For years, Concerto Budapest and the Muzsikás Ensemble have been like a long-familiar couple. The guiding principal behind their joint productions has remained constant: to uncover opportunities for and present instances of dialogue between art music, as represented by the sound of a full orchestra, and traditional folk music. The authentic and primal power of the treasury of melodies from the Carpathian Basin (including from Transdanubia, Transylvania and Szatmár County) are well-known to have mesmerised and inspired countless classical composers from Brahms to Bartók to Janáček, and the fusion has always resulted in something exciting that wins the audience's favour.
On this occasion, the superb, internationally renowned musicians will be playing Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies , imbuing listeners with the atmosphere of verbunkos, csárdás and Gypsy music. Dvořák's cycle of Slavonic Dances works primarily – and quite naturally so – with Czech motifs, but Russian and Hungarian influences also appear in it. While Liszt's virtuoso passages are primarily characterised by joy and vigour, Dvořák speaks here with a somewhat heavier, deeper tone.
It is a genuine treat to have played here, among the genre pieces from the classical masters, a contemporary composition written specifically for the artists taking the stage at this concert. Born in Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca), Levente Gyöngyösi has already proved his creative skill in the genres of chamber, choral and symphonic music, as well as opera, and his new work is sure to be of equal quality. And, of course, the unique arsenal of instruments, along with the overall sound, also guarantee a musical adventure.

Presented by: Concerto Budapest