Three years – 1894, 1905 and 1911 – mark the dates of completion of the works to be heard on this evening’s programme, clearly revealing the musical period which Zoltán Kocsis has chosen for the concert traditionally held on the eve of the anniversary of Béla Bartók’s death. How these works are linked stylistically will only become apparent at the concert itself. Inspired by a poem by Mallarmé and completed in 1894, Prélude à l'après-midi d’un faune opened up a new direction for subsequent compo...sers and orchestrators. Debussy used the symphony orchestra in an unprecedented manner, as a kind of musical palette, mixing new colours and only rarely employing the full orchestra at once. The result was a veritable riot of colour, resolving itself – through the fragmented melodies of the piece – into what resembles a series of impressionistic tableaux. Composed in 1905, La mer, subtitled Three symphonic sketches for orchestra, represents the full consummation of this technique. The movements – From dawn to noon on the sea, Play of the waves and Dialogue of the wind and the sea – are portrayals of mood and motion composed in a refined French style. Debussy’s era-defining operatic work Pelléas et Mélisande had a decisive influence on Bartók’s sole opera, a mysterious masterpiece based on a mediaeval legend and composed to a libretto by Béla Balázs. The work, a psychological drama with just two singing roles, is an idiosyncratic portrayal of the processes making up the inextricably complex relationship between man and woman. For this concert performance, the two principal roles will be brought to life by two outstanding personalities of the Hungarian opera scene.
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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