Miklos Rosza

Miklós Rósza

Miklos Rosza studied the violin from the age of five. In 1926, he began studying at the Leipzig Conservatory. In 1929, his violin concerto was performed there. While living in Paris from 1931, Rozsa had his ‘Variations on a Hungarian Peasant Song’ and his ‘Symphony and Serenade for Small Orchestra’ performed. After settling in London in 1935, he composed the ballet, ‘Hungaria’. Luckily he met fellow Hungarian, Alexander Korda, who commissioned him to write an opulent score for Knight Without Armour (1937). While composing the score for The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Rosza moved to California, where he remained. His film music, though often in the foreground, was seldom intrusive, most often amplifying the image. During the 40s, his eerie mood music enhanced many a film noir.