Tuesday, 2 July Waiting with sleepy faces at the corner of Páva and Mester Streets in Budapest’s Ninth District a few minutes before eight o’clock are the musicians, armed with suitcases and their instruments. The weather has cooled somewhat this morning after the heatwave of the past few days. Three buses arrive: Concerto Budapest is going on tour to play two concerts at the storied Ljubljana Festival, being held for the 72nd time this year.
The programme includes all four of Rachmaninov’s piano concertos, featuring as the soloist one of the most outstanding musicians of our time, the Russian pianist/conductor/composer Mikhail Pletnev, who has been visiting the Hungarian capital as the resident musician of Concerto Budapest since 2022. Also on the menu are two pieces by Bartók, who is considered one of the orchestra’s hallmarks. Slated for the first evening is the wonderful The Miraculous Mandarin Suite, followed on the second by Hungarian Pictures. Taking over the baton from András Keller on the second night will be guest conductor Alexei Kornienko, also born in Russia and himself active as a pianist.
Concerto Budapest on the World Map
I have been invited to travel to the Ljubljana Festival together with the orchestra to attend the first concert – and a rehearsal or two – in order to provide readers with some insight into what goes on behind the scenes, since the brief press releases and season announcements only offer factual information when our outstanding orchestras, which perform regularly in Budapest and other venues around Hungary, have also “by the way” been invited to play a concert abroad or to stage a longer tour, and then the next day we either remember the news or we don’t, since we were often not even there. The important thing for us is what we have heard them play – or will be able to hear them play – with our own ears at Müpa Budapest or the Liszt Academy. And we might not even think that András Keller, whose name every Hungarian music connoisseur immediately associates with Concerto Budapest, is best known abroad as a violinist, chamber musician, and the founder of the Keller Quartet, thus making it
“an important task to successfully present the conductor and his orchestra in the international arena together as an integrated whole,”
as Imre Szabó Stein, the ensemble’s chief international strategy media advisor (and my travelling companion on the bus) explains. Concerto Budapest is an increasingly frequent guest abroad just as it is at venues across Hungary: in recent years, the orchestra has toured several times around Asia and major European concert centres, and in both 2022 and 2023 in leading concert halls in the UK and Ireland. The source of all this renown is, apart from the indisputably high level of musical quality the orchestra delivers, their award-winning concert films broadcast on MEZZO TV and popular live streams available in every corner of the globe, along with the reviews, expressed in superlatives, published about them in the international press.
![Concerto Budapest - fotó: Darja Stravs Tisu](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DarjaStravsTisu_9701.jpg)
But with so many superb symphony orchestras touring the world, from the Vienna and Los Angeles philharmonics to the London and NHK symphony orchestras, what is it that makes Concerto Budapest unique? In Keller’s view, in addition to the excellence of each and every one of the musicians, it is also the traditions passed down from Bartók that dictate their musical thinking, a legacy that the conductor was able to master under the guidance of his mentor György Kurtág, constituting a huge advantage in passing on this knowledge. “I am thinking here of Bartók’s parlando sound and Kurtág’s song-like instumentals, which are able to preserve grand musical arcs while permitting every gesture to live and breathe in it,” is how Keller summed all this up in a previous interview.
Behind the Scenes
On the way to Ljubljana, I think about what kind of logistical preparations are required to organise a tour like this – a task that Annie Keller handles for the orchestra. And we’re not even travelling overseas on this trip: it’s only a seven-hour bus ride from Budapest. But just for that, in addition to the three buses, we also need a lorry to haul the instruments, and joining the musicians on the journey are the artistic and orchestra managers as well as other staff there to ensure everything runs smoothly. Since I myself have a tight schedule, I am terrified that, after a quick check-in, there may only be time for a coffee before the orchestra’s three-hour rehearsal – this one not yet at the concert venue, but in the Philharmonic building, where authorised visitors receive wristbands, because it is in the square (Kongresni Trg) in front of the venerable building that the Slovenian national football team are being welcomed back home that day after their fine showing at Euro 2024, and several members of the orchestra will later take selfies with them during the rehearsal break. I listen to part of the rehearsal myself from the gallery. They start with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, and basically what happens is what you might imagine would happen when you think of an orchestra rehearsal: Keller conducts, occasionally consulting with Pletnev and sometimes halting the ensemble to explain how he wants this or that section to sound before resuming. What one might not expect, though, is that the conductor does not act like some kind of dictator or autocratic, but instead behaves like a musician collaborating as a chamber partner with his quasi-colleagues.
