Gergő Borlai, renowned and popular drummer both in the Hungarian and international scene, is organising a third concert called 'Divided' already. What is the story behind this series, who was and will be on stage with him, and why will this experience be truly unique? We talked to the Artisjus-awarded...
Irén Lovász has worked on her four-part record series Healing Voices for seventeen years. After Sacred Voice, Inner Voice and Female Voice, the final piece, Healing Voice, arrived this year, completing the collection. I talked to the Kossuth Prize-winning singer about the album release concert on 8 October, but of...
The story of an investigation: the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble's grand premiere at Müpa Budapest, The Faithless Wife, works with the gloominess of ballads but in a contemporary way. One of the most treasured pieces in old Hungarian ballad repertoire, Barcsai's Lover is the starting point for a full-length crime...
The story of Pelléas and Mélisande embodied the ideal libretto for Debussy. The composer, who was determined to fight Wagnerism and follow the Impressionist line in music and especially in opera, was fascinated by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck’s play, which was presented in 1892. A true rebel, who valued only...
Once upon a time there was an Italian girl who loved jazz, had a wonderful voice, and dreamed of learning from the best jazz musicians - so she moved to the United States. Since her immigration in 1998, Roberta Gambarini built a successful career and is seen as one of...
Although Wagner fans can easily list a bunch of vocal details from his works that can be performed out of the dramatic flow, but these are mainly found in the early romantic operas. Also, throughout his life work, there are orchestral numbers whose charms remain irresistible even after hearing them...
The Ligeti 100 continues to rumble on, with centenary concerts in Hungary and around the world, and the audience shows more and more enthusiasm for the futuristic and modern masterpieces of one of Hungary's most famous composers. We recently wrote about a concert by Péter Eötvös and Klangforum Wien, and...
Apologies in advance to anyone who thinks the title is too clickbait, but it just cannot be less dramatic. Martin Grubinger, the brilliant "multi-instrumentalist", recently announced that he will end his musical career at the end of this season. Why would a global star, who is also still as young...
Hungarian singer Bea Palya released her album Nő (Woman) in 2014, which was a turning point in her career. "I feel that for the first time, I was able to put together who I am as a whole," she said at the time. The songs tell the story of what...
There are those hugely popular Verdi operas, which are constantly performed all over the world – and then there are those rare gems such as I Lombardi. The libretto of this story, set in the age of the Crusades, was written by the same Temistocle Solera to whom we can...
Two romantic opera overtures and two concertos: the upcoming concert of the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra will transport you to the world of a medieval Russian heroic poem and a forest where a German hunter makes deals with the devil. In addition to popular pieces that evoke fantastic stories, two brilliant...
The Bartók Spring Festival's program boasts a real treasure: the premiere of the children's opera, Frau Holle, at Müpa This stage piece by Dániel Csengery, winner of a prize in the institution's 2020 music competition, is a noteworthy addition to the children's opera repertoire, which is still relatively limited. The...
A monumental symphonic poem containing one of the world's most famous musical excerpts, one of the most influential epic poems in English literature, which has inspired many literary and cinematic works to date, and an exciting world premiere: the event titled Doubt and Seeking at the Bartók Spring will bring...
So many Ligeti concerts happen nowadays that you almost get confused about which one you are going to. This centenary year is a good year. You can hear such pieces live, even several times, that you've only read about before, or seen YouTube videos of. Such is the Poème symphonique...
Many generations of Hungarian children have enjoyed István Fekete's 1937 adventure novel, The Agha's Testament, and the film adaptation from thirty years later. These works inspired Benjamin Eredics' moving, turbulent dance music, in which the typical, characteristic figures of the period and the wild and romantic surroundings of the Hungarian...
There is an island. More precisely, there is The Island. It is where past and future meet, and even get along well. Don't search for it in the lake or the sea, rather look and listen inside yourself: so when you see it, you will recognise it immediately by the...
The upcoming performance by the renowned Egyptian ensemble Mazaher, as the opening act of the Budapest Ritmo Festival, promises to transport its audience to a mythical and sacral realm. Focused on ancient musical genres, the ensemble's repertoire is sure to captivate those drawn to melodies that trace their origins back...
Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and his world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra will perform one of the most iconic and important works of their homeland, Sibelius' magnificent and cosmic Symphony No. 5, on 16 April as part of the Bartók Spring International Arts Weeks. The symphony will be preceded by Beethoven's Leonora Overture...
Perhaps the most numerous and various Hungarian folk customs are connected to the Easter holiday. Although the traditions and the performed home or village "ceremonies" may vary from region to region, the main events and cycle of the holiday are mostly the same everywhere. "I have never seen a more...
Heightened emotions of dance works, written by two 20th century giants, come before and after the work of a world famous contemporary composer at the concert of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra led by Semyon Bychkov. One of Bartók's most popular and most performed plays, The Miraculous Mandarin always has a...
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