Beethoven | Deutsche Welle Folgen

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