Béla Bartók's Suite for Orchestra, Op. 3 (1905), marks the close of the early phase of his creative career and precedes his ‘period of silence’ – a time of crisis and a reassessment of his aesthetic ideals. This brilliantly scored work combines the idiom of the virtuosic, fiery dance style of Romani-Hungarian ensembles (verbunkos, familiar from, among others, Ferenc Liszt’s rhapsodies and Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dances) with the influence of Richard Wagner’s harmonic language and Richard Strauss’ colourful orchestration, both of which had a profound impact on the generation of the young Bartók.
Alongside the work by the Hungarian composer, the acclaimed Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard presents two compositions by his compatriots, both rarely heard on Polish concert stages. The dominant figure in Danish musical life at the turn of the 20th century was Carl Nielsen. Following the premiere performance of his two-movement Flute Concerto in 1926, a Parisian critic wrote with admiration: ‘...it is full of zest and energy, and by no means lacking in humour’, neatly capturing the essence of the composer’s style. Nielsen combines classical clarity of form with a fondness for contrasts, surprises and rhythmic vitality, often marked by a distinctly ‘anti-Romantic’ character. This brilliant and highly original work is also a favourite of this evening’s soloist, Emmanuel Pahud, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest virtuosos of the instrument.
The composer and organist Rued Langgaard long remained underappreciated, occupying the margins of Danish musical life, which was dominated by Carl Nielsen, a generation his senior. He combined late-Romantic expressiveness with a visionary, often mystical imagination; today he is regarded as a highly original composer well ahead of his time. Among his six string quartets, the Third, composed in 1924, holds a special place: concise, cast in a single movement, and driven by a tense narrative (its Italian subtitle, ‘Rabbia’, means ‘rage’). Departing from the traditional cyclic form, this is a work of striking intensity and unease, foreshadowing sonic experiments that would not emerge until much later. It takes on a new dimension in Thomas Dausgaard’s compelling orchestration, premiered in 2024.
Piotr Maculewicz
