Organist Bálint Karosi Gives Hungarian Concert
Featuring the Music of Liszt, Antalffy-Zsiross, Karosi
Oct 20, 2008
To commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, organist and composer Bálint Karosi performed an evening of Hungarian music at St. Cecilia's Church in Boston, MA on Oct. 17, 2008.
The concert, sponsored by the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, is part of a series of concerts planned for this year, as the 2008-2009 concert season has been designated the "International Year of the Organ."
As the Hungarian Karosi explained prior to the concert, the history of Hungary may be full of crushed revolutions, but the people remain culturally rich. Appropriately, he chose to perform music that was full of both melancholy and triumph.
Hungarian Music: Franz Liszt, Dezso Antalffy-Zsiross, Bálint Karosi
The program represented an engaging range of diversity. Though the obvious--and boring--choice to celebrate Hungarian nationalism would have been to open with Franz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody," Karosi chose instead to open with three lesser known pieces by the 19th century Hungarian pianist.
The first was "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zegen (Weeping, Lamenting, Sorrow, Fear)." Written in 1863, the piece is seen as a lament for Liszt's son and daughter, who died in 1859 and 1863 respectively. Based on Bach's Cantata "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zegen" as well as a line from the "Crucifixus" in Bach's Mass in B Minor, the piece also models Bach's spiritual convictions.
From weeping sighs, lamenting chromatic passages, sorrowful hymns and fear-inspired lower register chords, the music transitions through numerous stages of grief until at last bursting into a rendition of the Lutheran chorale "What God Ordains Is Always Good."
The next piece, "Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine," turned to Mozart for musical material, quoting both Mozart's setting of the Miserere (which Mozart incidentally appropriated from 17th century composer Gregorio Allegri) and Mozart's Ave Verum.
The final Lizst piece,"Funérailles," was originally written for piano as part of a set of 10 pieces entitled "Harmonies poétiques et réligieuses (Poetic and Religious Harmonies)." Composed in 1849, the piece mourns both the death of Lizst's friend and fellow composer/pianist Frederick Chopin (d. Oct. 17, 1849) and yet another failed Hungarian Revolution, an uprising in 1848 that led to several Hungarian Admirals being executed by the Austrians in 1849.
Scherzo "Sportive Fauns," a piece by the early 20th century organist Dezso Antalffy-Zsiross, followed next. Moving to a much lighter mood, the piece is written in the style of the organs which used to accompany silent movies.
The program concluded with Trumpet Toccata, a composition written by Karosi himself in 2007. Blending minimalist pedal points with a French sounding theme, the piece proved a fitting finale for a well-performed and enjoyable concert.
Sources
Progam Notes, which also relied on notes by Raymond Walker (Naxos) for "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zegen" and Lionel Rogg for "Funérailles."
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