Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture is a famed example of the portrayal of nature in music, while the Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz - composed only a few years after the death of Beethoven - paved the way for all subsequent music of the 19th century, and continues to entrance today's listener with its modernity. Between these two famous and popular works of great composers of the Romantic era, this concert offers a genuine surprise. Hungarian-born Miklós Rózsa was one of the most successful composers in American film, a multiple Oscar winner who wrote music for films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Jungle Book, Quo Vadis and Ben-Hur. What perhaps fewer people know about him is that he also composed many works for concert performance. These are characterised by a great knowledge of his craft, rich imagination, and a deep commitment to his country of birth and its music.
This assertion is especially true of Rózsa's Sinfonia Concertante, composed for violin, cello and orchestra. The style of the first movement recalls the orchestral works of Kodály, while the theme of the variations in the second is a melody written in the spirit and form of Hungarian folk song. The rapid dance of the third movement is likewise composed of basic elements of a Hungarian character. The soloists for this work, Kristóf Baráti and István Várdai, are wonderful young musicians renowned and much in demand the world over.

Presented by: MÁV Symphony Orchestra