Imre Antal
{{Short description|(1935–2008) classical pianist, performer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Imre Antal
| image = Imre Antal.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|7|31|df=y}}
| birth_place = Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|4|15|1935|7|31|df=y}}
| death_place = Budapest, Hungary
| yearsactive = 1958–2007
| spouse =
}}
Imre Antal (31 July 1935 – 15 April 2008) was a Hungarian pianist, television presenter and comedian.Ki Kicsoda (Who is Who) 1991, Biograf, Budapest{{cite news|url=http://www.pestiside.hu/20080417/midweek-briefing-on-thursday-no-bovine-sodomy-before-the-basilica/|title=Mid-Week Briefing on Thursday|date=2008-04-17|work=Pestiside.hu|accessdate=2008-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420062726/http://www.pestiside.hu/20080417/midweek-briefing-on-thursday-no-bovine-sodomy-before-the-basilica/|archive-date=20 April 2008|url-status=dead}}
His career as a pianist
He graduated from the Hungarian Academy of Music Zeneakadémia, Budapest. He became a celebrated young pianist in the 1960s. He was 2nd prize winner of the 7th and 8th World Festival of Youth and Students, Vienna, 1959 and Helsinki, 1962. In 1960 he was awarded the 2nd prize at the XII Concorso Busoni, and six years later he won the 1st prize at Budapest's Liszt-Bartók International Pianist Competition (Although the international jury pronounced him as the winner, the organizers did not award the 1st prize - possibly for a political pressure,Imre Antal: Pami (autobiography). EpsTrade, Budapest, 2000 officially he received a 2nd prize as the best performer.{{Cite web |url=http://www.filharmoniabp.hu/eddigi_dijazottak |title=Eddigi díjazottak | Filharmonia Budapest Nonprofit KFT |access-date=7 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908114401/http://www.filharmoniabp.hu/eddigi_dijazottak |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}) Hungaroton record publisher has recorded and released some Bach and Liszt works in his interpretation in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
He was awarded with Erkel Prize (Erkel Ferenc-díj for the recognition of outstanding artists).
Filming and television career
From the mid-1960s he began presenting programmes for the music section of Hungarian television. He also took acting jobs, most notably in the 1969 TV-series Bors. In 1971 an illness of his hands ended his music career and he devoted himself fully to television.Imre Antal: Pami (autobiography). EpsTrade, Budapest, 2000 His proficiency in foreign languages allowed him to host at television shows notable celebrities visiting to Hungary from the western side of the iron curtain. His most notable guests were the Italian movie actress Gina Lollobrigida and the American violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
His biggest success was the comedy television program Szeszélyes évszakok (Capricious Seasons) which he presented on the national channel M1 from 1981 to 2005.{{cite news|url=http://www.budapestsun.com/cikk.php?id=28124|title=Imre Antal dies at 73|date=2008-04-16|work=Budapest Sun|accessdate=2008-05-15|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605045918/http://www.budapestsun.com/cikk.php?id=28124|archivedate=5 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}
Late years
His autobiography was published in 1990 and reprinted in 2002. In 2006 he reappeared briefly on RTL Klub with András Csonka, however, he was diagnosed with cancer. As his sickness grew on him he wished to continue making comedy programmes until his death. RTL Klub offered him to host their show Szeszélyes (Capricious) (which was actually only a low-key copy of his original show). On his honor a Budapest private nursery school was named after him in 2007.
He died in Budapest on 15 April 2008.
References
External links
- {{IMDb name|0030730}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antal, Imre}}
Category:Hungarian classical pianists
Category:Hungarian male classical pianists
Category:Hungarian television personalities
Category:People from Hódmezővásárhely
Category:20th-century Hungarian classical pianists
Category:20th-century comedians
Category:20th-century Hungarian male musicians
{{Hungary-musician-stub}}