It’s like watching an 80-member string quartet rehearsing.
Keller formulates his thoughts to each musician one at a time, and they sometimes ask for clarification, further develop the thought and/or contribute their own ideas for shaping the piece. I enjoy watching this kind of ping-pong played on a massive scale.
![Concerto Budapest - fotó: Darja Stravs Tisu](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DarjaStravsTisu_7949.jpg)
Meanwhile, Pletnev sits at the piano just as I am at my laptop: a little bit detached, a little bit hunched over. Almost as if he’s a bit bored sometimes. Nevertheless he is very much engaged and attentive, and even if he’s holding back somewhat, saving his energy for the concert itself – he points out the most important musical events with his gestures (which are sometimes exaggerated), while also sharing direction of the orchestra: looking over at the principal or section playing the melody, and the few times when something needs to be discussed, it is only to address nuances in the precision of the rhythm or questions of dynamics.
“Who is the boss; the soloist or the conductor?”
The situation is different in the case of the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. Here, Pletnev has firm opinions about how one of the most famous concertos in the world should be performed, which the Russian musician has probably played as a soloist – and conducted as well – hundreds of times. So while listening to the rehearsal, I am reminded of the legendary New York Philharmonic concert of 6 April 1962, when conductor Leonard Bernstein came out to the podium at an unexpected moment and addressed the audience. This was right when Glenn Gould was about to play Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, for which the soloist had devised a concept that Bernstein actually did not agree with, but nevertheless consented to collaborate on, as it reflected the views of an important and credible colleague. This is when, to laughter from the audience, Bernstein asked the question: “In a concerto, who is the boss; the soloist or the conductor?” I hasten to reassure the reader that nothing of the sort would happen at the concert in Ljubljana, but at the same time, this question comes to mind at the rehearsal, since Pletnev interrupts the process much more frequently than he did previously in the First Piano Concerto, sometimes even playing the orchestra’s parts (it’s clear that he has every part in the score thoroughly memorised), and here he is exaggerating the accents even more strongly. At one point, he specifically requests that regardless of the composer’s instructions for that section – calling for mezzoforte playing and a crescendo – the orchestra should remain in the piano range there, remarking humorously – after playing one of the more sentimental piano passages – “since it sounds fine even if you don’t play anything at all here.” This elicited hearty laughter from the orchestra.
Meanwhile, the harmony between Keller and Pletnev naturally remains strong throughout.
The rehearsal thus unfolds in a marvellous atmosphere, which grows even more relaxed during The Miraculous Mandarin, for which the orchestra members no longer need to focus on the soloist and communicating in a foreign language, only to Bartók’s music. Of course, in the case of András Keller and Concerto Budapest, this only entails faithfulness to the score, precise adherence to the metronome markings and perfectionism in a general sense. Pletnev also appears on Slovenian television to discuss the concert: “I have conducted this orchestra and I have played with them: they are fantastic musicians who are motivated to work, to give their best and to represent the music that they play.” Keller, whom I would later, only after the concert, ask to briefly describe what it is like playing with Pletnev, declares his Russian colleague to be “one of the greatest musicians of our time” and a “phenomenal pianist and conductor”, and is delighted that his orchestra can work with such a living legend, giving them insight into the musical thinking of such an incomparable mind.
![Concerto Budapest - fotó: Darja Stravs Tisu](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DarjaStravsTisu_7423.jpg)
The Biggest Festival in Central Europe?
I had the good fortune to visit Ljubljana as a tourist two years ago and immediately fell in love with the romantic atmosphere of this small city, the evening hustle and bustle of the restaurants on the banks of the narrow Ljubljanica river, the view of the castle towering over the city, the beautiful Tivoli park, where I sadly was unable to return this time, as well as the lively cultural life, as there are also quite a few museums, theatres, and concert venues in the Slovenian capital, despite its small size compared to Budapest. It seems like a liveable place, where the air quality is noticeably better than it is back home. Júlia Gyermán’s blog post on Concerto Budapest’s Instagram site tells us that the musicians also had time for a little sightseeing, with one unnamed member of the orchestra reportedly enchanted by “the Mediterranean atmosphere of the city, its small streets, the castle, the parks, the picturesque little bridges across the river and the extraordinary number of trees and flowers.” In short: Ljubljana is a must-see.
