At our first Liszt Academy concert of the season, from the very first note to the last, we felt that shared vibration and soaring ecstasy in the hall which, in our view, is the hallmark of the most profound musical experiences. We are grateful to our nearly 500 season pass holders and a further 300 music lovers for allowing us to carry this inspiring memory from our festive concert on World Music Day.
The evening opened with Farkas Ferenc’s Piccola Musica, a perfect overture to the concert. It was followed by Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto – an experience almost beyond words. With the compelling solo of our Artistic Director, István Várdai, the piece was transformed into a titanic struggle between harmony and brutality, in which we stood as true companions to his playing. The audience, holding their breath, waited for the outcome until the hall erupted in thunderous applause. István surprised us with two encores – excerpts from Bach’s Suite in E-flat major and Piatti’s Caprice No. 3 – allowing us to finally reach a sense of hopeful resolution.
Our concert closed with Mozart’s “Great” Symphony in G minor, conducted by István Várdai, bringing the evening to a fittingly festive conclusion.
