Through its innovative programmes and careful selection of works to be performed, the Hungarian National Choir has been able to bring many exciting works to Hungarian audiences while continuing its mission to preserve the classical repertoire. The choir's versatility is illustrated by this concert constructed around the spirit of Christmas. We will enjoy several outstanding soloists to interpret some extraordinary melodies, while the musical director of the Hungarian National Philharmonic and the choir master of the Hungarian National Choir will conduct the concert.
The opening piece will be the composition for mixed choir by Spanish neo-Romantic composer Javier Busto, which has deservedly become a popular feature of many concert programmes. A choral piece set to the medieval Marian hymn by Englishman Benjamin Britten is another piece that inspires awestruck silence. Rather than sending us into introspective ecstasy, János Vajda's Kolinda, composed in the 1980s and featuring psalm-inspired folk verses set to music, instead invites us to join a joyful shared celebration reminiscent of a pagan ritual. A rarity in the programme is the cantata written by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi in 1930, which depicts the birth of Christ with theatrical sensitivity and enthrals listeners with its enchanting instrumentation. The concert concludes with perhaps Beethoven's best-known symphony, an ode to joy and fraternal love.

Presented by: Hungarian National Philharmonic