![Members of Concerto Budapest (c) Orsolya Bernáth](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Concerto-budapest_Ljubljana_c_Bernath-orsolya.jpeg)
As the reader, having read this far into the article, is presumably a music-lover, I can recommend planning this visit for the summer, during the Ljubljana Festival, which will be held for the 72nd time this year, between 20 June and 3 September. The programmes consist of classical music concerts – in all genres, ranging from solo recitals to chamber music and symphony orchestras, and from oratorios to ballet to opera, as well as exciting fusions, such as the music of Frank Zappa and Chick Corea, with various exhibitions and workshops also adding colour to everything. This event series, which started out as a tourist week in 1952, continued as a summer festival the following year and expanded over the years to host such figures as Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich, José Carreras and Ennio Morricone, along with ensembles ranging from the Vienna Philharmonic and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala Orchestra to the company of Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. Over the course of the summer, 70 to 80 world-class events showcasing the finest artists anywhere draw nearly 80,000 spectators to the Slovenian capital. Another purpose of the festival today is to seek out young talent, organise master classes for them, and in fact, throughout the year, one can enjoy events both large and small held under the auspices of the Ljubljana Festival.
If we classify Salzburg as being a little further to the west, then it is safe to say that we are talking about one of the most significant, if not the most significant, festivals in Central Europe.
Along with the Concerto Budapest concerts, this year’s programme features ensembles and names like the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Filarmonica della Scala, Sir Antonio Pappano, Riccardo Chailly, Zubin Mehta and Charles Dutoit, with Martha Argerich taking the stage at the closing concert. A lavish selection indeed.
The Concert
Although I gushed enthusiastically about Ljubljana’s picturesque beauty earlier in this article, its concert hall, Cankarjev Dom, named after the Slovenian national poet Ivan Cankar, could justifiably compete for the title of the world’s ugliest concert venue, since the building (at least from the outside), along with the surrounding Republic Square (Trg republike), is architecturally a Socialist-Realist remnant of the old Yugoslavia. Inside, however, a completely different sight greets us. The audience is streaming in, and just sitting in the massive concert hall with a capacity of nearly 1600, I can see that there will be a full house to welcome the orchestra when it takes the stage momentarily, and I am further surprised to find large numbers of younger spectators (in their 20s and 30s) among the diverse crowd. Later, during my brief conversation with festival director Darko Brlek and his colleagues, I would inquire as to the reason for this, whether it was a matter of education or some other reason why classical music is popular among young people there, but I did not receive a satisfactory answer to this query beyond nods of agreement and the comment that a considerable number of foreigners were attending the concert, mostly Italians. And as long as we are on the subject of the composition of the audience, apparently events at the Ljubljana Festival are treated as serious social occasions for which, despite the absence of a dress code, it is considered appropriate to don tasteful attire: lovely evening gowns and cocktail dresses for women, and suits for men. I also later noticed that people were allowed to remain even after the concert ended to talk and enjoy a glass of wine or champagne: the experience was something to be discussed, without having to rush off immediately to catch a bus or drive home.
![Concerto Budapest - fotó: Darja Stravs Tisu](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DarjaStravsTisu_7494.jpg)
The performance is preceded by a few words about the concert delivered in Slovenian. I am a little disappointed that these were not accompanied by the English translation, since we are, after all, at a prestigious international festival, and they certainly could have announced the last-minute change to the published programme that we would be starting with the Bartók rather than with Rachmaninov, so that everyone could understand what was happening. Keller emerges, waves his baton, and the vibrant and strident sounds of a vast metropolis that make up the world of The Miraculous Mandarin come to life. The acoustics are excellent, and the audience listens attentively to the Hungarian composer’s not-so-easy-to-digest music (except for one five- or six-year-old girl in the front row I see resolutely stuffing her fingers in her ears for the duration the Bartók piece). But she is the exception that proves the rule. Naturally, here too a mobile phone goes off, but thankfully there is no crinkling of candy wrappers, and for the most part, everyone listens to Bartók’s music with bated breath. An enormous triumph, and deservedly so. Next up is Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor.
