Beethoven and more 2011 podcast #3: With humor and charm

Zoltan Kodaly searched for the roots of gypsy music he heard as a child and made the material his own. The Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok presents Kodaly's work alongside the folk music that inspired it.Zoltan Kodaly Dances of Galánta, version with original folk music Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok Conductor: Gabor Hollerung MP3 recorded at the University of Bonn on October 3, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) Today, Galanta is a town in Slovakia whose architecture bears the marks of war and the Soviet era. But more than a century ago, it was a quaint and lovely village in Hungary where composer Zoltan Kodaly spent seven years of his childhood. Kodaly later recalled his time in Galanta warmly - due in part to a little gypsy band that played in the village and introduced the future composer to orchestral sounds. At 50, Kodaly composed a tribute to the music he had heard back then, based partly on scores he came across dating to around 1800. A note on one said that it drew on the folk tunes of "several gypsies from Galanta." As part of an evening celebrating German Unity Day and Hungary's role in German reunification, Budapest's Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok presented a unique adaptation of Kodaly's dances. "Ahead of each of Kodaly's folk songs, we briefly play material from the original scores from which Kodaly drew his inspiration - of course, in such a way that it can also flow into Kodaly's music," conductor Gabor Hollerung explained. "It's a very different sound and doesn't remind you of some Gypsy band today - it's a different approach to folklore, improvisation, the instruments and how they accompany each other. The piece offers a real glimpse into Hungarian folk music," Hollerung added. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

Listen in as the brass section shines in this excerpt from Richard Wagner's "Twilight of the Gods" that sweeps along the waters of the Rhine River.Richard Wagner "Sunrise" and "Siegfried's Rhine Journey" from the opera "Twilight of the Gods" Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok Conductor: Gabor Hollerung MP3 recorded at the University of Bonn on October 3, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) Wagner appears alongside the likes of Liszt, Dohnanyi and Kodaly in a program of Hungarian music for a straightforward reason. "When you go on tour for a concert, it's nice to pay tribute to the area where you play - we love it when a foreign orchestra comes to Hungary and plays something from our culture," said the Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok's conductor, Gabor Hollerung. "Sunrise" and "Siegfried's Rhine Journey" come from the fourth and final chapter of Wagner's opera cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung." In the scenes that accompany the music, the hero Siegfried bids farewell to his lover Brünnhilde and makes his way down from the mountain where they've lived together, arriving at and then journeying along the waters of the Rhine. But invoking the legends of the river that flows a few feet away from Beethovenfest concert venues wasn't the only thing the conductor had in mind when he put Wagner on the program. "I have to say that we have an incredible brass section, and of course that comes through beautifully with this piece," Hollerung said. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

A tribute to European unity in this concert, where pianist Jeno Jando delivers a performance full of contrasts and surprises in 'Variations on a Children's Song' by Erno Dohnanyi.Erno Dohnanyi Variations on a children's song for piano and orchestra, op. 25 Jeno Jando, piano Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok Conductor: Gabor Hollerung MP3 recorded at the University of Bonn on October 3, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) The 2011 Beethovenfest celebrated Franz Liszt and the music of Hungary, the composer's home country - reason enough to invite Budapest's young and spirited Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok. The ensemble was also invited to celebrate German Unity Day on October 3 and the key role Hungary played in ultimately bringing down the Iron Curtain. Beginning in late spring of 1989, Hungarian reformers and activists began taking apart their country's fortified border with Austria. Their actions resulted in the first breach of the fortifications separating eastern and western Europe, helping set the stage for the peaceful revolutions in Germany and other countries months later. "That is really a matter of pride for us because we had the courage to bring about change, but none of us expected that so much would happen so fast!" conductor Gabor Hollerung said. The October 3 program paid special tribute to the music of Hollerung's homeland, including a work written by his orchestra's namesake, composer Erno Dohnanyi. The second part of the group's name, Budafok, stems from the Budapest district Budafok-Teteny, which helped support the establishment of the orchestra. Dohnanyi's temperamental "Variations on a Children's Song" is a bit like the changing tides of history as it shifts among moods, from bright, playful - even banal - to dramatic and mysterious. The work imitates or cites a hodge-podge of compositions, including Kodaly's "Viennese Musical Clock," Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and the central melody in the work, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star." Listen as pianist Jeno Jando masterfully brings each variation to life in this Beethovenfest performance. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

