A ZENE APOSTOLA – ARNOLD GYÖRGY (1781–1848) SZABADKAI MUNKÁSSÁGA ÉS ÖRÖKSÉGE
THE APOSTLE OF MUSIC: THE WORK AND LEGACY OF GYÖRGY ARNOLD (1781–1848) IN SUBOTICA

Summary/Abstract: The study examines the work of György Arnold (1781–1848), regens chori, cantor, music educator, and composer in Subotica, within the context of ecclesiastical music and cultural history in the Délvidék region at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Based on archival sources, account books, municipal council records, and music library documents, the research reconstructs the state of Subotica’s church music life prior to Arnold’s arrival and presents the institutionalizing and renewing process through which the city’s liturgical music developed into an organized, stable, and regionally influential system. – Special attention is devoted to Arnold’s pedagogical activity, the organization of the boys’ choir and school-based vocal education, as well as the systematic development of the music library and instrumental resources. The study demonstrates that Arnold played a decisive role in Subotica’s cultural life not only as a musician but also as a community-forming intellectual, creating a bridge between the traditions of Viennese Classical church music and local liturgical practice. Through his work, Subotica became an active participant in the ecclesiastical music network of the Habsburg Monarchy. – The study interprets Arnold György’s oeuvre not as an isolated local phenomenon but as an integral part of the history of church music in the Dél vidék region and Central Europe, thereby laying the groundwork for the detailed analysis of later, larger-scale works, including the Missa Sparta.

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