Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 2014 (26. évfolyam, 1-39. szám)

2014-01-03 / 1. szám

Hungarian Journal ' — ■ ,r - *-/,■ r J 777s S *7f t WíT//IíTIWw f %s ÍWm> J- - ^ v The world famous Zoltán Mága performs at the Salute to Vienna concert Sunday, January 5. 2014, Walt Disney Concert Hall Violinist virtuoso Zoltán Mága lives and creates in a small but world-famous country in Central Europe, Hungary, which can boast of natural beauty and great achievements in arts and sciences. His unique, instantly recognisable virtuoso play, his characteristic crossover style mingling classical music, folk music, pop music and other genres of music have earned worldwide recognition and acclaim. His artistic repertoire ranges from folk music through classical pieces to jazz and even pop music. The distin­guishing features of his art are virtuosity, an immense force, a desire coming from deep in his soul to give, and a hope that music and the love that appears in it can be a means to make the world better. He is one of those artists who, being committed to accomplishing a mission in the first place, represents Hungarian cultural traditions and strengthens the posi­tive image formed of Hungarians. His musical mission is to get the world to know and like the Hun­garian nation and Hungarian cul­ture. Through his concerts he sets out to make his audience become more open to other nations and cultures. This way he has gained countless fans not only for himself but also for traditional gypsy and classical music. It is his inimitable, special personality that makes his music unique and magic. With his charity concerts he is able to mobilise and join together thousands of people in spite of ideological and political divides. Inviting music-lover Hungarians to assume social responsibility is an initiative without ■ precedent. This explains why he is called the Violinist of Love by both musi­cians and his audience. Violinist virtuoso Zoltán Mága has given concerts in nearly one hundred countries on five continents, playing for kings, heads of state, church dignitar­ies and world-famous stars. He has enchanted with his play Pope Benedict XVI, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, Moham­med VI, the king of Morocco, Konstantin II, the former king of Greece, the Oscar-winning American actor Robert de Niro, and also actress Salma Hayek. He has worked together with numer­ous world-renowned musicians, among others Didier Lockwood, Stephan Grappelli and Richard Clayderman. Zoltán Mága’s aim is to enchant millions of people in his concerts and enable all age groups to experience the beauty of clas­sical, pop and folk music, the universality of Hungarian musical culture. LET US CELEBRATE OUR HISTORY BY READING EXCITING BOOKS DURING THE HOLIDAYS. MY ONLY CHOICE: HUNGARY 1942-1956 by Meten M, Safety* Reading ék feeek will dmgc ym lit* « m * At mf tee* «aN* ftm wN* yen Nave, ttepfege A* life ftf * yowngi gif! a* *1» beenm« a weman ami mgtNee in »M* trw* sw> dw »»ml* 19» « «ewä fet all «me, A pggr'nmwNmm atteenw** m*f mé <* love *nwy=«fc’» »Nr «mfetaptaphy «fher Üfe énriog he*N At HbI ami Cwwwwiriw émmékfk te® M*e fm «site «y and “astgls Awm^ww this enNfU ami efcfwitete-. met «A? été két m « tt* itt m* whkh Amthmm kardit krtaw ami VtiU#* dkm*r. * Available from amazon.com, or can be ordered from any of your favorite bookstores, also in Kindle, or e-book form. Dedicated copies from author: szabiyahj@aol.com . Author’s webpage: www.helenmszablya.com Things to know before visiting Hungary Slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Indiana, and with a slowly decreasing population of just under 10 million (1.7 million of whom live in the capital, Budapest), Hungary is a land in thrall to its history. The horse is still revered here, Franz Liszt is huge and goulash is a soup not a stew. You may find yourself overtaken in a revolving door, but you’ll be made to feel thoroughly welcome - as long as you don’t clink your beer glass. 1. It has Central Europe’s largest lake. At almost 80 kilometers (50 miles) long, and covering an area of almost 600-square-kilometers (230 square miles), Lake Balaton is so big it’s known as the “Magyar tenger” or the Hungarian Sea. The lake is a favorite vacation destina­tion for Hungarians - the southern shore, and especially the city of Siófok, is something of a party spot. 2. Swimsuits are necessities. There are more than 1,000 natural springs in the country (and the world’s largest thermal lake at Hévíz, near Lake Balaton), with 118 in Budapest alone. On the Pest side of the river in the capital, Széchenyi Thermal Baths claims to be the biggest thermal bathing complex in Europe. Another good Budapest bathing spot is the art