Of all the many traditions at the Palace of Arts, perhaps one of the most beautiful is the May concert marking the birthday of György Ligeti. This is already the ninth occasion that the works of the great 20th century composer, who passed away in 2006, will be heard in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, placing pieces drawn from his endlessly colourful oeuvre side by side. The Requiem, composed a half-century ago, is one of the most difficult tasks that can confront a group of performers: both the prayer of the Kyrie, sections of which utilise a twenty-part chorus, as well as the vision of hell which brings the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch to life in the Dies irae, continue to exert a powerful dramatic impact.
The horn concerto, known as the Hamburg Concerto, was one of Ligeti’s final works; its unusual feature is that the orchestra contains four valveless natural horns of the kind widely used in the Baroque period, creating an unprecedented tonal landscape. The third volume of the Études pour piano, likewise completed in the last phase of his career, contains four pieces. Typically of Ligeti, these compositions are precisely constructed, perfectly elaborated in their internal structure but providing an essentially elementary experience for the listener.
In addition to the outstanding musicians of the Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra, who are regular contributors to this series of Ligeti tribute concerts, Zoltán Fejérvári, a hugely talented young pianist who placed second in the Manchester International Piano Competition in 2010, will play the études, while the conductor’s duties will be taken on by Zoltán Rácz, recognised as a committed performer of 20th century and contemporary music.

Presented by: Palace of Arts