Standing Ovation
During the previous day’s rehearsal, I wasn’t completely convinced as to how much of an impact I would feel at the actual concert from Pletnev – who sat at the piano as if he were a trifled tired of this decades-long routine. And if this article were a critical review of the genre, then now a longer contemplative section would follow, since here at the concert, at certain moments I am enchanted by some of his spontaneous interpretations, while at others I am unable to understand why he emphasises some internal music of his own – not written in the score and never heard before – or why he plays some passages faster or slower (or perhaps louder or quieter) than is usually done.
Is his take on it simply a matter of chance, or is it a sense of life, freshness and a kind of creative, compositional approach that gives his playing such an improvisational sound, as if we are listening to a jazz pianist?
While these spontaneous musical ideas – which might not have arisen during the rehearsals – do not make the orchestra’s job any easier, they do inspire the musicians, under Keller’s leadership, to respond to each and every movement. At the same time, the piece itself is not really doing much for me, and I feel that the audience feels the same way, and are instead looking forward to Rachmaninov’s familiar and popular Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor in the second part of the concert. And this suspicion proves correct. During this tremendously successful performance, we breathe together with the musicians, listening raptly until the end, when something I had not witnessed at home in Hungary occurs: the audience immediately rises to deliver a standing ovation that lasts for more than a few minutes. With two short encores – a dreamy Tchaikovsky nocturne and a fiery Moszkowski etude – Pletnev returns the thanks for the unabating applause. For me personally, the encores do more to convince me of the Russian pianist’s charisma and magnetic charm than the concertos did, but in any case, the energies released during the concert make it safe to say that everyone left the Cankarjev Dom with a richer soul than when they arrived.
![Concerto Budapest - fotó: Darja Stravs Tisu](https://papageno.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DarjaStravsTisu_9838.jpg)
In Lieu of an Epilogue
There is no question: the approach of both Keller and the members of his orchestra, as I have already mentioned, is one distinguished by perfectionism. However, after the concert, at the reception – held by the Liszt Institute and the festival organisers in honour of the orchestra and Hungary’s incipient assumption of the EU presidency – I also discuss with Szabó Stein and some of the festival staff whether the reason that this ensemble is able to be truly original is because it is not afraid to take risks. In part it is in terms of the repertoire, since Hungarian listeners already invariably expect exciting programmes (and guest artists), and because the unique profile is defined by Hungarian music – especially, but not exclusively, the music of Bartók, Kurtág and Péter Eötvös – and contemporary music in general, but even within this,
Concerto Budapest is willing to take chances on the productions themselves, that a given piece of music will not sound exactly the same way tomorrow that it did today, but, quite to the contrary, will remain a living thing, never sterile and boring.
At the short reception after the concert, I also mingle with some of the section principals: Csaba Klenyán (clarinet), Bálint Mohai (bassoon) and Bálint Tóth (horn), and ask them how they felt about how everything went. Referring of course to the acoustics of the hall, playing alongside Pletnev, and naturally the extremely positive reaction of the audience, they all respond with a resoundingly positive assessment. Klenyán, to no surprise, immediately asks whether we could hear the nuances in the pianist’s playing, as they were quite fearful of drowning out the Russian musician’s soft and refined sound. But I reassure them that everything seemed in perfect harmony, telling them that I assumed that due to the spontaneity of the soloist, they had to be very careful to react to everything in time. This they confirm, stating like Keller did earlier, that it was a huge opportunity for them to work with such an illustrious figure. Walking towards the hotel, I’m a little sorry that I’m going to miss the next day’s concert conducted by Alexei Kornienko, which – as I later learned from Júlia Gyermán’s account on the orchestra’s Instagram page – would be similarly packed and likewise end with a standing ovation. As she wrote in her post: “Our guest appearance and our very intense and fantastic season couldn’t have ended any better!” Probably there is nothing else to add to that, except to wish similar success for the next season as well.