Bence Bogányi & Budapest Festival Orchestra

If he had only one bassoonist to listen to for the rest of his life, it would be him – a journalist for The Spectator has said of the music of Bence Bogányi. This time, the Budapest Festival Orchestra’s musician will play the solo of Jean Françaix’s rarely performed concerto. An easily palatable piece reminiscent of tango or ragtime music, the work will serve as the backbone of the season’s first Concertino performance. Led by János Pilz, this concert of the chamber music series comes as winter gives way to spring. The performance will begin with movements from Purcell’s theater accompaniment music, telling the tragic and shocking story of the Moor Abdelazer and the Queen of Spain. In the second half of the event, Britten’s series of variations serve as an example of a student’s tribute to their teacher: written to the theme of his composition teacher, Frank Bridge, the work is what delivered Britten fame.