After Tchaikovsky, Dvorák and Beethoven, the composer of this year's marathon has been Franz Schubert. The special event organized by the Festival Orchestra and the Palace of Arts featuref on February 19th with the participation of more than 500 musicians as many as eleven 45-minute-long concerts, all devoted to the art of Schubert.
Iván Fischer, artistic director of the marathon has compiled the programmes so that they should present not only famous "hits" such as the Trout Quintet or the Unfinished Symphony, but also compositions relatively seldom performed like the incidental music to Rosamunda or the Mass in A-Flat Major.
The concerts were complemented by video projections of works by Schubert.
The programme of the concerts was as follows:
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 10.30 a.m.
Overture in C Major in Italian Style, D 591 (6’)
Schubert-Reinecke: The Shephard on the Rock, D 965 – transcription for orchestra (10’)
Symphony No.8. in B Minor („Unfinished”), D 759 (25’)
performer: MÁV Symphony Orchestra
soloist: Eszter Wierdl (soprano), Rudolf Szitka (clarinet)
conductor: Gábor Takács-Nagy
Festival Theatre, 11.30 a.m.
Piano Quintet in A Major („Trout Quintet”), Op.114. D 667 (40’)
performers: Zoltán Fejérvári (piano), Barnabás Kelemen and Katalin Kokas (violin), Péter Szabó (violincello), Attila Martos (double-bass)
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 12.30 a.m.
Mass No.5. in A-Flat Major, D 678 (42’)
performers: Danubia Symphony Orchestra, Kodály Choir of Debrecen (chorus master Zoltán Pad)
soloists: Tünde Szabóki (soprano), Bernadett Wiedemann (mezzo), Attila Fekete (tenor), István Rácz (bass)
conductor: Domonkos Héja
Festival Theatre, 2.00 p.m.
Octet in F Major, Op.posth.166. D 803 (45’)
performers: Eckhardt String Quartet (Violetta Eckhardt – first violin, Gábor Sipos – second violin, Cecília Bodolai – viola, Rita Sovány – violincello), Mihály Duffek (bassoon), Zoltán Szőke (horn), Ákos Ács (clarinet), Zsolt Fejérvári (double-bass)
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 3.00 p.m.
Incidental music to Rosamunda - excerpts, Op.26. D 797 (42’)
performers: Orchestra of the Budapest Philharmonic Society, National Choir (chorus master Mátyás Antal)
soloist: Gabriella Fodor (soprano)
conductor: János Kovács
Festival Theatre, 4.00 p.m.
Arpeggione Sonata, D 821 (25’)
Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, Op.137. No.3. D 408 (15’)
performers: Nicolas Deletaille (arpeggione), Alan Roudier (fortepiano), Barnabás Kelemen (violin), Dénes Várjon (piano)
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 5.00 p.m.
Symphony No.3. in D Major, D 200 (25’)
Schubert-Liszt: Wanderer-Phantasy, Op.15 (20’)
performers: Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra
soloist: Dávid Báll (piano)
conductor: Zoltán Peskó
Festival Theatre, 6.00 p.m.
Impromtu in A-Flat Major Op.142. No.2. (8’)
Impromptu in F minor, Op.142. No.4. (7’)
Three Piano Pieces, D 946 (26’)
performer: Dénes Várjon (piano)
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 7.00 p.m.
Schubert-Mahler: The Death and the Maid - transcription of String Quartet in D Minor for strings (40’)
performer: Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra (artistic leader Károly Botvay, concert master Béla Bánfalvi)
Festival Theatre, 8.00 p.m.
Liederabend: Der Wanderer D 649; Dass sie hier gewesen!D 775; Frühlingsglaube D 686; Wandrers Nachtlied D 768; Gretchen am Spinnrade D 118; Lied der Mignon D 359; Die junge Nonne D 828; Ständchen D 957; Schwanengesang D 744; Im Frühling D 882; Rastlose Liebe D 138; Licht und Liebe D 352 (40’)
performers: Gabriella Fodor (soprano), Zoltán Megyesi (tenor), Mária Kovalszki (piano)
Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, 9.00 p.m.
Symphony No.9. in C Major („Great”), D 944 (60’)
performer: Budapest Festival Orchestra
conductor: Iván Fischer
