The concert, which took place on January 22, features the Hungarian National Philharmonic under the baton of Zoltán Kocsis playing Liszt?s Hungarian Fantasy, Coronation Mass and Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne. All of the works document Liszt?s close ties to Hungary.
His 1853 Hungarian Fantasy was conducted for the first time in 1853 by Ferenc Erkel, who penned Hungary?s national anthem, and performed by the soloist Hans von Bülow. On this new recording, the piece is played by Gábor Farkas, among the brightest stars of the latest generation of pianists and an artist with a special talent for interpreting Liszt's music. The piece is reminiscent of several folk classics that Liszt learnt from a troupe of Hungarians in 1846.
The Coronation Mass was composed for the King of Hungary Franz Joseph I in 1867. In addition to its ecclesiastical characteristics, Hungarian motifs are prominent in the work, which is known to have won the approval of the newly crowned Hungarian king with its brevity, richness and simplicity.
Ce qu'on entend sur la montagne is Liszt?s first symphonic poem and finds its inspiration in a work of the same name by Viktor Hugo.
