Pannon Philharmonic

Soloist

Ágnes Herpay DLA

bassoon - Master

About the Programme

This concert offers you several interesting things at the same time. On the one hand, the "trip" in the title really means a European journey in a semicircle from Italy to Germany through France and Great Britain -dropping by to Hungary, too- via the composers/compositions played. On the other hand, on your journey you will discover the bassoon as one of the special characters in the European music. This instrument has been indispensable since the Baroque, as part of chamber and orchestral music, but because its low pitch and special timbres it used to be and still is a kind of  “actor in a supporting role” of music literature. Writing for solo Bassoon (e. g. sonata or concerto) meant, of course, an exciting excursion for the enterprising composers, soothe Baroque (Vivaldi) or romantic (Weber) works you hear today meant a special colour in their composers’ oeuvres. But the real heyday of the bassoon came in the 20th century, and it is still on: in a good player's hands, it can incredibly easily turn its tones, which are particularly suitable for harsh and grotesque expressions, into impressive affection; while negating the prejudices, which are ingrained into us about the deep-pitched instruments, with its ease-proving agility, it can cause big surprises in any moment. From the French century-turn to the present day, composers  almost wallow in the colours and possibilities of the bassoon, as many pieces of the concert represents this in versatile ways (Pierné, Dutilleux, Arnold, Elgar, Burness, Hindemith), say whether solo- or orchestra-/piano-accompanied bassoon-works. These pieces also often offer musical journeys themselves: Pierné eyeing to the Baroque (to Purcell), Dutileux to Debussy. The turn-taking of seriousness and playfulness is constantly present even at the German Hindemith. The special value of the concert is the premiere of two works by János Vajda (Erkel and Kossuth Prize-winning composer): who, born in 1949, has been going his own creative way, unmistakable different than of others, from the beginning of his career or at the latest, since the 1988 premiere  of his opera Mario and the Magician, earning permanent attention and recognition.