Chamber Works Presented by Liszt Academy

The Liszt Academy’s “Written One Hundred Years Ago” series evokes both the past and the future. This series commemorates the institution’s 150th anniversary in 2025 by featuring performances from emerging artists, highlighting works created during the 1924-1925 period. The second concert in the series, focusing on chamber music, juxtaposes works by Hungarian and international composers. In the first half of the program, we will hear compositions by Hungarian composers who were also performing artists. Ernő Dohnányi’s “Ruralia Hungarica” has an interesting history: originally inspired by Hungarian folk songs, this seven-movement piano piece was composed in 1923. In 1924, Dohnányi arranged five of the movements for orchestra, three for violin and piano, and one for cello and piano. The second half of the evening features selections from the European musical output of 1924-25, beginning with a piece by Stravinsky that showcases the diversity of 20th-century musical styles, built on themes by the 18th-century Italian master Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Following this neo-Baroque excursion, we venture beyond Europe with Ernest Bloch’s Nocturnes. Although Bloch was originally Swiss, he lived in the United States when he composed this 1924 work. The evening also includes compositions by the lesser-known French composer Albert Roussel, whose works were highly acclaimed in Paris during the 1920s and 1930s. His chamber piece, known for its unique instrumentation, is considered one of his finest creations. Like Stravinsky, Roussel was inspired by 18th-century music, particularly the keyboard repertoire of the period.