Focus! Festival: The Magyar Legacy

The Magyar Legacy, directed by festival founder Joel Sachs, featuring Hungarian music after Bartók, with a tribute to the late György Ligeti and a birthday greeting to György Kurtag. The 2007 FOCUS! Festival of six full-length concerts and a panel discussion, runs from Friday, January 26 through Friday, February 2, 2007 in Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater. All performances and the panel discussion are FREE.

The progran:

The opening FOCUS! program with the New Juilliard Ensemble led by Joel Sachs takes place on Friday, January 26 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater. The program features the Western hemisphere premieres of
András Szőllősy’s Musica Concertante (1972-73); Zsolt Durkó’s Turner Illustrations (1976) with violinist
Hyo-jung Yoo; Peter Eötvös’ Snatches of a Conversation (2001) with Brandon Ridenour (on double-belled trumpet) and Michael Kelly (speaker); and Zoltán Jeney’s Heraclitian Fragments (1997, revised 2004-05). Also on the program will be György Kurtag’s …quasi una fantasia…Op. 27, No. 1 (1987-88) with pianist Conor Hanick; and György Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre (1977/1992) with soprano Brenda Rae.

On Monday, January 29 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater at 8 PM, the festival continues with the Western hemisphere premieres of Marcell Dargay’s Albumblatt – Városligeti fasor 33 (2005); Gyula Csapó’s Tundragobelin (2002); József Sári’s Prae- Inter- and Postludium (1979); and Gyula Bánkövi’s Silver Winged Butterflies (1999). Rounding out the program will be György Ligeti’s Three Etudes from Book 1 (1985); and György Kurtág’s Officium breve in memoriam Andrae Szervánszky (1988-89).

On Tuesday, January 30 at 7 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, there will be a pre-concert roundtable discussion on recent Hungarian music with Kati Agocs, Zoltán Jeney, and János Demeny, moderated by Joel Sachs. The concert at 8 PM features the Western hemisphere premieres of István Szigeti’s Ianus (1999); excerpts from
László Vidovszky’s Twelve Duos from Violin and Viola (2002); and Dániel Dinyés’ Vita (2005). Also on the program will be György Ligeti’s Hungarian Rock – Chaconne (1978) and his Continuum (1968); excerpts from György Kurtag’s
Kafka Fragments (1985-87); and György Ligeti’s Five Etudes from Book II.

On Wednesday, January 31 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, works on the program include the Western hemisphere premieres László Sary’s Dance Music (1987-2000) (excerpts); Barnabás Dukay’s Mist hovering over the face of the deep – in the swirling evening winds; and Miklós Sugár’s Short Story (1997-98). Rounding out the program will be György Ligeti’s Sonata for Solo Viola (1991-99); and István Márta’s J.M.W’s Strange Meeting with Romeo and Juliet (1986).

On Thursday, February 1 at 8 PM in The Peter Jay Sharp Theater, the repertoire includes the Western hemisphere premieres of Zsolt Serei’s Three Chinese Quatrains (1996-98); Gyula Pintér’s Etude at Dawn (2003);
Balázs Horváth’s and the ice is cracking around you, too (2002-03); and Judit Varga’s Words II and Words III.
György Kurtag’s Hommage à R. Sch., Op. 15d; György Ligeti’s Volumina (1961-62) and his Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet (1968) complete the program.

The final concert of FOCUS! 2006 festival takes place on Friday, February 2 at 8 PM with the
Juilliard Orchestra conducted by Diego Masson in Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater and features the Western hemisphere premieres of Endre Szervánszky’s Six Pieces for Orchestra (1959); and László Tihanyi’s Twenty Night Meditations (2004). Rounding out the program will be György Kurtag Stele, Op. 3 (1944); and György Ligeti’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1990/1992) with Francesca Anderegg, violin.

The first and final concerts of FOCUS! 2007 festival concerts (January 26 and February 2) require FREE tickets, available at the Juilliard Box Office on January 12. FOCUS! 2007 Festival concerts taking place from Monday, January 29 through Thursday, February 1 are FREE with no tickets required, including the pre-concert discussion on January 30. To get to the Juilliard Box Office, located at 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, walk west on 65^th Street and use the escalator/elevator near Amsterdam Avenue to reach plaza level. For further information, call (212) 769-7406 or visit Juilliard’s Web site at www.juilliard.edu. All concerts take place at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Juilliard, 155 West 65^th Street, Manhattan.