Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

Debussy’s epochal masterpiece, The Afternoon of a Faun, caused surprise twice. First he embarrassed the audience on its debut and then nearly two decades later, in 1912, when Vaslav Nijinsky designed a choreography for it. The Parisian theatre-going public split into two opposing and highly vocal camps with such distinguished artists adding their voice to the debate as Auguste Rodin, the foremost sculptor of his age: “it is possible to learn artistic form and style from the 20-year-old Nijinsky”. Few are aware that Debussy’s orchestral work also enraptured a Hungarian sculptor: Ede Telcs. Some of his reliefs, which can still be admired at the Liszt Academy, were inspired by the French master’s music. The evening closes with Ravel’s only ballet, Daphnis et Chloé, dance music conceived in the spirit of Antiquity, preceded by the Piano Concerto in G major with solo by Dezső Ránki.