– an evening bicycle tour of Nagyvárad on May 18, 2024 –
(I'll say it in advance, it's long, because it's three concerts in one, i.e. "3 in 1")
First of all, for CLARIFICATION, to the attention of the organizers.
(since there were organizational/conceptual confusions here in Váradon forced rhyme/title)
* "Night of Museums" (no. 1) = Event organized in Hungary since 2002 on the Saturday closest to St. John's Night in June (ie not in May).
* "Night of Museums" (no. 2) = an initiative first started in Berlin in 1997, which was made official by UNESCO and the European Council in 2005 in accordance with the EU. The day and evening of this: May 18, e.g. "at home", that is, in Romania.
* "Night of the Organs" = Hungarian event series organized by Filharmonia Magyarország (Nonprofit Kft.) since 2019, which this year (2024) has expanded not only to the Carpathian Basin (including Nagyvárad), but also to several continents with hundreds of volunteer performers, and not only free , but obviously also with ticketed concerts, because what does the musician make a living from... (only the cricket knows that, not the ant).
The Saturday evening organ concerts in Varad could be visited/listened to for free. But, I write separately, there was e.g. On the same evening in Beijing, the organist representative of Nagyvárad: László Kristófi. Congratulations from the bottom of my heart.
Summary:
The Roman Catholic Bishopric of Nagyvárad also joined the above, so-called woman. For the Night of Museums mentioned under 2, under this title, there were two organ concerts in parallel, starting at 7 and 9 p.m. with the night of museums in Hungary, but it coincides with that of museums in Romania... So two organ concerts in the cathedral, two in the castle church. For further clarification: the organ concerts in the cathedral were registered on the website of the Hungarian Philharmonic among the Night of the Organs programs, the ones in the castle church were not. I found out about the latter almost by accident that day. In the cathedral, we could hear conductor János Kristófi playing. Józsa Domokos, organist from váradszőllőss, in the recently inaugurated/blessed, renovated castle church (May 14).
In order, however, I should have started with the female protagonist, mainly because the church musician Emese Szeghalmi informed me months ago that she would have a concert this evening, starting at 8 p.m., in the Church of the Friends, this was the only one that specifically The Night of the Organs functioned independently as part of the event, registered on the relevant Hungarian website as well, together with a detailed program, which took into account the other four organ concerts, i.e. so that Emese did not cover the start time of any of his musician colleagues - between 19 and 21, therefore timed at 20:00.
So my mini-bike tour on Saturday night started with this motive, to try to get around/reach everyone in Váradon on time and quickly, so that in the end I can't stay anywhere until the end... My choice is in order for the cathedral (7 p.m.), the Friends' church (8 p.m. o'clock), then fell on the castle church (9 o'clock). Unfortunately, I cannot be there in five places at the same time, friendship and love of music here and there, but in any case, I thank the dear old acquaintances and regular organists in Varad for providing me with detailed information about the programs that I could not hear at the same time in order to document them, and for kindly allowing me to to take photos in the galleries - this was also an occasional privilege, because the organ galleries were otherwise closed due to the museum's open nights, so that the tourists coming in and out at this time would not disturb the performers.
Good news, there was such a relatively cultured tourist crowd going in and out everywhere!
Székesegház, 19, or 9 p.m. (ie twice)
John Kristófi
Many people gathered in the cathedral, since it was Pentecost weekend, there were probably passers-by as well, a stable audience of about 150-160 people, but at least 100+ passing through, changing, walking in and out (relatively quietly).
Cathedral organist János Kristófi became audibly and passionately in love with this recently excellently renovated grand organ in a short time. in addition to liturgical and choir leading services, e.g. Kristófi even has time to show this wonderful organ at concerts, all its color nuances and registration magic seasoning. He therefore thought about the diversity of all kinds of musical presentation to the audience, and it was interwoven with French, German, Italian, baroque, romantic, contemporary, and liturgical festive content. All this with excellent taste and sense of proportion.
Ferenc Liszt: Prelude
Vivaldi–Bach: Concerto in D minor (BWV 596)
Zsolt Lászlóffy: Summer Magic - although I asked Zsolt about the work (since he was one of the two living authors of that evening who could still be asked), he was usually reserved, only saying that following István Vas's poem... I was somewhat 20. I also felt 19th century French organ music in it (e.g. Messiaen). – later I found out from Kristófi that the subtitle of the work is: Hommage à C. Franck.
Théodore Dubois: Grand Choeur
Ferenc Liszt: Gebet (Ave Maria)
Wagner–Liszt: Pilgerchor (2da versione) – here, unfortunately, worthy of the title and Pentecost, I had to go on a pilgrimage to the next concert, but here is the rest of the program...
Alexandre Guilmant: Finale from the first organ sonata, op. No. 42 1.
