There’s an old American saying: “If I had a nickel for every time I’m asked this question, I’d be rich.” And what question would that be?
Since I moved to Budapest in 2015, the constant question from Hungarians is: “Why on earth would you move here?” My answer is “the music life is like no other city in the world” — an answer that usually elicits confused stares from the questioner. My response to them is: “How many professional symphony orchestras does Budapest have?”
Here is the list of 12 professional orchestras (in no particular order):
- MÁV Symphony Orchestra
- Budapest Festival Orchestra
- Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra
- Concerto Budapest
- Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra
- Zugló Symphony Orchestra
- Óbuda Symphony Orchestra
- Liszt Chamber Orchestra
- Pannon Philharmonic
- Orfeo Orchestra/Purcell Choir
- Hungarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra
- Hungarian National Opera Orchestra
I then pose the question to the questioner(s): How many orchestras do you think New York City has? The answer is: one! That answer is the same for Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Boston. And none of them are supported by state or federal governments.
Paris has nine professional orchestras, Berlin has seven, London has four. Only Moscow, with its twelve functioning symphony orchestras can equal Budapest’s list.
Why am I bringing up this particular issue? Two reasons:
1) Hungarians, please count your musical blessings! Apparently, locals (who are not insiders in the local musical sphere) are unaware of the astounding fact that other cities simply don’t have this kind of splendid musical richesse.
The government, I believe, is aware of this on some level, because why would they have financed the Hungarian State Opera, Chorus, and Ballet to occupy New York’s Lincoln Center (and Carnegie Hall) for two weeks in 2018 as a giant gesture of cultural diplomacy? There, the mighty musical forces from Budapest gave New Yorkers a generous dose of Bartók, Kodály, and Dohnányi, and garnished good reviews in the New York Times and other publications.
In the troubling 2022-2023 season of war and austerity, I feel that Hungarians should take another look at their rich cultural past and present. In connection, I suggest resisting the reduction of cultural and educational budgets, despite the inflated prices on goods and services, and despite political maneuverings outside the borders. All denizens, including tourists, depend on live performances for their sanity and well-being, as well as for maintaining this nation’s unique and indispensable cultural profile that was so deftly demonstrated in New York.
2) The MÁV Symphony Orchestra (as well as the three orchestras whose official names include ‘Nemzeti’) has a long and fascinating history. According to their website: “The Máv Symphony Orchestra was founded during the final days of World War II in 1945 by László Varga, the president and chief executive officer of the Hungarian State Railway (MÁV) at the time, aiming to foster culture as well. It was his conviction that after the peace treaties, besides building materials and food products, people will need a cure for the emotional wounds caused by the war.”
Thank you, Mr. Varga, I couldn’t say it better. This is precisely what people need to get through the dark tunnel of war, famine, threat, uncertainty, and political upheaval.
Trains of all kinds
A MÁV performance took place on November 24 in the Liszt Academy, a place of spectacular beauty and one of the best reminders of the opulence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Maestro Róbert Farkas, who is also their artistic director, led the orchestra in works by Beethoven, Liszt, and Schubert.
The evening’s soloist was pianist Cyprien Katsaris, a long-time Budapest favorite, as he’s performed here many times in the last ten years. He’s known for his improvisational prowess, and on this evening, he gave listeners a sumptuous helping of it. Throughout the two lesser-known Liszt Fantasias (on themes by Beethoven and Schubert, respectively), and his encore — a theme and variations based on the simple tune that MÁV train stations play, Katsaris’ cleverness and facility were pure delight.
Farkas’ treatment of Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 “The Great” was a good example of maintaining expert control over the long train ride that this work is. For the most part, it’s a pure joy-ride – one that rolls along the tracks with appealing melodies and contagious rhythmic bounce. Farkas kept the mighty engine steady through the many hills and valleys of Schubert’s dynamic score.
What remained in my head throughout the next 24 hours was the beautiful majestic march of the second movement, whose tune was introduced by the oboe. MÁV’s principal oboist that night, Katalin Kiss, was a rock star.
Hence, my train of thought regarding Budapest’s orchestral bounty is that without these ensembles, without having the pleasure of the plethora of Hungarian music written by a cadre of geniuses from the last two centuries, and without the country’s leaders’ recognition of how this unrivaled treasure trove imprints Hungarian culture on the entire world, we here would be left in the same sorry state the US is in.
