Liszt / Dohnányi / Beethoven // Várjon / Keller

Commemorative concert in honour of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight

Grief, struggle and victory, as well as proof of Liszt’s dedication to Hungarian patriotism: all of these can be heard in the symphonic poem Hungaria, which the author premiered in 1856 at the “old” – the very first – Hungarian National Theatre in Pest. Worth noting in, indeed an essential component of, the monumental closing number on this programme conducted by András Keller, namely Beethoven’s Third Symphony, is the image of valiant effort and mourning. Between these two heroic works, even at such a special commemorative concert, there also remains space and a role for humour: after all, neither cleverness nor youthful good cheer is even slightly alien to the spirit of October 23rd. And it is precisely this carefree joy, unfettered by respect for authority, and of course its light virtuosity as well, that make Dohnányi’s Variations on a Nursery Tune so delightful, a fact that Dénes Várjon, one of today’s most brilliant interpreters of the piece, will most certainly convince the audience of once again tonight.