nouveau Gellért Baths and Hotel, at the foot of Gellért Hill. 3. Hungarians are smart; just ask the people at Nobel. The country has one of the highest rankings, per capita, for Nobel laureates, with 13 winners going back to their first, in 1905 (for physics), and the most recent, in 2004 (for chemistry). Hungarians have also invented many things, from the biro ballpoint pen (named for inventor László Bíró) to computer science (János Neumann) to Rubik’s cube. 4. Franz Liszt is still huge. The composer is such a big deal here that, although he was born in what is now Austria, spoke German and French but no Hungarian and died in Germany, they renamed Buda­pest International Airport in his honor for the anniversary of his 200th birthday, in 2011. The reason? The village he was born in was Hungarian at the time, and he described himself as Hungarian. Liszt Ferenc (in the Hungar­ian naming convention, the family name always goes first) also has a square named for him in Pest. 5. The Tittle gate’ is a way of life. Forty years of communism left Hungarians expert at finding what they call “the little gate,” an alterna­tive way in, a work around. They’re reputed to be the only people who can enter a revolving door behind you and emerge ahead. They also have an opinion on everything, so much so that it’s said if you have three Hungarians in a room, they’ll form four political parties. 6. Goulash isn’t what you think it is. The signature national dish is gulyás, which you probably know as goulash. What’s served in Western restaurants, however, is usually a stew, while what you get in Hungary is a soup. Everyone claims to have the best recipe, with an annual gou­lash festival held each September in Szolnok (120 kilometers southeast of the capital in central Hungary). The version at one of Budapest’s best known restaurants, Gundel will set you back HUF 3,800 ($17). Around the corner, you can get a great bowl for HUF 1,900 at Bagolyvár, which is owned by Gundel but specializes in home-style cooking. 7. Hungarians are addicted to a red powder. There’s one element of Hungarian cuisine that’s present in every kitchen, from Grandma’s to that of the country’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, Costes: paprika. The powdered pepper is used to spice up just about every dish- especially goulash. It’s so important it was national news when spice and sauce maker Univer announced in late October that its paprika­­based condiments would continue to be made from 100% Hungarian produce, despite a poor harvest. 8. Clinking beer glasses is frowned upon. Walk along Budapest’s answer to London’s Soho - the pedestrianized Ráday utca teeming with bars, restaurants and galleries in the center of Pest - and you’ll hear little clinking of beer glasses. When the Hungarians lost the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence, Austrians executed 13 of the most senior Hungarian generals, and supposedly celebrated by drinking beer and clinking their mugs. Hungarians vowed not to clink beer glasses for the next 150 years. Although that period ended in 1999, the “ban” is still widely observed, especially among more elderly people. It’s fine to clink wine and spirit glasses. 9. Tokaji is the Wine of Kings. Sweet ending to every meal. Tokaji is so good that Louis XIV of France called it the “Wine of Kings, the King of Wine.” If you want to take a bottle of the sweet des­sert wine home you’ll find it in most ,wine shops - Bortársaság (Wine Society) has locations across Budapest and the country. Tokaji is measured by its sweetness, shown by the number of “put­tonyos.” A good example of the topaz-colored wine is Tokaji Aszú- look for four puttonyos or more (the scale goes up to six). The best Tokaji (also rarest and most expensive) is the Essencia style. 10. Hungarians are sports mad. Hungarians love sports and are extremely proud of the fact that, per capita, the country has one of the highest tallies of Olympic medals (482 across both winter and summer games). They continue to do well at fencing, swimming, gymnastics and kayaking, but the men’s water polo team is exceptional - you’ll find Hun­garians gathered around TVs everywhere when the latter are playing. 11. Equestrian traditions are very much alive. The Hungarians rode into the Carpathian Basin - the central European territory they con­quered - on horseback and have been in love with things equine ever since. Their famed light cavalry gave English the word Hussar (from the Hungarian “Huszár”). There are plenty of places throughout the country to take riding lessons or simply go for a hack, cnn.com------------. ^ SUBSCRIBE TO THE Januar 3, 2014 HÍRLAP - amhir.com

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