Magyar News, 1997. szeptember-1998. augusztus (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1998-02-01 / 6. szám
Since my last article in the Magyar News, I returned to Hungary in October with the intention of seeing the Ferenc Erkel opera Bánk Bán in the Budapest Operaház. The unplanned musical part of my trip surprised and delighted me. Let me explain. My first-full day in Hungary, October 12th, was a Sunday so I wandered to Mátyás Templom (Matthias Church) and asked the church personnel if 1 could meet the choir director. I was soon face to face with László Tardy and 1 introduced myself to him in Hungarian. After an exchange of a few more phrases he stated, in perfect English, that he speaks English as well. (I later ascertained he is also fluent in German, conversant in Italian and has a scholastic and musical foundation in Latin as well). We proceeded into the choir loft and I gladly rehearsed and sang with the choir for the morning high mass; I also sang with them on the following Sunday. It was quite an honor for me to sign the choir's attendance book for these two days, as if I were a true member of the group. I wrote my name in Hungarian, of course: Procaccini Antal, followed by "(USA)". One perk of singing with the choir is the commanding view of the entire church from the choir loft. Watching the proceedings of the mass from this vantage point while singing and following the choirmaster is an experience I will not forget any time soon. Mátyás Templom The true name of Mátyás Templom is Church of the Blessed Virgin. A third name, Coronation Church, is sometimes used because many Hungarian kings, including Charles Robert of Anjou, the popular Renaissance King Mátyás Corvinus and, more recently, the Habsburg emperor Franz Joseph were crowned here. The origins of the church date to the late 13th century and it is the earliest most complete Gothic building in Hungary. Lajos the Great, son of Charles Robert, rebuilt the church in contemporary Gothic style. Many of the ten o'clock mass responscommences, signaling the congregation to begin their exodus. This practice creates full attention to the music and evokes a very reverent ending to the mass. Another major destination of my trip was the Zeneakadémia, the Music Academy. Located near Andrássy út at Liszt Ferenc Tér, the Academy was founded by Franz Liszt and began in the academic year 1875-76 in the composer's downtown home. The Academy moved to its present site in 1907 and has been the breeding ground and workplace for many great performers, composers, conductors and teachers of music past and present. 1 Procaccini (left) with László Tardy at the organ of Mátyás Templom es are sung in Latin here. We sang music by Palestrina and parts of a Franz Liszt Mass (in Hungarian). On the Sunday which precedes the national holiday October 23rd, a small orchestra of about thirty musicians performed with the choir. When I consider the importance of this church in Hungarian history as well as its place in the musical life of Budapest, I more fully realize how unique this opportunity was. Lajos Bárdos, was a well known composer and music director, as well as a recipient of the Kossuth Award. During his term as music director at Mátyás templom, he instituted a standardized ending to the ten o'clock Sunday mass. After "the mass is ended" is declared, the choir sings a hymn dedicated to Hungary or to the Pope or to a Saint followed immediately by the Himnusz, Hungary's national anthem. The priests do not start their departure from the altar until the Himnusz is finished. A short pause ensues before the organ postiude was lucky enough, via a good friend with good connections, to sit in the upper-level teachers' box and witness two separate daytime rehearsals. The first rehearsal was of the six Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach for chamber orchestra. I heard the Hungarian Virtuosos' Chamber Orchestra under the direction of a rehearsal conductor named Gergely Keselyák. The group was fonned in 1988 and many of its members are wellknown in international circles. The repertoire spans from the Baroque period to contemporary composers. The artistic director and principal violinist is Miklós Szenthelyi, a world recognized soloist and chamber musician. The second rehearsal was of Daphnis and Chloe by Ravel for symphony orchestra. Zoltán Kocsis, a world renown pianist, was guest conducting the Budapest Festival Orchestra on this day. He and conductor Iván Fischer founded this orchestra in 1989. It was interesting to see that Page 4
