Pannon Philharmonic

On December 20, Saturday and 21, Sunday at 5.00pm, ont he conductor podium of the Kodály Centre’s concert hall, Zoltán Kocsis is conducting his own composition.
The Little Christmas, Bigger Christmas, premiered after Budapest at first in Pécs doesn’t have the same title as the well-known children song by accident.
But the composition is really more than a variation cycle inspired by a Christmas carol; it spans over ages and continents; and showing different nations’ relationship to music, with its effortless, entertaining but festive tunes, it let you have insight into the music culture of centuries. The 45 variations flash many points of music history and genres. The well-known tune evokes here Middle Ages dances, there a mazurka… you recognise it in a Czech spring-dance, in a more classical French counter-dance, or in a Serb kolo – but the bear dance, a Slovakian wedding music, or a quick polka are unfamiliar to the melody neither; it even suits to jazz or rock surroundings.
The composer’s interest for the song collected by Zoltán Kodály in 1924 was awaken by the harmonisation possibilities; during the composing, he was surprised when recognised the song’s suitability to different styles. 
“It’s essential for this song that  it can be transcripted in so many way and in so many styles that there are practically unlimited field where this tune can be used.” /Zoltán Kocsis/
Furthermore, there is another classical connection: The main theme of the 2nd movement of Brahms’s Violin Concerto, if not note by note but almost completely identical to the melody of the Little Christmas, Bigger Christmas.

“From my Daddy for Christmas”

Zoltán Kocsis wrote -the first- six variations of the song for the request of his little daughter, Viktória for the Christmas of 2009; the song cycle grew into the recently played, complete composition in two years after the premiere held in a a family circle. 
Because of this interesting story of the birth of the work, on its concerts, the orchestra draws a DVD signed by the composer among those children who are coming to the concert with their dads.
At the first half of the, the Pannon Philharmonic plays extracts fro Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, accompanied with visual effects.