In 2008, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Palace of Arts – under the supervision of artistic director Iván Fischer – jointly launched an initiative to spend a day every February with a single composer, including their symphonic works, chamber music, instrumental pieces and choral compositions. From early in the morning to late in the evening on Sunday, 19 February, a series of concerts will celebrate Schubert's most popular works and explore those that are perhaps less familiar. This is a...n extremely rare opportunity to discover the entire oeuvre of a celebrated composer within a very short time. In previous years, the marathons have featured Tchaikovsky, Dvořák and Beethoven. The popularity of the event has demonstrated that the concept is greatly appreciated by music lovers. So much so that the total number of visitors has exceeded 10,000 on occasion. The success story continues in 2011 with Franz Schubert, whose legacy is perhaps the strongest of any composer considering the short time he spent on this earth. Schubert's songs, chamber and piano pieces, church music and symphonic works will all be represented, including his best known masterpieces and some interesting curiosities. As in previous years, the Budapest Festival Orchestra will be joined by a variety of talented musical groups and chamber ensembles. Over the course of the day, Schubert's work will be celebrated by several hundred musicians and singers, as well as the finest instrumental and vocal soloists. CONCERTS 10.30 am Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert: Overture in C major in the Italian Style, D. 591 Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965 – orchestral variation Schubert: "Unfinished" Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 Eszter Wierdal – soprano MÁV Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Gábor Takács-Nagy 11.30 am Festival Theatre Schubert: “Trout” Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 Zoltán Fejérvári – piano, Barnabás Kelemen – violin, Katalin Kokas – viola, Péter Szabó – cello, Attila Marton – double bass 12.30 pm Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert: Mass No. 5 in A-flat major, D. 678 Tünde Szabóki – soprano, Bernadett Wiedemann – mezzo-soprano, Attila Fekete – tenor, István Rácz – bass, Debrecen Kodály Choir (chorusmaster: Zoltán Pad), Óbuda Danubia Orchestra Conductor: Domonkos Héja 2 pm Festival Theatre Schubert: Octet in F major, D. 803 Eckhardt String Quartet: Mihály Duffek – bassoon, Zoltán Szőke – French horn, Ákos Ács – clarinet, Zsolt Fejérvári – double bass 3 pm Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert: Rosamunda incidental music extracts, D. 797 Gabriella Fodor – soprano Hungarian State Choir (chorusmaster: Mátyás Antal), Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: János Kovács 4 pm Festival Theatre Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata in A minor, D. 821 Schubert: Violin Sonata in G minor, D. 408, op. 137, No. 3 Nicolas Deletaille (Belgium) – arpeggione, Alain Roudier (Belgium) – fortepiano, Kelemen Barnabás – violin, Várjon Dénes – piano 5 pm Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert: Symphony No. 3 in D major, D. 200 Schubert-Liszt: Wanderer Fantasy, op. 15 Dávid Báll – piano Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra – Pécs Conductor: Zoltán Peskó 6 pm Festival Theatre Schubert: Impromptu in A-flat major, op. 142 No. 2 Schubert: Impromptu in F minor, op. 142 No. 4 Schubert: Three Piano Pieces, D. 946 Dénes Várjon – piano 7 pm Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert-Mahler: String Quartet in D minor ("Death and the Maiden”), D. 810 Budapest Strings 8 pm Festival Theatre Songs: Der Wanderer, D. 649; Dass sie hier gewesen, D. 775; Frühlingsglaube, D. 686; Wandrers Nachtlied D 768; Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118; Lied der Mignon, D. 359; Die junge Nonne, D. 828; Ständchen, D. 957; Schwanengesang, D. 744; Im Frühling, D. 882; Rastlose Liebe, D. 138; Licht und Liebe, D. 352 (43’) Featuring: Gabriella Fodor (soprano), Zoltán Megyesi (tenor), NN. (piano) 9 pm Béla Bartók National Concert Hall Schubert: ("The Great") Symphony No. 9 in C minor, D. 944 Budapest Festival Orchestra Conductor: Iván Fischer VIDEO SCREENINGS Lecture Hall 11.30 am Symphony No. 6 in C major, D. 589 1978 concert recording from London's Royal Albert Hall Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conductor: György Solti 12.30 am Die schöne Müllerin – song cycle set to the poems of Wilhelm Müller, D. 975 Concert recording from the 1991 Schubertiade in Feldkirch Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau – baritone, András Schiff – piano 2 pm Alfonso and Estrella – opera in three acts, D. 732 1997 performance from the Theater an der Wien Mauregato: Olaf Bär, Estrella: Luba Orgonasova, Adolfo: Alfred Muff, Froila: Thomas Hampson, Alfonso: Endrik Wottrich, Commanding Officer: Carlos Silva Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Arnold Schönberg Choir Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt Presented by Jürgen Flimm 5 pm Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 1978 concert recording from London's Royal Albert Hall Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conductor: György Solti 6 pm Winterreise – song cycle set to the poems of Wilhelm Müller, D. 911 1970 recording for BBC Television Peter Pears – tenor, Benjamin Britten – piano 8 pm Symphony No. 2 in B major, D. 125 1969 recording Turin RAI Orchestra Conductor: Sergiu Celibidache Jointly presented by the Palace of Arts and the Budapest Festival Orchestra
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