Xaver Varnus In memoriam Dezső Garas

All three are living legends, so their simultaneous appearance on the Palace of Arts stage forms a scarcely repeatable constellation in the firmament of Hungarian culture. Mari Törőcsik and Dezső Garas are national acting treasures, while the world-renowned organist Xaver Varnus, a four-time platinum record recipient who has created a genre of his own, was described in Hungarian weekly HVG as “a born life strategist, an article of his own design and the object of constant public attention. He ha...s revolutionised the genre, succeeding in making organ concerts popular once more.” The reason for their joint appearance on stage, the occasion of Varnus’s birthday, will be celebrated in extraordinary fashion as they evoke the golden age of the 1930s, when film music was played on cinema organs. The audience will hear songs from classic Hungarian films such as Hyppolit, a lakáj (Köszönöm, hogy imádott) and Meseautó, or Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz – and the decorated organist may even sing with the two actors. While actors and audience relax during the film music, Varnus will play popular classics such as the Blue Danube Waltz and the Radetzky March, as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. This is music rarely played on the organ – proving what William Littler, the dreaded critic of the Toronto Star, wrote about him: “In the 1980s, the New York Times described Varnus as the Horowitz of the organ. Listening to his new record, we understand why.” Presented by: Medirapid Kft.