Mátyás Antal and Liszt Academy Symphony Orchestra A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

Fülöp Ránki performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto in A major at what could well be described as an everyday conductor’s exam concert with such confidence and mature conception, with such extraordinary forcefulness, the like of which one generally only finds at the rarest and most talked about concerts. This youthful pianist revealed the fine structure of the musical fabric of the glittering concerto by continuing a chamber music dialogue with the conductor; it was then apparent that Bartók’s third piano concerto would be particularly suited to this kind of approach. This extremely poetic piece has never been a test of technique but far more of heart, empathy and imaginative timbre. It presupposes the sort of mature artistic personality that is given to young pianists only in the rarest of instances. Fülöp Ránki is just such a rare instance. And if we are looking for someone who is open to a chamber music approach to grand orchestral pieces, then that person is Mátyás Antal. To accompany the piano concerto, the conductor has selected a Szőllősy concerto, which György Kroó reckons is sourced on the music of The Miraculous Mandarin, rich in string tonality, plus a work by Kodály, which was created at virtually the same time as the Piano Concerto No. 3.