It’s hard for a festival to start during the toughest period of the pandemic, and that fate has also been resolved by the Bartok International Spring Weeks of Art, which are now taking place. In addition, the 40-year-old Budapest Spring Festival competes here at the same time, with the international actors always as they have always been.
But let’s look at the positive things next. The international character of the event means that world-famous concert venues will enter with prestigious and world-famous participants:
- Scala in Milan,
- Sir John Elliott Gardiner,
- Renee Jacobs
- The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,
- English Baroque soloist from A to Z and Monteverde Chorus,
Just to name a few, here’s a good little home right away:
- György Kurtág, 95, his only opera, Fin de partie (Endgame), will be broadcast live in Hungary.
The contemporary Szeged ballet, directed by Tamás Juronics, will also perform at Bartók Spring, this time in concerto Bartók style.
Joronix has already designed all of Bartók’s plays, starting with Mandarin (which he himself danced hundreds of times),
Continuing with the prince carved in wood and blue beard, he had been planning to form a concerto, which is not a theatrical act, in dance for ten years. So nothing comes more timely than Bartok Rabi. The dancers are already training to work, who knows what kind of insect they are hiding in. (Bartok was passionate about collecting insects, and this is also reflected in the play.) In addition to the contemporary Szeged ballet, Pécs and Győr Ballets also perform, all three ballets “superpowers” take their share of Bartok and the Spring.
The Kelemen Quartet, led by couple Karnen Barnabás – Kokas Katalin, will meet after four years and play all Bartók’s chord quads. But there will also be Felix Laiko, the National Orchestra, the Orchestra of Orview, and the Purcell Choir, and Forte will also perform.
Although Bartók Spring is pushing into the online space, it’s still trying to build the Budapest brand: Charlie and Bagossy Brothers Company’s concert will take place at Buda Castle, and the public can watch from home. Which – which CharlieWhat Bartok’s relationship is remains a mystery, but if it turns out.
The only advantage of an online format that goes beyond the international character is that it cannot be neglected:
The programs can be watched all over the world.
Despite this, Bartok’s saying remains true: Nobody can know the whole world, because it is infinite in time and space.
(Cover Photo: Contemporary Szjed ballet. Photo: Janus Lakatos / Rabih Bartok)
