Leonard Bernstein composed his operetta based on Voltaire's novel in 1956, and even though this acerbically witty piece only slowly gained the world's favour, the overture to Candide became a reliable concert number almost from the very beginning. Bernstein's fireworks will be followed by another scintillating 20th century American work: George Gershwin's 1925 Piano Concerto in F major. The virtuoso solo part, which the composer intended to play himself, will here be performed by Mihály Berecz, who at all of 20 years of age is already well beyond the "holds great promise” stage of his career.
Comprising the other half of the concert are two compositions by Stravinsky, one of which - in keeping with Zoltán Rácz's penchant for revealing new works to the audience - is receiving its Hungarian première. The young Russian composer wrote the orchestral piece Funeral Song in 1908. Believed missing for more than a century, the work turned up in the archives of the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory in 2015. The Firebird, on the other hand, hasn't missed a day on the repertoire since it was created, not to mention the fact that Stravinsky kept compiling new suites out of the ballet's movements after its 1910 première. The one being played here is the 1945 suite.

Presented by: Concerto Budapest