László Lajtha would be a superstar today, says artistic director Endre Liber about the namesake of the Lajtha Festival. According to pianist József Balog, contemporary music would be unimaginable without it. Along with Bartók and Kodály, the first music festival worthy of the talent of László Lajtha, referred to as one of the "three greatest Hungarians", will be held in Bicske, at the Lajtha Ház Cultural Center between September 6 and 8.
"Bartók wrote in one of his letters that besides Kodály, Lajtha is our other great author. It was a promise for the future that his work would one day come to fruition. It seems that with this festival he can finally get his rightful place," says József Balog , one of the most dedicated interpreters of Lajtha works.
At the Lajtha Festival, in addition to József Balog, the members of the Notos Quartet and the Korossy Quartet also became enthusiastic Lajtha fans during the in-depth study of the composer's works. In 2022, Berlin's Notos Quartet recorded Lajtha's piano quartet for the first time in the world at Sony, and its premiere in Hungary will take place at Lajtha Ház on Saturday, September 7, reports kultura.hu .
Márk Fülep, winner of the Lajtha Prize, selects from the composer's chamber music for flute, harp and strings with his orchestra assembled especially for this occasion.
The audience can also hear a podium discussion with József Balog about the musical historical and artistic significance of the Lajtha piano works. Among other things, the performer highlights the following in relation to Lajtha's work as a composer:
Even when listened to with today's ears, the 120-year-old piano repertoire sounds modern and new, and it still has an amazing effect, contemporary Hungarian music is unimaginable without it.
At the festival, the number one expert on László Lajtha's oeuvre, dr. Emőke Solymosi-Tari gives a lecture on the composer's quartets.
However, Lajtha did not only make a lasting impression in the field of classical music: his folk music and folk dance collections, as well as his film music works, cannot be left out of the repertoire.
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Cover photo: Lajtha Ház Cultural Center Facebook
