Featuring:
János Balázs (piano)
Keller Quartet: András Keller, Zsófia Környei – violins; Katalin Kokas – viola; László Fenyő – cello
Tibor Tabányi – double bass; Orsolya Kaczander – flute; Csaba Klenyán – clarinet
Programme:
Strauss–Cziffra: Die Fledermaus – Paraphrase
Strauss–Schönberg: Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437
Schubert–Liszt: Ave Maria
Schubert: Erlkönig
Intermission
Schubert: Introduction and Variations on Trockne Blumen, D. 802
Schubert: Trout Quintet
Concerto Budapest has named János Balázs as Artist of the Season, and on this evening he takes the stage in an exceptional lineup alongside the Keller Quartet. The programme is centered around the musical world of the early 19th century, highlighting works by Johann Strauss II and Franz Schubert in a distinctive light.
Over the years, Balázs’s name has become closely associated with the legacy of the legendary pianist György Cziffra—a connection that this concert further reinforces. The evening opens with Cziffra’s paraphrase of Strauss’s operetta Die Fledermaus, followed by Arnold Schönberg’s reimagining of the famous Kaiser-Walzer. Known as a pioneer of atonal music, Schönberg frequently arranged well-known Strauss works to introduce his own musical ideas to audiences through a more accessible stylistic bridge. Whether driven by artistic intent or practicality, posterity can be grateful for the many engaging and chamber-scaled arrangements that emerged from this period.
We must also pay tribute to Franz Liszt, whose transcriptions played a crucial role in shaping our understanding and appreciation of Schubert’s oeuvre. The concert features Ave Maria, while the finale pairs Erlkönig with another Schubert masterpiece—his own arrangement of what is perhaps his most beloved chamber work, the Trout Quintet.
Ticket prices: HUF 4,500 – 12,000
This concert is presented in collaboration between Concerto Budapest and the Cziffra Festival.
Supported by: Ministry of Culture and Innovation; National Cultural Fund of Hungary