The Roma and Sinti Philharmonic under Roma conductor Riccardo Sahiti bring the joys and struggles of the gypsy Carmen to life as her story builds to its tragic end.Rodion Shchedrin Carmen Suite after Georges Bizet for strings and percussion Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Roma conductor Riccardo M. Sahiti has one special goal: bringing his people's music and culture closer to other people. That means including works and artists in his repertoire that assimilated Roma and Sinti sounds, like Georges Bizet in his opera "Carmen." The work debuted in 1875, telling a story of love, jealousy and the death of the gypsy Carmen.  In 1967, Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin set out to arrange a Carmen suite in one act for a string orchestra and a large group of percussionists. The adaptation was intended for his wife, prima ballerina of Moscow's Bolschoi Theater. But the work drew heavy protests in the former Soviet Union. With the exception of Moscow, other Soviet cities were forbidden to perform Shchedrin's adaptation for years. In this interpretation by the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic, the listener can experience Carmen's fate up close and personal in an hour of music. The strings alternate playing gently, boldly, sadly and wildly under Sahiti's direction, as he directs with open arms and a smile on his lips - perhaps thinking of Carmen herself. And with one final stab of the baton, he puts an end to Carmen's life both musically and visually. The performance earned long applause for the affable conductor and his Roma and Sinti Philharmonic in the Beethoven Hall. Author: Beatrice Warken / gsw Editor: Rick Fulker

Franz Liszt recreates the legend of Mazeppa in this symphonic poem as it brings the listener along for its hero's tormented journey through the wilderness and toward redemption.Franz Liszt Mazeppa. Symphonic Poem No. 6 Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok Conductor: Gabor Hollerung MP3 recorded at the University of Bonn on October 1, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) To celebrate German Unity Day on October 3 and Hungary's historic role in the process of German reunification, Budapest's Dohnanyi Orchestra Budafok delivered a performance full of energy and verve in Bonn. You would be right on the mark if you think you can sense the sound of thundering hooves in "Mazeppa," the concert opener. That's what Franz Liszt had in mind in this symphonic poem. The composer himself invented the single-movement genre transposing the contents of a work of art or literature into music. Liszt draws his inspiration from Victor Hugo's poem about a young page - Mazeppa - caught in bed with a powerful noble's wife. As punishment, Mazeppa is strapped naked to the back of his horse and sent off into the woods. On the verge of death, he lands in the Ukraine, where he meets, joins and ultimately goes on to lead the Cossacks. "'Mazeppa is indeed about a Ukrainian freedom fighter, but if you listen carefully, you can hear a lot of Hungarian influence in the music, especially in this great triumphal march at the end," conductor Gabor Hollerung explained. "Everything melts together wonderfully in Liszt - the German influence, the Hungarian influence, the eastern European tradition, even spiritual aspects - he really belongs to us all," Hollerung added. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

Fanfare Ciocarlia have one goal: to get even the stodgiest grandmas out of their seats and dancing. The wind ensemble almost managed that during their concert at the Beethovenfest's "Liszt Night."anon: Arrangement of the folk song "Suita a la Ciobanas" Fanfare Ciocărlia MP3 recorded on September 24, 2011 in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn by West German Radio (WDR) The twelve members of Fanfare Ciocarlia come from a tiny village in Moldavia, home to around 80 Roma families and 400 people total. The name Ciocarlia means "lark," but their music is a far cry from a little bird's song. It's more like biting into an extremely hot pepper whose spiciness goes all the way down to your toes. The combination of clarinets, two alto saxophones, three trumpets, two bass tubas, percussion and a baritone and tenor horn leaves audiences breathless. Traditional Romanian dances like the Sirba or Hora and folk songs clearly influenced by middle Eastern folklore create performance fireworks. But wild and dangerous men (so goes the reputation of the Usarii clan from which the players are descended), it is said, can also be gentle and restrained - such as when they sing the shepherd song "Suita a la Ciobanas." Ever since they were discovered in 1996 by Henry Ernst, a German sound engineer touring in Romania, Fanfare Ciocarlia has been on their way to the top - on demand from Tokyo to New York, Milan to Helsinki. Along the way, the group has expanded its repertoire from local songs and dances to include jazz and swing. A swaying stage, kicking feet and an audience eager for an encore are no rarities in performances by Fanfare Ciocarlia. Author: Beatrice Warken / gsw Editor: Rick Fulker

