In the lifework of the greatest Hungarian composers of the 20th century including Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and their followers, folk music occupies a primary and distinguished position. Later, however, folk music and classical music unfortunately became separated from each other and started to exist independently of each other. For several decades now, Muzsikas Hungarian Folk Music Ensemble and Keller Quartet have been engaged in rejoining these long ago torn threads. The continuation of this mission is embodied by this last event of the Musicians and Muzsikas Series. The concert connects musical pieces by Bartók and Kodály with collected musical heritage constituting the musical backdrops of such works. This event’s focalised melody is that of the Hungarian folk song entitled “The Peacock”, which reflects a special and unique intertwining of the Hungarian national disposition with this very tune. The melody of the song shows a descending quint-shifting structure, i.e. the first two lines are mostly repeated by the third and fourth lines, and the tone row of the song is predominantly pentatonic. The uniqueness of this feature lies in the fact that wherever Hungarian is spoken, such songs can be discovered, but at places where Hungarian is not a spoken language, such songs are unknown. Therefore, it is probably not accidental that the greatest Hungarian composers so often use this melody.

Program:  

Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Intermezzo

Zoltán Kodály: Marosszék Dances, Ballad from Moldavia,

Gergely Dance

Bartók: Hungarian Peasant Melodies I–II

Kodály: 'A peacock takes it perch'

Dohnányi: Ruralia Hungarica, II

Bartók: Transylvanian Dances I–I., Gyimesi with Two Gardons

Bartók: Dance Suite V–VI

Muzsikas: Melodies from Kállai Double Dance

Mária Petrás: Ballade

Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances

With:

Mária Petrás – singer

Zoltán Farkas and Ildikó Tóth – dancers

Muzsikas Hungarian Folk Music Ensemble

Conductor: András Keller       

Organizer: Concerto Budapest      

Ticket: 2.500 Ft      

Tickets are available.