"Christus can wait even longer; perhaps until after my death... It has no need to go the rounds of the marketplaces begging for vulgar applause," Liszt wrote in a letter dated 1866. These bitterly self-aware words suggest that the composer knew only too well that his work would have difficulty finding a place in concert repertoires. He was quite right. Although a single, popular part of the oratorio may be heard at Christmas or Easter, it is rare to hear the three parts of this monumental compos...ition – Christmas Oratorio, After Epiphany and Passion and Resurrection – in a single evening. (The full première of the work was only given some years after its completion in 1873.) It is not just performers, but also listeners for whom Christus represents a major challenge. In recounting the Messiah's entire life story in a single arc, Liszt does not focus on individual events. According to Liszt expert Klára Hamburger, Liszt's interpretation is "for the most part, ceremonially, even dogmatically stylised,” in which “tableaux and still images associated with Christ's life are transformed by prayer.” Those concert-goers used to more lively oratorios and dramatic passions will find this unusual approach both attractive and novel. They will also enjoy the element of musical time travel in the work, to which biographer Alan Walker draws attention: "Within the span of three hours, the work progresses through a century of harmonic development. It begins with music of pastoral simplicity, depict the Nativity and Christ's childhood. And "prophecy" is not too strong a word to describe those passages towards the end of Christus that have no counterpart until modern times.” Presented by: MR Music Groups
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.
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