The Roma and Sinti Philharmonic celebrate gypsy tradition and folklore here in their purest form.anon: Improvised Roma and Sinti folk music Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) September 24, 2011 turned into a long night for the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic. This special project formed of professional musicians of Roma and Sinti heritage gave two concerts nearly back to back at the Beethovenfest's "Liszt Night" celebrating that composer and the contemporary expression of his Hungarian musical heritage. After midnight and many encores and curtain calls, a clarinetist takes things into his own hands here, heading to the front of the stage with a tune on his lips. It doesn't take long for some of his fellow musicians to jump up and join him in this rollicking improvisation on gypsy folk themes - just the thing to send the crowd happily on their way. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

Violin virtuoso Geza Hosszu-Legocky and cellist Rodin Moldovan with Johan Halvorsen's passacaglia on a theme by Handel.Johan Halvorsen Passacaglia for violin and cello after George Frideric Handel Geza Hosszu-Legocky, violin Rodin Moldovan, cello MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) The Roma and Sinti Philharmonic draws musicians of Roma and Sinti heritage from across Europe together to celebrate their culture's influence on music from folk to classical. This recording is a fine example of that. Violinist Geza Hosszu-Legocky has performed as part of the Roma and Sinti orchestral project in the past, also stealing the show as a soloist. The fleet-fingered 26-year-old said that playing violin has been in his family for generations, with his grandfather having been a big influence on his performance style. Hosszu-Legocky is joined here by cellist Rodin Moldovan for a passacaglia on a theme by Handel, penned in 1893 by Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen. It's a piece at once melancholy and gentle but full of fire, especially as the instrumentalists charge toward the work's somber close. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

Mihaela Ursuleasa plays a dizzying and enchanting toccata by Romanian composer Paul Constantinescu.Paul Constantinescu Toccata Mihaela Ursuleasa, piano Roma and Sinti Philharmonic Conductor: Riccardo M. Sahiti MP3 recorded in the Beethoven Hall, Bonn, on September 24, 2011 by West German Radio, Cologne (WDR) Encore pieces reveal much of the mood of the moment. Such is the case with this one. After Mihaela Ursuleasa's performance of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Roma and Sinti Philharmonic, the audience simply wasn't ready to let her go, so the pianist wowed the audience for a second time with her rendition of this toccata by 20th century Romanian composer Paul Constantinescu. It's a perfect piece to round out an evening or an album, as it does on Ursuleasa's 2009 solo debut titled "Piano & Forte." Constantinescu's composition requires not only dexterous fingers but also the ability to combine speedy, virtuousic playing with much sensitivity. The classical pianist may have acquired her knack for showmanship from her father, a Romanian gypsy who made a living playing folk music. Conductor Riccardo Sahiti praises her as being among a handful of the best soloists with whom he has worked. Author: Greg Wiser Editor: Rick Fulker

American composer Steve Reich, a founding father of minimal music, performed in Bonn two weeks before his 75th birthday.Steve Reich Drumming - Part One for four pairs of tuned bongo drums Steve Reich, percussion Ensemble Modern MP3 recorded in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn, on September 21, 2011 by Deutsche Welle (DW) Steve Reich is a cult figure. Raised and trained in the European music tradition, his influences extend to African and Indonesian music as well as jazz. Reich has had a decisive impact on the course of 20th century music history. In the early 1960's he began to write music in which rhythm, recognizable melodies, simpler harmonies and natural instruments (in contrast to electronic) were once again paramount. He recognized early that in the Western tradition there has always been a close connection between "serious" and "entertainment" music. Reich, who professes to loving Bach and Stravinsky as well as jazz musician John Coltrane, received instruction from Gideon Alorwoyie in the art of African percussion in 1970 during his stay at the University of Ghana in Accra. That experience found its creative expression in his first masterpiece, "Drumming," which appeared the following year. At first listen, "Drumming" might seem to be an extremely simple work, consisting only of rhythmic expression. Beneath the surface, however, there are accentual shifts and temporal substructures that lend complexity to the piece and put the listener inescapably under their spell. In this concert recording, the composer is one of the performers. This is part one of the four-part composition. Author: Rick Fulker Editor: Greg Wiser