In 1956, Leonard Bernstein composed an operetta based on the famous novel by Voltaire, and although this wryly witty work was only slowly accepted as a masterpiece by the world, the Candide overture actually became a popular concert number virtually overnight. Following on from Bernstein’s fireworks is another sparkling 20th century American masterpiece, George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F major dating from 1925. The virtuoso piano solo, originally taken by the composer himself, is here performed by the barely 20-year-old (although long having outgrown the ‘shows great promise’ phase) Mihály Berecz. The second part of the concert is devoted to two Stravinsky compositions, one of which – appropriately for Zoltán Rácz who has initiated audiences into a whole series of new discoveries – features as a premiere in Hungary. The Funeral Song is an orchestral work composed by the young Stravinsky in 1908 after the death of his mentor, Rimsky-Korsakov. Long thought to have been lost, the work eventually turned up in the archives of the St Petersburg conservatory in 2015. On the other hand, The Firebird has never been out of the repertoire since its composition, and what is more, following the debut of the ballet in 1910 Stravinsky compiled one suite after another from its movements. For this concert, the audience is rewarded with the 1945 suite.