Kókai studied composition with
János Koessler and piano with Emánuel Hegyi at the
Franz Liszt Academy of Music. In 1933 he received his doctorate in musicology from the
University of Freiburg where he wrote the thesis Franz Liszt in seinen frühen Klavierwerken (Franz Liszt in His Early Piano Works). Between 1926 and 1934 he was professor of piano at the National Conservatory, and from 1929 taught
composition,
aesthetics,
music history, and pedagogy at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.[1] Kókai was director of music for the
Hungarian Radio from 1945 to 1948.[2]
Kókai was awarded the
Ferenc Erkel Prize (Erkel Ferenc-díj) three times in recognition of his work (1952, 1955, 1956).[3]
Rezső Kókai composed in a variety of forms including stage works, orchestral compositions, a violin concerto, chamber music, works for piano, as well as film and radio scores. His scores are largely published by Editio Musica Budapest and Zeneműkiadó Vállalat.
Selected works
Stage
István király (King Stephen), Scenic Oratorio in 2 acts, 5 scenes (1941)
A rossz feleség, Táncballada (A Bad Wife), Dance Ballad (1942–1945)
A fekete város (The Black City), Opera (1961); unfinished
Radio scores
A fülemile (1950)
Lészen ágyú,
radio opera (1951); libretto by Péter Halász and József Romhányi
Hét falu kovácsa (1954)
Orchestral
2 Rondos for small orchestra (1946–1947)
Verbunkos-szvit (Verbunkos Suite) (1950)
Lassú magyar (Slow Hungarian Dance)
Friss (Lively Hungarian Dance)
Andalgó (Phantasy)
Verbunkos induló (Recruiting March)
Széki rhapszódia (Rhapsody on Hungarian Dance Tunes from
Szék) (1952)
Kis verbunkos zene (Little Hungarian Verbunkos Dance) for student string orchestra (1952)
Concerto all'ungherese (1957)
Magyar tánc (Hungarian Dances) for student string orchestra (1959)
Concertante
Concerto for violin and orchestra (1952)
Chamber music
Serenade for violin, viola and cello (1949–1950)
Két tánc (2 Dances) for cello and piano (1950)
Négy Magyar tánc (4 Hungarian Dances) for clarinet and piano (1951)
Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance)
Népi tánc (Folk Dance)
Sirató tánc (Mourning Dance)
Friss (Fresh)
Capriccio for violin and piano (1952)
Quartettino for clarinet, violin, viola and cello (1952)
Rapszódia for clarinet and folk orchestra (1952)
Verbunkos rapszódia (Verbunkos Rhapsody) for violin (or viola, or clarinet) and piano (1952)