Balázs Szabó’s Organ Recital

11 October 2021, 19.30-22.00

Grand Hall

Liszt Fest

Balázs Szabó’s Organ Recital

Liszt: B-A-C-H Prelude and Fugue (1855 version)
Liszt: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen (Alexander Winterberger transcription)
Liszt: Ave Maria d’Arcadelt
intermission
Liszt: Fountains of Villa d’Este (Szabó Balázs transcription)
Liszt: Excelsior!
Liszt: Orpheus – symphonic poem (August Wilhelm Gottschalg transcription)
Liszt: Ave maris stella
Liszt: Fantasy and Fugue on the chorale “Ad nos, ad salutarem undam”

Balázs Szabó (organ)

Ferenc Liszt took an interest in the organ at the zenith of his career. He had of course played the instrument before, but did not write an original composition for it until 1850. The fantasy and fugue of that year, which he based on a melody (Ad nos ad salutarem undam) from Meyerbeer’s opera, Le prophète, became a seminal work of the Romantic literature for the organ. In other words, Balázs Szabó’s concert ends with the iconic piece with which Liszt opened a series of exceptional compositions.

Liszt wrote organ versions of several of his own works – orchestral compositions, piano pieces, vocal movements –, and his own contemporaries also made transcriptions, which Liszt carefully examined, and revised if necessary – a case in point was the transcription of the symphonic poem, Orpheus. He himself would probably have not been surprised how a piece that exploits the characteristic possibilities of the piano can sound good on the organ – as is the case with Balázs Szabó’s transcription of Fountains of Villa d’Este.

Presented by

Zeneakadémia Koncertközpont, MÜPA

Supporter:

This concert was supported, in line with the Government decree 1290/ 2020. (VI.5) related to cultural institutions, in order to ease the economic difficulties caused by the Covid19 pandemic. 

Tickets:

HUF 2 000, 3 000, 4 000