Liszt: Resignazione
Widor's famous reverb-virtuoso Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5 (interesting, also op. 42)
Friends Church, 8 p.m
Emese of Szeghalmi
Musical reflection – Emese always aptly and consistently chooses this title for his performances, as he builds a bridge between heaven and earth, gallery and audience, vocal and organ, carefully drawn from both Gregorian and historical keyboard music, always with a hidden and/or subtly revealed liturgical background structure, it starts from angels and saints in terms of content in order to speak with a human voice in music. Even now he thought, e.g. to the Pentecost circle, to the Holy Spirit, and even to the birds of St. Francis hanging out, as we know, the so-called The church of Friends was once a Franciscan order. He even thought of the work (unlike others), in his introduction, which Ádám Balázs (b. 1973) specifically recommended for this year's Night of the Organs as a common, trans-oceanic Hungarian link, for Pentecost: Fanfare Ungarico (a very witty piece, there is Rákóczi's intro, Our Lady , Spring wind...) - its sheet music is freely available and can be downloaded.
So, below is the program of Emese Szeghalmi's intimate and touching musical meditation, which unfortunately was only attended by a handful of people in the church at the end of Fő utca in Nagyvárad on Saturday. It's just that Reverend Szeghalmi had a relatively more difficult task in terms of instrument maneuvers, as unfortunately the organ of the Friends' church has not been renewed as nicely as, say, the cathedral or the castle church... Perhaps the instruments of other churches in Várada will be in line.
So here is Emese Szeghalmi's show.
Ádám Balázs: Fanfare Ungarico
Caritas Dei diffusa est - Gregorian
Saint Hildegard of Bingen: Spiritus sanctus vivificans discussion
Dufay: Alleluia - Veni Sancte Spiritus
Antonio de Cabezon: Tiento Sobre Cum Sancto Spiritu
Kerll: Capricio sopra il Cucu
Muffat: Nova Cyclopeias Harmonica in C
Daquin: Le Coucou
Pachelbel: ciaccona in F minor
Rameau: Le Rappel des Oiseaux
Esterházy: Veni, Sancte Spiritus
Finally, Sun, as castle church, 9 p.m
Józsa Domokos
Recently, I wanted to write about the blessing of the organ of the castle church, but unfortunately there was so much ecclesiastical activity in addition to the sacrificial music service, that since then I have not received any information from anyone about the instrument itself, and how, for how much and in detail, how it was reborn - and personally I looked for the authorities in the matter... My meeting with Józsa Domokos, cantor-organist from Váradszőllős, in the blessed castle church was this Saturday evening. It was from him that I heard for the first time how such a small, only 11-register, four-octave keyboard, one-manual, without pedals, but also a little gem blessed with a 16-foot low-two-octave bass switch, can sound. Józsa Domokos devised two programs for the night of the organs. Italian and English, here, a suitable repertoire adapted to this one-manual instrument. I will list them below, the point is the point, Domi always chooses his "words", i.e. the repertoire, thematically, as always, very carefully. Now e.g. diversity in the thematic unit. So he adapted to the one-manual instrument in terms of musical history, yet he brought out such wonderful colors and register combinations that made this little jewel sparkle. Upon special request, I also write that the original builder of the organ was Samuel Joseph Maetz, the restorer of my own free will: Vox Humana. There was also an audience in the castle church, one could say that the house was half full, about fifty people, plus the more or less admiring or civilized frame of the museum night visitors walking in and out.
Józsa Domokos' Saturday show at the Castle Church.
– at 7 p.m.:
Domenico Zipoli (in short, the Italian South American Baroque convert...)
Verso (d) I, II, III, IV, Canzona
Verso (e) I, II, III, IV, Canzona
Verso (F) I, II, III, IV, Canzona
All'Elevazione (I, F)
Al post Communio (F)
All'Offertorio (C)
– at 9 p.m.:
John Stanley (my dear friends, we are talking about a blind composer who also conducted Handel oratorios in London, for example)
Voluntary (C) I. Adagio-Andante-Adagio-Allegro (Op. 5.)
Voluntary (g) VII. Adagio – Allegro (Op. 5.)
Voluntary (d) VIII. Adagio – Allegro (Op. 5.)
Voluntary (a) VIII. Largo – Vivace (Op. 6.)
then Handel himself:
– Sarabande (d, HWV 437)
– Voluntary VI. (C) Adagio - Allegro
– Voluntary III. (C) (Largo – Allegro – Fugue)
Cadence:
Ebony and Ivory…
In retrospect, I will admit as an additional rant, since there were no more organ concerts that evening, I had a little time to try out the organ in the castle church, a very nice instrument, of course, for a hammer player like me, at first glance the keyboard that rhymes with the piano in a mirror color is what immediately catches the eye, i.e. here are the black ones the ivory ones and the white ones are greyish-black, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder from the eighties immediately reminded me of "Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect harmony side by side on my piano keyboard..." closed the night of the organs with this, yes, it's unbelievable, but that night, on the night of the organs: BACH, IN ABSENTIA.
English
Hungarian