Fülöp Ránki & Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra Presented by Liszt Academy

A real concerto sandwiched between two rarely heard masterpieces: this is the musical food served up by the Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra at the Budapest Spring Festival. Ferenc Liszt’s symphonic poem Orpheus was penned as the prelude for Gluck’s opera of the same name; the composer then expanded it into a work in its own right. Besides the unusual circumstances of its origin, it is also surprising that the piece, unlike other symphonic poems, is not programme music. Nor does the highly popular Piano Concerto in E-flat major follow a specific programme, condensing as it does the traditional three-movement form into a single movement, thereby representing a real challenge for pianist virtuosos. It is not just Parisian and French culture but also a deep Catholic faith that established a connection between Liszt and the recital’s other composer, Francis Poulenc. The French master composed Stabat Mater in 1950; this tonally unusual work received a rapturous reception at its premiere and at performances in years thereafter.