In variation works, the role of theme is rather like that of an actor, who is continually appearing in different clothes, make-up and roles during the performance. Brahms’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn uses a tune, which musicologists now say is not originally by Haydn. What is not disputed is that Carl Ferdinand Pohl, the archivist of the Vienna Society of Friends of Music showed Brahms the wind divertimento with the movement subtitled “St Anthony Chorale” which inspired the German composer t...o write the “Haydn variations”. Tchaikovsky struck on the joyous theme, which became the basis for his Variations on a Rococo Theme in 1876. This is the first work in the composer’s oeuvre, which in terms of theme and character evokes the world of the 18th century. It was premièred by German cello virtuoso Wilhelm Fitzenhagen who played it to great acclaim all over the world until his dying days. Ottorino Respighi’s Adagio con variazioni was written in 1929. Respighi was a master of orchestral sonority and this piece for cello and orchestra has a unique sound, an impressive example of Italian impressionism. Edward Elgar composed his Enigma Variations in 1899, which created his international reputation. “I have sketched a set of Variations on an original theme. The Variations have amused me because I’ve labelled them with the nicknames of my particular friends.” The initial letters or nicknames of his chums printed on the score give us an indication as to who they allude to. This is part of the enigma. Elgar also said, most intriguingly, that there is a theme, which cannot be heard. No one has proven satisfactorily what this invisible theme (presumably a counterpart melody) is, so possibly it may not even exist…
Parking information
We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
Safe ticket purchase
Dear Visitors, please note that only tickets purchased from the Müpa website and official ticket offices are guaranteed to be valid. To avoid possible inconvenience, we suggest buying tickets to our performances and concerts via the mupa.hu website, the Interticket national network (jegy.hu) or at our official ticket offices.