aladar Zalanfy (organ). He completed his studies in 1937.
After his studies Sebestyen Pecsi made a career as an organist. He toured through European countries and became one of Hungary's foremost organists. Since 1940 he taught organ at the Budapest Music Academy, first as a lecturer, later as a professor. Among his most notable students are György Ligeti, György Kurtag, Gabor Lehotka and Frigyes. Sebestyen Pecsi also wrote several pedagogical books on the organ: an organ tutor (1956), an organ method (1965) and a technical study of the organ (1975). He also edited organ works by many Hungarian composers and recorded several organ works by Bach, Liszt, Kodaly and contemporary Hungarian composers. For his professional achievements Sebestyen Pecsi received the Ferenc Liszt Prize in 1957 and was awarded an Honoured Artist of Hungary in 1974.
Sebestyen Pecsi died on 8 May 1991 in Budapest (Hungary).
There is little information about Sebestyen Pecsi as a composer, but my possession are a few autograph scores of his own compositions. This includes manuscripts of:
- Agnes asszony, for soprano, baritone, choir and orchestra (1960, on the text by Janos Arany)
- Improvizáció a himnusz dallamára, for organ (1967)
- Az úr istent magasztalom, for organ (1974)
- Cantate Domino, for organ
In addition I own two printed scores for organ: "Dicsőség mennyben az istennek", and "Bocsásd meg úr isten".
Below one can find the score for "Az úr istent magasztalom" (I praise the Lord), for organ:
