The festival kicked of on August 8 with the traditional concert in the courtyard of the Rákóczi Castle in Sárospatak. The French pianist Michel Burdoncle played Liszt's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in A Minor with the Dohnányi Orchestra of Budafok under the Baton of the Italian-born Roberto Paternostro. Brahms' Symphony No. 1 was on the second half of the programme. The orchestra started to play, but the conductor called off the performance after the weather suddenly turned bad. This didn't mean a bad end to the evening, however, as concert-goers were offered a taste of wines from three of the region's best cellars.
On Saturday, the tenor Barnabás Hegyi performed English and Italian minstrel songs accompanied by István Győri on lyre and Sándor Szászcsávási on viola da gamba. The concert, organised to mark Hungary's Renaissance Year 2008, took place in the beautiful Károly Palace. Győri, who compiled the works from his own research, explained what the audience was hearing, often with a touch of humour because of the erotic nature of some of the songs.
After the concert, visitors had tea with László Károlyi, a descendant of the castle's former owners.
On Saturday evening, the Hovéd Mens Chorus and the Angelica Girls Chorus offered a grandiose performance of Puccini's rarely heard Messa di Gloria and Pergolesi Stabat Mater in the Catholic church of Szerencs.
At the same time, the Árpád Tzumo quintet played a jazz concert at the Latabár Theatre.
On Sunday, the Telekom Symphony, under the baton of András Keller, performed Haydn and Tchaikovsky in the courtyard of the Rákóczi Castle in Sárospatak. This time the weather co-operated.
Other artists still to perform on the festival programme include Pál Mácsai, who will sing a concert of verse by Villon, and the folk music singer Irén Lovász.
Source: Fidelio.hu
