MÁV Symphony Orchestra Presented by Liszt Academy

Like all Hungarian conductors who put together a programme solely comprising works by Hungarian composers, Gábor Takács-Nagy also provides a review of the history of Hungarian symphonic music. The concert starts with Ferenc Liszt’s Les Préludes, first performed in Weimar in 1854. Works by Zoltán Kodály include a rarity in Theatre Overture, as well as the popular Marosszék Dances. Between Liszt and Kodály, we are witnesses to a real find in the newly discovered Cello Concerto by world-famous conductor Antal Doráti. Doráti was in his mid-teens when he studied composition at the Liszt Academy, and although he launched his glittering career as a conductor shortly thereafter, he still managed to compose nearly 30 works in the course of his life. Miklós Perényi, a composer himself, is well known for his enthusiasm in rediscovering and presenting previously lost works. The fruits of one such ‘expedition’ are on display this evening.