32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 1 32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 2 For the celebration of the 50th anniversary of its According to the conductor’s statement published in foundation the Chicago Symphony Orchestra asked The New York Times the work is completely Zoltán KODÁLY Kodály in 1939 to compose a new orchestral work, imbued with Hungarian rhythm characterized fur- (1882–1967) the composer also accepted the task of conducting thermore by “all the elements of gypsy music devel- the composition at its première. Although Kodály’s oped to the last degree along the lines of symphony trip was thwarted by the outbreak of the war, he pattern.” entrusted the score of the orchestral Concerto to the Following the exposition in counterpoint of the 1 Concerto zenekarra / Concerto for Orchestra 17’07” care of Bartók, who was on the point of immigrat- danceful main theme of the opening Allegro risolu- Allegro risoluto – Largo – Tempo primo – Largo – Tempo primo ing to the United States. In the end, the Chicago to, instrumental solos of diverse formation lead to première conducted by Frederick Stock took place the first climax of the work from which the impres- Szimfónia / Symphony 27’11” in February 1941. The number of Kodály’s impor- sive instrumental dialogues of the first Largo unfold. tant orchestral works composed for the anniversary After the varied return of the material of the first 2 I. Allegro 11’12” of a great orchestra grew thereby to three: he wrote movement there follows another, more concentrated 3 II. Andante moderato 8’04” the Dances of Galánta at the request of the Largo, then the Tempo primo closes the work with Orchestra of the Budapest Philharmonic Society triumphant unison intensification. 4 III. Vivo 7’53” and the Peacock Variations were commissioned for the commemoration the of the anniversary of the The idea of composing the Symphony (originally 5 Nyári este / Summer Evening 17’23” Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. It is interesting to Symphony in C major) originated with Arturo note that the conductor Frederick Stock commis- Toscanini. The first drafts emerged in Kodály’s Összidô / total time: 62’00” sioned the most renowned composers of the time to mind, as far as we know, in the late 1930s. He later write new compositions for the celebration of the let the work mature for long years; by the end of the festive year of the orchestra, 1941: apart from 1950s only two movements were completed. After Kodály Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Alfredo Casella, the death of his wife Emma in 1958 Kodály aban- MISKOLCI SZIMFONIKUS ZENEKAR Reinhold Glière, and William Walton. doned all creative work for several months but the The orchestral Concerto draws in a unique way for impetus received from the new commission of the MISKOLC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Kodály from the stylistic elements of the Baroque Lucerne Festival Orchestra helped him conclude the concerto grosso including the alternation of the con- work. The three-movement composition dedicated vezényel / conducted by certino groups of instruments and the tutti, the reg- to the memory of Toscanini was first performed by ular alternation of the slow and fast movements, the the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under the baton of LÁSZLÓ KOVÁCS unisono exposition of themes, the strict counter- Ferenc Fricsay in 1961. Before the publication of the point and Baroque-like tense, perpetually moving score Kodály deleted the statement of key C major pulsation. This rigorous musical idiom is naturally from the title of the work, though the piece itself as loosened by several verbunkos elements and folk- a whole abounds – perhaps for the vexation of the song-like turns in the course of the five movements. followers of the twelve-tone system that was pro- 3 32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 1 32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 2 For the celebration of the 50th anniversary of its According to the conductor’s statement published in foundation the Chicago Symphony Orchestra asked The New York Times the work is completely Zoltán KODÁLY Kodály in 1939 to compose a new orchestral work, imbued with Hungarian rhythm characterized fur- (1882–1967) the composer also accepted the task of conducting thermore by “all the elements of gypsy music devel- the composition at its première. Although Kodály’s oped to the last degree along the lines of symphony trip was thwarted by the outbreak of the war, he pattern.” entrusted the score of the orchestral Concerto to the Following the exposition in counterpoint of the 1 Concerto zenekarra / Concerto for Orchestra 17’07” care of Bartók, who was on the point of immigrat- danceful main theme of the opening Allegro risolu- Allegro risoluto – Largo – Tempo primo – Largo – Tempo primo ing to the United States. In the end, the Chicago to, instrumental solos of diverse formation lead to première conducted by Frederick Stock took place the first climax of the work from which the impres- Szimfónia / Symphony 27’11” in February 1941. The number of Kodály’s impor- sive instrumental dialogues of the first Largo unfold. tant orchestral works composed for the anniversary After the varied return of the material of the first 2 I. Allegro 11’12” of a great orchestra grew thereby to three: he wrote movement there follows another, more concentrated 3 II. Andante moderato 8’04” the Dances of Galánta at the request of the Largo, then the Tempo primo closes the work with Orchestra of the Budapest Philharmonic Society triumphant unison intensification. 