Shostakovich and Stravinsky - two giants of 20th-century Russian music. It is their artistic output that is at the centre of András Keller and Concerto Budapest's April concert, right on the 36th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Although Shostakovich's frequently bitter voice was shaped under the oppression of the Soviet Union, he was never far away from carefree enjoyment either. This concert shows both of the composer's faces, and from Stravinsky, who would change styles like a chameleon, we'll get to listen to one of his most famous early works, The Firebird, in the form of the entire ballet, no less.
Happily, the music of Shostakovich has been undergoing a renaissance over the past few decades, and the Hungarian audience owes a debt of gratitude to András Keller and Concerto Budapest for this, as they play some of the composer's pieces each year. Today's occasion is an exceptional one, as it represents a chance to encounter two of the composer's lighter, jazz-inspired compositions, often used as film music, as well as one of his gloomy, grotesque, and sometimes solemn and even folk-sounding ...late concertos. Shostakovich's sparkling humour in the first jazz suite and the famous waltz from the Variety suite need no introduction, and neither does István Várdai, the soloist for the Second Cello Concerto. This world-traveling musician has been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for a few years now, but we are pleased that he often returns home to take the stage in Hungary as well. In the second half of the evening, the story of the evil wizard Koschei and Tsarevitch Ivan will come to life in music in The Firebird. The 1910 ballet is the first collaboration between Stravinsky and Sergei Diaghilev, and met with tremendous success.
Presented by: Concerto Budapest
Parking information
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Refreshments – Without the Queue
Thanks to our new catering service at the Átrium Snack Bar, you can forget about waiting in line during intermissions for some refreshments and get your order prepped especially for you by the time the intermission actually starts. Find out more about pre-ordering here.
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