The first concert in the 2021 Hungarian Gems series showcases the precious values of the present and the last century, representing a magnificent challenge for woodwind and brass musicians as well as string players. Thus chronologically the programme spans the years from Sándor Veress’s youthful Sonatina dating from 1933 to Péter Eötvös’s 2008 Octet, while the performance ‘cast’ runs from three woodwind musicians to 16 strings. The latter string ensemble play a major role in Tristia (1983) by András Szőllősy: it conjures up not only the excellent composer born exactly a hundred years ago, but also his colleague Rudolf Maros who was commemorated with this lament (similarly to Eötvös’s work paying tribute to the memory of Karlheinz Stockhausen). The eponym of the Ligeti Ensemble is represented by his early wind bagatelle series while István Márta is represented by his trombone work (1986). Naturally, there is a composition by the 95-year-old György Kurtág as well: the Wind Quintet, opus 2. It is a 1959 vintage and provides ample proof of the birth of the artist’s own compositional tone.