The Hindu : New Delhi News : A Hungarian feast this December

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 05, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

A Hungarian feast this December

The leader: Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodaly

In every genre of art, there are some extraordinary gifted individuals who are role models for millions of people. Composer, ethnomusicologist and educationist Zoltan Kodaly, who is best remembered for playing a significant role in the creation of modern Hungary, was one such individual.

Kodaly (1882-1967) believed that the acquisition of a music culture by each member of society can be the basis of self-esteem and the foundation of his country’s identity. A role model for thousands of musicians, composers and music teachers, he developed an approach of teaching music known as Kodaly philosophy or method.

As a befitting tribute to this eminent musician, Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre has organised a cultural festival in the Capital.

Titled ‘Hungarian Cultural Festival’, the festival will see a comic opera at 1/A Janpath this Wednesday. Titled ‘Hary Janos’, the four-act opera by Kodaly is the story of a veteran hussar in the Austrian army in the first half of the 19th Century who sits in the village inn regaling his listeners with fantastic tales of heroism; his supposed exploits include winning the heart of Empress Marie Louise, the wife of Napoleon, and then single-handedly defeating Napoleon and his army. Nevertheless, he finally renounces all riches in order to go back to his village with his sweetheart.

According to Kodaly, “Hary Janos is the personification of the Hungarian story-telling imagination. He does not tell lies; he imagines stories; he is a poet. What he tells us may never have happened, but he has experienced it in spirit, so it is more real than reality.”

For music connoisseurs, the Centre will stage ` ‘Kodaly-Debussy Concert’ at India International Centre on December 11. The concert will see performances by Situ Singh Buehler on soprano; Marouan Ben Abdallah on piano and the Delhi Chamber Choir. Hungarian native Gabriella Boda-Rechner, who is a specialist in the Kodaly method of music pedagogy, will be the conductor of the concert.

The festival will culminate with a Christmas concert at Sai Baba Auditorium on December 21. Organised jointly by the Centre in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Delhi, the festival will welcome the joy of Christmas with this special concert. The programme will include Hungarian and French carols, songs and Hungarian folk song arrangements by Zoltan Kodaly.

Madhur Tankha

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi