György Orban

Aulos Vol. 1

Aulos to a certain degree continues Orbán's easy piano pieces for children, which he composed for Ágnes Lakos's piano tutor and which Editio Musica Budapest published in a separate volume entitled Enchanted Forest in 2011 (Z. 14742). Yet on this occasion the composer took on something which was both significantly different and more than his earlier pieces for children. On the one hand, he did not compose for beginners but for more advanced students who have studied piano for at least three years. On the other, he did not set developing the technique of piano playing as an aim, rather a systematic presentation of different polyphonic genres and compositional procedures (imitation, fugue, stretto, inversion, augmentation and diminution, double counterpoint, latent polyphony, double and triple fugue, cantus firmus technique, etc.). Orbán introduces his students to the mysteries of polyphony in a direct and practical manner, and thus actually makes them familiar with the art of composition. The educational use of the series is significantly increased by the fact that before each piece the composer presents and clarifies with demonstrative illustrations the polyphonic procedure he introduces. Orbán's explanations are not text-book-like at all, but are deliberately personal and subjective, full of lessons and individual associations taken from his practice as a composer. They were written in the same spirit as the works themselves - while they perfectly fulfil their educational purpose they are equally individual, witty and inspired pieces of music that are a joy to play.