“One of the world’s finest orchestras” – this is how Slippedisc closed its review of the Budapest Festival Orchestra’s series of performances in the UK this summer. Iván Fischer and his ensemble achieved a tremendous success on August 6 at London’s Royal Albert Hall before the audience of the BBC Proms, and two days later at Usher Hall, the main venue of the Edinburgh International Festival. Reviewers thought these events were among the highlights of the festival season. The Guardian even pointed out how rare “such heart-felt, life-affirming performances are at the Royal Albert Hall.”
“Reborn like a shiny phoenix” – Beethoven and Bartók in London
According to TheIPaper, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 performed to a full house at the Royal Albert Hall was “reborn like a shiny phoenix and it was so exhilarating that every note could have been devoured.” The Guardian described the concert as “fresh as a daisy”, where “there was the opulent string tone, bows digging deep as if the performers’ lives depended on it. Brass and woodwind players seemed born soloists, yet each visibly embraced the team spirit. And then there was Fischer, a model of elegance, teasing out those tiny details that lent the music spontaneity and vitality.” The Daily Telegraph praised the orchestra’s “Olympian lightness and flexibility” and the “epitome of musical joy” that they brought to the audience. The Bachtrack review called the performance “life affirming” and said that each note sounded “exquisite and highly effective” in the concert hall. The Financial Times praised the orchestra's “laser-sharp focus” and “exceptional clarity”, while Slippedisc simply described the concert as “the high point so far” of this year’s Proms.
The second part of the program featured Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle starring Dorottya Láng and Krisztián Cser. Colin’s Column lauded Fischer as a “master illusionist”, pointing out how “the rhythm and musicality of the Hungarian language gave the work a peculiar, dramatic power that lingers hauntingly in the memory.” The Guardian‘s critic saw the “12 shades” of the dark atmosphere, where the “hypnotic sparkle of harp and celesta” and the “flickering brass fanfares” conjured up the world of Bartók’s opera. TheIPaper mentioned how the performance “traced the gamut of human emotion, from the extasy of love to total hopelessness”, while the Daily Telegraph thought “depraved glistening beauty never sounded so good.”
“A massive adrenaline-kick” – Triumph in Edinburgh with the UK premiere of Iván Fischer’s Dance Suite
Two days later, at the Usher Hall, the audience of the Edinburgh International Festival celebrated the orchestra’s performance of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, Fischer’s own Dance Suite for Violin and Orchestra, in memoriam J. S. Bach, and the ballet music of Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin.
The Edinburgh Music Review described the Bach suite as “full of rhythmic vitality and inventive textures” and called the minuet of the finale “achingly gorgeous.” The Arts Desk wrote about “a massive adrenaline-kick of energy” and “persuasive elegance”, while The Scotsman thought that the performance was “crisp and fresh.”
The UK premiere of Ivan Fischer’s Dance Suite composed in 2024 featured Guy Braunstein as the soloist. The Scotsman praised the “virtuosic prelude” and the “foottappingly good” finale, while the EdinburghGuide called the piece an “intriguing exploration”, where “references to Hungarian folk music were woven into the music like some richly colored fabric.”
According to the Edinburgh Music Review, the performance of Bartók’s 100-year-old ballet music, The Miraculous Mandarin, “was full-throttled” and “the BFO knew every melodic nook and harmonic cranny of its score.” The Arts Desk lauded the “lush” sound of the orchestra and the “tingle of suggestion and excitement” from the strings, while The Scotsman called the work a masterpiece “chillingly brought to life.”
Critics think it is unmatched
The Budapest Festival Orchestra proved both in London and Edinburgh that the unique combination of technical perfection, musical intelligence, and stage presence can fill even the greatest concert halls with a deeply personal, cathartic experience. As the Financial Times put it, “Fischer and his musicians are going for the gold medal in orchestral partnerships, even compared to the most prestigious teams of the 20th century.”
After the successful concerts in London and Edinburgh, Hungarian audiences can also enjoy this special musical event: Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle will be performed on September 19, 20, and 21 at Müpa Budapest with Dorottya Láng and Krisztián Cser as the soloists. The intermission will be followed by The Miraculous Mandarin, featuring choreography from the Éva Duda Company. This program, to be performed three times in Budapest, offers to audiences the artistic power and stage presence praised by international critics.
You can also listen to the BFO concert performed at the BBC Proms on the BBC website.
