The seventeen final measures of the Third Piano Concerto by Béla Bartók exist today because of the editorial work of Tibor Serly. Born in 1901 in Lučenec, Hungary, Serly spent much of his youth in New York City before returning to Budapest to complete his formal training at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.
Early Career and Training
The son of Lajos Serly, a former student of Franz Liszt, Tibor Serly began his musical education under his father. During his early years in New York City, he played violin in various pit orchestras. In 1922, he returned to Hungary to attend the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where he studied composition with Zoltán Kodály, violin under Jenő Hubay, and orchestration with Leó Weiner.
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After graduating with high honors in 1925, Serly moved back to America to pursue a career as a performer. He played the viola with the Cincinnati Orchestra from 1926 to 1927, followed by a tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra between 1928 and 1935. He later performed with the NBC Orchestra from 1937 to 1938.
Collaboration with Béla Bartók
Serly maintained a close professional relationship with Béla Bartók, often acting as a champion of his works through conducting and lecturing. Following Bartók’s death in 1945, Serly undertook the task of compiling and orchestrating the Viola Concerto and completing the final measures of the Third Piano Concerto. During this period, he also composed his Rhapsody on Folk Songs Harmonized by Béla Bartók for Viola and Orchestra.
Pedagogy and Compositional Systems
Serly taught composition at institutions including the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. In his later years, he codified a musical language known as Modus Lascivus, which he documented in a 1975 publication exploring 82 tertian chords. Several of his later compositions, including his Concertino 3 X 3, utilized this system.
Fast facts
- Born: 1901, Lučenec
- Died: 1978, London
- Citizenship: Hungary
- Alma mater: Franz Liszt Academy of Music
- Primary occupations: Composer, conductor, violinist
- Notable academic tenure: Manhattan School of Music
Questions readers ask
What is the significance of the Modus Lascivus?
It is a compositional system developed by Serly that utilizes 82 basic tertian chords, which he applied to several of his later works.
Which major works did Serly orchestrate for Béla Bartók?
He orchestrated the final 17 measures of the Third Piano Concerto and compiled the Viola Concerto from sketches.
Achievements
- Instruments: violin and viola
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