Bury Edward, *18 September 1919 Gniezno, †13 February 1995 Kraków, Polish composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher. In 1937–44, he studied at the Warsaw conservatory (piano with Z. Drzewiecki, composition with K. Sikorski, conducting with W. Bierdiajew). During the war, he organized secret concerts in Warsaw and participated in them as a pianist and conductor. After the war, he settled in Krakow; from 1945 to 1954, he lectured at the State Higher School of Music, becoming a professor in 1952. From 1949 to 1951, he commuted to Bydgoszcz, where he was the conductor of the Pomeranian Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he was a guest conductor at philharmonic halls throughout the country. In 1975, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
In Bury’s work, romantic subjectivism dominates over innovative tendencies. In his conducting manual, the composer used an original system of notation for conducting movements and his own concept of movement patterns for dynamics and articulation.
Compositions:
Variations and Fugue for piano, 1946, Krakow 2nd ed. 1979
Little Suite for orchestra, 1950
Symphonic Suite for mixed choir and orchestra, 1951
Concerto Overture, 1954
Maski, fantastic suite for orchestra, 1957
Freedom Symphony, 1960, wyd. Krakow 1964
Sześć pieśni (Six Songs) for mixed choir a cappella, folk text, 1960, pub. Krakow, 3rd ed. 1984
Symphony No. 2 ‘Concertante’ for 6 instruments and orchestra, 1962, pub. Krakow 1969
Obrazy Tysiąclecia (Pictures of Millenium) for mixed choir a cappella, pub. Krakow 1963, 2nd ed. 1970
Symphony No. 3 – Mówi Prezydent J.F. Kennedy (President J.F. Kennedy speaking) for speaking voice, mixed choir, and orchestra, 1964
Four Songs for men’s choir a cappella, folk text, 1964, pub. Krakow 1965
Symphony No. 4 – Da timpani a tutti for bass, mixed choir and orchestra, 1966, pub. Krakow 1973
Tryptyk żartobliwy (Jocose Triptych) for mixed choir a cappella, pub. Krakow 1967
Symphony No. 5 – Heroic, 1969
Modlitwa Pawła VI o pokój (Paul VI’s Prayer for Peace) for mixed choir and organ ad libitum, 1969
Symphony No. 6 – Pacem in terris, 1972
Tryptyk o błogosławionym Maksymilianie Kolbe (Triptych on Blessed Maximilian Kolbe) for bass, mixed choir and organ, 1972
Four preludes for mixed choir a cappella, text by K. Tetmajer, 1973, pub. Krakow 1974
Msza ekumeniczna (Ecumenical Mass) for mixed choir, chamber ensemble and organ, 1973
Św. Franciszek z Asyżu (Saint Francis of Assisi), oratorio for tenor, speaking voice, 3 choirs and organ, 1975
Warsaw Threnodies for baritone, mixed choir and orchestra, 1975, pub. Krakow 1982
Krakowskie wesele (The Wedding from Kraków Region) for mixed choir a cappella, folk text, 1976, pub. Krakow 1978
International Hymn of Peace for baritone, mixed choir, boys’ choir (ad libitum) and orchestra, 1980, pub. Krakow 1982 (piano reduction)
chamber works
works for piano
Editorial works:
Writings:
Podstawy techniki dyrygowania, pub. Krakow 1961, 3rd ed. 1978, 4th ed. entitled Nowa technika dyrygentury, Krakow 1989
Technika czytania partytur, ed. Krakow 1971.
