Liszt Academy, Grand Hall
BEETHOVEN: King Stephen Overture, Op. 117
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major (“Emperor”), Op. 73
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
János Balázs piano, Lilla Horti soprano, Szilvia Vörös alto, Attila Fekete tenor, Miklós Sebestyén bass
Hungarian National (Choir choirmaster: Csaba Somos)
Conductor: András Keller
* The concert is organized jointly by Concerto Budapest and the Cziffra Festival. Tickets are available on the website of Cziffra Festival.
In this Beethoven bicentenary year, it would be remiss for the Cziffra Festival programme to omit a large-scale commemoration of the masterpieces this titan of an artist, who also had many connections to Hungary, created.
This connection is demonstrated by the very first number, the King Stephen Overture, a composition incorporating verbunkos motifs that he composed for the opening of the German Theatre of Pest in 1812. And if this were not enough evidence enough, scholars and music lovers with a good ear have also found a Hungarian twist in the iconic Symphony No. 9, which will take up the entire second half of the concert, and more specifically in the well-known Ode to Joy movement, now a veritable anthem.
Joining Concerto Budapest to perform the work this evening will be some truly great singers. Between these two numbers, Cziffra Festival founder and artistic director János Balázs will perform the solo part of the majestically grand Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, which truly deserves the ‘Emperor’ nickname that was subsequently bestowed upon it He will be accompanied by the equally formidable Concerto Budapest playing under the baton of András Keller.
