Hungarian Orchestra at Michigan Tech
The Budapest News describes the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra
of Pécs as "…an orchestra of which all Hungary can be
proud." This is high praise in a country where there are so many
orchestras. Accompanied by a French conductor and pianist, this excellent
orchestra visits Michigan Tech for one performance at the Rozsa Center
on Saturday, September 28, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the Rozsa
Center Box Office (487-3200, Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. or online
at www.tickets.mtu.edu). Philippe de Chalendar is the
permanent assistant conductor of the renowned Paris National Opera, France's
most important opera house. He has also conducted and made recordings
with major orchestras in France, the Netherlands, Poland and Germany.
In addition to this American tour with the Hungarian Symphony, he has
toured with the Orchestra of the Bartok Festival and has conducted several
orchestras in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The program includes the exciting
Concerto for Piano, No. 2 in F Minor by Frederic Chopin, performed by
Véronique Bonnecaze, a prize-winning pianist from France, who has
performed with orchestras all over Europe and is just emerging as a brilliant
young performer in the U.S. Trained at the Conservatoire National Superieur
in Paris, she continued her studies at the Juilliard School in New York
City. Rossini's lively Overture to
the opera The Italian in Algiers opens the program. Rossini was
well known for his witty, irresistible music, which made even the mighty
Beethoven laugh. The music swept across the European continent on a tidal
wave of popularity. This "Rossini phenomenon" was credited for
eventually forcing young German composers like Franz Schubert to write
their own overtures "in the Italian style" just to remain competitive. Other works on the program
include Mendelssohn's beautiful Italian Symphony, which was written
when he was on vacation in Italy. The world premiere took place in London
in 1883. It was conducted by the composer and was a tremendous success.
The symphony is generally acknowledged to be a masterpiece full of a joyful
Italian flavor. It would hardly seem fitting
to have a program performed by a Hungarian orchestra with no Hungarian
music. Divertimento No. 2, a set of dances by Hungarian composer Leo Weiner,
is influenced by the traditional gypsy-derived Hungarian folk music. As
a young man he won a special prize given in connection with the coronation
of Emperor Franz Joseph, enabling him to study music in Vienna, Munich,
Berlin, and Paris. Weiner's works, which tend to be bright and entertaining,
are showing some signs of revival at the start of the twenty-first century. The concert at the Rozsa is
made possible by funding from the Michigan Technological University Committee
for Campus Enrichment and the Michigan Tech Fund. For more information,
contact the Great Events Series Office (487-2844). 9/19/02