During the week my grandmother passed away, aged 90. She was a true matriarch of the Szetey család here in Australia.
In memory of her life, this program is dedicated to her.
1. Hungarian Dance (Arranged for Trombones) - Joseph Alessi
We start the evening off with an arrangement of German composer Johannes Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 5 (originally composed in 1869). This arrangement is by the well known brass composer and arranger Robert Elkjer. It is performed by Joseph Alessi from his 2002 album, Trombonastics.
2. Hungarian March - Williams Fairey Engineering Band
The Hungarian March is also known as the Rákóczi March, and is considered to be the unofficial anthem of Hungary. It was first composed around 1730 - by whom, no-one knows.
The march was included as part of French composer Hector Berlioz's choral and orchestral work,
La Damnation de Faust which was first premiered in 1846. In the first part of this work (and to quote Wikipedia):
The aging scholar Faust contemplates the renewal of nature. Hearing
peasants sing and dance, he realizes that their simple happiness is
something he will never experience. An army marches past in the distance
(Hungarian March). Faust doesn't understand why the soldiers are so
enthusiastic about glory and fame.
This arrangement is by Phillip Catilinet and is performed by Williams Fairey Engineering Band from their 1994 album, Works of Berlioz.
3. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 - Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band
Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók (see below), are seen as the most famous Hungarian composers, as well as the most important.
Liszt is probably best known for his 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, and of these the 2nd is the most recorded. The Rhapsodies were originally composed for the piano, but the popularity of the 2nd Rhapsody saw it being arranged for orchestra by Liszt, in collaboration with Franz Doppler.
My research cannot locate the arranger of this version of Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 but it is performed by Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band from their 2001 album Classic Brass.
4. Hungarian Pictures - Equale Brass
Béla Viktor János Bartók is viewed as one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Bartók is also seen as one of the founders of ethnomusicology (the study of music that emphasizes its cultural, social and other contexts).
Bartók concentrated on the collection, and arrangement, Hungarian folk music, as well as in other regions in Eastern Europe.
Originally composed for piano, Hungarian Pictures (or Hungarian Sketches) was arranged for orchestra in 1931. There are 5 movements:
- An Evening At The Village (Este a székelyeknél)
- Bear Dance (Medvetánc)
- Melody (Melódia)
- Slightly Tipsy (Kicsit ázottan)
- Swineherd's Dance (Ürögi kanásztánc)
This arrangement is performed by Equale Brass from their 2012 album, Bachanalles.
5. Hungarian Schnapsody - Zoltán Kiss
Zoltán Kiss is a Hungarian trombone player of extraordinary talent. He came to prominence when he joined the Austrian group
Mnozil Brass. He has released a number of CDs as a soloist as well as performing with other artists, such as trumpet player Adam Rappa. He is no stranger to Australia as he has toured there with Mnozil Brass a number of times.
Hungarian Schnapsody was composed by another Mnozil Brass trombonist, Leonard Paul and is performed by Zoltan, as part of the Creme de la Creme show by Mnozil Brass. This particular recording is from his 2011 album, Slideshow.
6. Hungarian Melodies - Brass Roots Trio
Who is/are
Brass Roots Trio? They are trumpeter Thomas Boulton, horn player Dan Wions and pianist Rosetta Senkus Bacon. I found this whilst surfing I-Tunes and consider it to be a worthy addition to the show tonight. This piece is from their 2006 album, Con Brio!
7. For Children - Prague Brass Ensemble
In 1909 Bartók released a 4 volume set of 85 folk tunes arranged for piano, called For Children with 42 Hungarian tunes and 43 Slovakian tunes.
These arrangements are by Jan Votava. There will be 7 short pieces (all from the Hungarian tunes) - 1,2,5,6,7,15 and 21. These are all from Prague Brass Ensemble's self titled album, released in 2012.
A number of these remind me of my childhood. If I am not mistaken, some of these were sung by my grandmother to me when I was very young.
8. Mennyböl az Angyal, Pásztorok, Pásztorok - Daniel Speer Brass
I wanted to include this traditional Hungarian Christmas carol as it was played at every Christmas lunch at my grandparents place, without exception. It was difficult finding an appropriate arrangement as I wanted to spare you, the listener, from the droning choral versions we had to listen to. I found an arrangement by Hungarian heavy metal band Moby Dick, and alternative Hungarian rock band, Quimby, but deemed them both inappropriate. Maybe for another show.
Finally, on YouTube, I found this brass arrangement, performed by Daniel Speer Brass.
9. Double Concerto for Trumpet, Trombone, and Orchestra - Zoltán Kovács
Considered one of the most promising young composers of his generation, Zoltan is a bassoon player in the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra. He has been commissioned to write many works for orchestra and chamber groups.
This 3 movement piece is performed by Bence Horváth on trumpet, István Péter Farkas on trombone, with the Debrecen Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Balázs Kocsár, from the 2011 album The Hammer of the Village, A Winter's Tale, Double Concerto.
10. Hary Janos : Entrance Of The Emperor And His Court - Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag
Zoltan Kodaly was also a well known, and important 20th century Hungarian composer.
In 1926 he composed an opera called Hary Janos, and from that came the Hary Janos Suite, probably one of his best known works. There are six movements to the suite and the final movement, Entrance of the Emperor and His Court, has been arranged by Ray Farr for Brass Band. It is being performed by Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag from their 1997 album Best By Farr.
11. Hejre Kati - Geoffrey Payne and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
12. Csárdás - Geoffrey Payne and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
In 2006 trumpeter Geoffrey Payne and the MSO released the album Trumpet Magic - A Tribute To Rafael Mendez, which is a fantastic selection of works either composed or arranged by Mexican trumpeter Rafael Mendez.
Hejre Kati was composed by Jenő Hubay, a Hungarian composer in 1886 as a piece for violin and piano or orchestra.
Csárdás was originally composed by an Italian, Vittorio Monti, in 1904, based on a Hungarian
Csárdás.
13. Himnusz - Millar Brass Ensemble
We close with the official national anthem of Hungary, composed by Ference Erkel and arranged for brass ensemble by Donald Fraser. It is performed by Millar Brass Ensemble from their 1996 album World Anthems.
Next week we will play our originally schedule program of movie music arranged for brass bands.
