LISZT-MOSAICS

Dance concert

After Bartók and Kodály, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble once again takes inspiration from the Hungarian musical arts for its new premiere, this time from Ferenc Liszt. The genius wishes to see himself and be seen in light of his groundbreaking body of work. This time the creators are not motivated solely by the drive to show their respects, but also the conviction, that the composing and masterful artistic talent of Liszt may hold a valid message to our era, a contemporary lesson to our present times.

The Liszt-mosaics rest upon three thematic pillars. Although all three invoke Liszt directly – emblematic signs of his body of work: Liszt, the Hungarian; Liszt, the priest; Liszt, the virtuoso –, they also speak just as much to us, the people of the XXI century. The way the creators envision the correlations of these thematic layers, them being defined through each other, may be seen as their statement in ars poetica: Liszt as a Hungarian, his remarkable talent as a performer, his personal faith becoming communal and being witnessed.

The dance concert – in the languages of both music and motion – features not only the works of Liszt, but also the finest pieces of Hungarian national Romantic music, religious preludes reaching back to Gregorian music, both of which served as inspiration, as well as the compositions of contemporaries who have made an impression on him, Paganini and Chopin.

Referencing the globetrotting Liszt, the stage is a “concert hall”, perhaps somewhere out in the world, but maybe “here and now”. The time on stage is both virtual and real: unspecified, undefined within history, therefore our “present” will not be privileged.

Within this concert hall ruled by music, dancing and singing, the mosaics form a unit, a great banner, so that the past may come to life, and our present may find its roots.

Composers:	Ferenc Liszt, Frederic Chopin, Niccolo Paganini, István Szalonna Pál, Ferenc Radics
Arrangement:	Márk Bubnó, Tamás Bubnó, István Szalonna Pál, Ferenc Radics
Music editor:	István Szalonna Pál
Choreographer:	György Ágfalvi, Gábor Mihályi, Orza Calin Jr., Zoltán Zsuráfszki
Costume designer:	Edit Szűcs
Production designer:	György Árvai
Video animation:	Zsolt Korai
Lights:	Zoltán Vida
Director of choreography:	Gábor Mihályi
The show is a joint production of the Müpa Budapest, the Hungarian Heritage House, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble and the National Dance Theatre.
Performed by:	the Chorus and Orchestra of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble
Guest contributors:	Gábor Farkas pianist, the St. Ephrem Male Chorus, and other invited musicians

Conductor:	Ferenc Radics
Dance leader:	Richárd Kökény
Dance assistants:	Beatrix Borbély, Katalin Jávor, György Ágfalvi
Artistic director:	István Szalonna Pál
Director:	Gábor Mihályi