Customer Reviews

Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite / Dances of Galánta & Marosszék / Children's Choruses - Iván Fischer / Budapest Festival Orchestra

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This is a very enticing Kodaly program which includes most of the popular orchestral works. Only the Peacock Variations is missing from the usual canon and instead we are treated to songs that Kodaly wrote for the benefit of children's chorus. However, they are as enjoyable to hear as they must have been stimulating to perform. The singing of this children's choir is a joy, making this inclusion especially welcome. Also included are brief excerpts from the singspiel Hary Janos, some of which will be familiar to those who have heard the Hary Janos Suite. The more familiar orchestral works are given exceptionally vivid, colorful readings. There is scarcely a phrase upon which Fischer and his splendid players fail to shed new light. Fischer gets the best of both worlds from his players: Eastern flair and western-calibre polish. Not to single out any section at the expense of the others but the sound of the wind solos stand out in my mind as being excitingly gypsy-like and full of fantasy. The recorded sound is stereoscopically vivid and atmospheric.

Ivan Fischer certainly enhances his reputation as one of the foremost interpreters of Eastern European 19th and 20th Century Classical Music with this exciting set of Kodaly performances, most notably the Hary Janos suite. The Budapest Festival Orchestra gives lively performances replete with Western perfection and Eastern European charm. The children's choruses are equally delightful. The warm, atmospheric sound quality reminds me a lot of classical Philips recordings made in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw concert hall back in the 1970's.

Zoltán Kodály's music is far too seldom played. With recordings such as this one with Ivan Fischer conducting the Budapest Festival Orchestra in some of Kodály most accessible works perhaps that will change. If ever there were a combination of components to offer definitive performances of the works of Zoltán Kodály, they are certainly here. Fischer knows his way around this repertoire and draws some brilliant playing from the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

'Háry János' is a terrific opera, filled with wit and wisdom and overflowing with fine music. The Suite derived from the opera is here presented with six excerpts and the sound is pungent and obeys the exacting rhythms and melodies perfectly. The 'Dances of Galánta' are more frequently included in orchestral programs than the equally fascinating and beautiful 'Dances of Marosszék', and Fischer makes such a fine impression with this latter work that hopefully it will be available in more orchestras' repertoire. Also included are some works for chorus and orchestra, works not familiar to this listener before this recording. There is a joy in Kodály's music that is magnified by the voices of children and these works are irresistible.

This is not only a worthy performance of terrific music, but also the production values are first rate. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 06

Excellent recording. I am a professional trombone player and purchased this to review the Harry Janos Suite prior to performing it. I will also be performing the Dances of Golanta next year. Excellent recording with very fine performances. Any one who enjoyes music with an eastern European flavor will enjoy this CD.

Many legendary Kodaly recordings were made in the fifties and early sixties. Ivan Fisher managed to capture the same spark and enthousiasm of these old recordings together with the true Hungarian sentiment. With Philips He brought the life of the legendary recordings to the digital domain of today... Very clear and outstanding playing by the Budapest Festival Orchestra

The classical music world has come to rely upon Ivan Fischer as a one-amn spokesman for Hungarian music as performed by the best of Hungarian musicians. His approach to the whole canon from Liszt to Bartok has brought a native flavor that international conductors can't match. That's certainly ture in this exceptional Kodaly disc, where even the two familiar works, an extended Hary Janos Suite and the Galanta Dances, sound brighter, wittier, and more vivacious than eer before.

Like Copland in this country, whose idiom was sophisticated and yet folk-based, Kodaly's music speaks directly to several flavors of Hungarian culture, and Fischer is able to capture them all. The unfamiliar works here make the program even more savory, with a smattering of folk songs for children's chorus and a longish (11 min.) transcirption of Marossxek Dances written for piano. Yet in was in the impish Hary Janos excerpts that I felt I understood the raucous, piquant hero for the first time, even beyond what Istvan Kertesz gave us thirty years ago in his acclaimed Decca recording of the complete work. It's all quite brilliant.

After purchasing the Naxos issue of the Galanta Dances, Marroszek Dances, and Peacock Variations I wanted to find recordings of these works in better sound. The Naxos is rather distant.

The Fischer seemed to be a logical choice, but it does not have the Peacock Variations. And that was what I wanted, not some little children singing folk songs as a filler. But, finding no other options in modern sound, I sprung for this one.

What a surprise. The children steal the show. They are the best part of this recording. The songs are ingratiating and the children's voices are superb. Philips should post haste make an entire CD of these choirs singing Hungarian folk songs.

The two dance suites are well played and are recorded with lots of detail that is missing in the Naxos. The Hary Janos is also well played and nicely recorded. But it will not replace the Dorati on Mercury, which is even better recorded and maxes out on the slapdash humor of this music. With Fischer this piece is very cute. With Dorati this piece is a downright hoot.

Even so, highly recommended.