4 III. Vivo 7’53” and the Peacock Variations were commissioned for the commemoration the of the anniversary of the The idea of composing the Symphony (originally 5 Nyári este / Summer Evening 17’23” Concertgebouw of Amsterdam. It is interesting to Symphony in C major) originated with Arturo note that the conductor Frederick Stock commis- Toscanini. The first drafts emerged in Kodály’s Összidô / total time: 62’00” sioned the most renowned composers of the time to mind, as far as we know, in the late 1930s. He later write new compositions for the celebration of the let the work mature for long years; by the end of the festive year of the orchestra, 1941: apart from 1950s only two movements were completed. After Kodály Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Alfredo Casella, the death of his wife Emma in 1958 Kodály aban- MISKOLCI SZIMFONIKUS ZENEKAR Reinhold Glière, and William Walton. doned all creative work for several months but the The orchestral Concerto draws in a unique way for impetus received from the new commission of the MISKOLC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Kodály from the stylistic elements of the Baroque Lucerne Festival Orchestra helped him conclude the concerto grosso including the alternation of the con- work. The three-movement composition dedicated vezényel / conducted by certino groups of instruments and the tutti, the reg- to the memory of Toscanini was first performed by ular alternation of the slow and fast movements, the the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under the baton of LÁSZLÓ KOVÁCS unisono exposition of themes, the strict counter- Ferenc Fricsay in 1961. Before the publication of the point and Baroque-like tense, perpetually moving score Kodály deleted the statement of key C major pulsation. This rigorous musical idiom is naturally from the title of the work, though the piece itself as loosened by several verbunkos elements and folk- a whole abounds – perhaps for the vexation of the song-like turns in the course of the five movements. followers of the twelve-tone system that was pro- 3 32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 3 32723 tördeltjav 11/27/12 12:19 PM Page 4 claimed to be only valuable in those days – in the tic trends. Added to the musical and scientific expe- À l’occasion du 50e anniversaire de sa fondation, en détendu par de nombreux éléments de musique de powerful, bright and earthy tone of the C major key. riences of his folk music collections these impres- 1939, l’Orchestre symphonique de Chicago a com- danse de recrutement et tournures rappelant les Kodály’s Symphony is the quintessence of the mas- sions contributed to developing the composer’s cre- mandité une nouvelle œuvre à Kodály qui s’est chants folkloriques. Selon une interview du chef ter’s orchestral work, a contemplative retrospection ative potentials that led to the composition of the chargé de diriger personnellement cette composition d’orchestre parue dans le New York Times, la ryth- that only sketches out the dramatic clashes provid- various chamber music works of the 1910s followed lors de sa première. L’éclatement de la guerre a, mique hongroise est une caractéristique générale du ing the essential character of the genre. The main by Psalmus Hungaricus in 1923 following. certes, empêché le voyage de Kodály aux États-Unis, morceau marqué par ailleurs « par un amalgame de ideas of the work of traditional three-movement After the first performance of Psalmus Hungaricus mais il a expédié la partition du « Concerto pour haut niveau de tous les éléments de la musique structure are rooted in the melody of serious tone in Milan in 1928 Arturo Toscanini asked Kodály to orchestre » avec Bartók émigrant en Amérique, et la tsigane avec l’arsenal de la symphonie ». heard in the opening bars. Such are, for example, the write a new orchestral work. The composer pro- première représentation a finalement eu lieu en Après l’exposition contrapuntique du thème princi- upsurging theme on syncopated basis, a kind of duced this old piece and started to rework it. février 1941 sous la baguette de Frederick Stock. Ce pal dansant de l’Allegro risoluto ouvrant l’œuvre, Leitmotiv of the work, or the verbunkos melody full Toscanini, who the work is dedicated to, gave the nouveau morceau était le troisième parmi les œuvres des solos instrumentaux variés mènent au premier of feeling that undergoes several transformations in first performance of the reworked piece at the importantes pour orchestre de Kodály conçues pour point culminant du morceau, dont s’épanouissent the work.