Gegely Ménesi & Liszt Academy Chamber Orchestra Presented by Liszt Academy

Bálint Sárosi is primarily known as an ethnomusicologist of international renown; however, by his own choice, his work as a composer remained in the shadows for decades. The manuscripts discovered in the estate donated to the Liszt Academy reveal a previously unknown side of the scholar. This evening’s programme explores a multifaceted compositional talent that predates his research career, spanning from classical forms and jazz-based film scores to scores written for the folk orchestras of the era.

The concert is built upon a dialogue between various musical layers. In the first half, classical works are punctuated by traditional folk music interludes, mapping out the path to the original sources of the compositions. After the interval, the soundtrack to Miklós Jancsó’s film Cantata (Oldás és kötés) evokes the intellectual jazz atmosphere of the 1960s, while the evening concludes with arrangements written for the folk ensembles of the period.

This programme is a collaborative effort between the Liszt Academy’s Classical, Jazz, and Folk Music Departments, based on a concept by Head of Department Mátyás Bolya.