Collaborators: Enikő Benedek, Katalin Kolozsváry, Radu Rădescu
Branding, Graphic Design, Prepress: Raster Line
Photo: Gyula Ádám (6, 12, 19, 37, 46, 48, 53, 56), Irinel Cârlănaru (30), Balázs Cséfalvay (32), András Dabasi (52), Dénes Daczó (36, 55), DRK Library (49), Zsuzsanna Fodor (18, 47, 54), Ákos Hátszegi (44), Szilárd Kis (26), Kishin Morikawa-Parle (21), MTA-KIK, Manuscript Library (50), András Péter Németh (27), László Perger (9), Bertrand Pichène (15), Vajk-István Szigeti (18, 19, 20, 24, 32, 35, 38, 41).
For the branding of the current edition of the Festival, the plans of András
SATURDAY, 13 JULY
Mikó Castle (2 Cetății Square)*
18.00 Opening Ceremony of the Festival
18.30 MUSICA HISTORICA (Hungary): Early Hungarian Fun – Drinking and humorous songs with dance tunes (16th–19th centuries)
19.30 MÁRTA SEBESTYÉN & JUDIT ANDREJSZKI and their guests (Hungary, Romania): “Ritka kertben” (Rarely Seen in a Garden) – Hungarian music of centuries with a European perspective, from folk and written sources
SUNDAY, 14 JULY
Unitarian Church (25 Szász Endre Street)
11.30 ARS PRO TOTO (Romania): Musical Revival in 17th-century Religious Sung-poetry
Mikó Castle, Weapons room (2 Cetății Square)
16.30 Parallels and contrasts in the world of the wine – Transylvanian Wine Tasting, with the Vinkli Wine Store**
Mikó Castle (2 Cetății Square)*
19.00 INTO THE WINDS (France): Let there be Dance!
MONDAY, 15 JULY
Zengő Tér Cultural Center (35 Petőfi Street)
10.00 “With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles” – Musical activities for children, with Julcsi Ádám**
Nagy István Art School, hall (18 Libertății Square)
15.30 Homophonic psalms – Workshop led by András Szabó
Reformed Church (11 Márton Áron Street)
19.00 CONCERTO SPIRALIS (Romania, Hungary): Voices from 17th Century Chamber Music
Zengő Tér Cultural Center (35 Petőfi Street)
21.00 NICHOLAS PARLE (England): Spain, Italy & England – A Golden Age of Keyboard Music
TUESDAY, 16 JULY
Zengő Tér Cultural Center (35 Petőfi Street) 10.00 “With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles” – Musical activities for children, with Julcsi Ádám**
Nagy István Art School, hall (18 Libertății Square) 15.30 Collection of songs by János Arany (1874) – lecture by Rumen István Csörsz
Franciscan Church of Șumuleu Ciuc – Basilica Minor Papalis (148 Szék Street)
19.30 MADÉFALVI SCHOLA & LUX AURUMQUE (Romania): Gregorian Chant in Contemporary Choral Music Literature
WEDNESDAY, 17 JULY
Zengő Tér Cultural Center (35 Petőfi Street)
10.00 “With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles” – Musical activities for children, with Julcsi Ádám**
17.00 Round table conversations
17.00–18.30 Dew and Pearls. The Babrik Heritage. The Early Music Movement in Transylvania and Hungary in the Seventies and Eighties.
Moderator: Rumen István Csörsz
18.30–19.00 Dr. Klára Radnóti: The Heyday of European Lute Playing –Lutes of the Hungarian National Museum
19.00–20.00 “Az lantot pöngetni derék mesterség” (Picking the lute is a fine craft).
Conversation about the lute. Moderator: István Kónya
Millennium Church (38 Kossuth Lajos Street)
21.00 ZSOMBOR TÓTH-VAJNA (Hungary): Keyboard Music of the Restoration Period in England
THURSDAY, 18 JULY
Cinema Csíki Mozi (2 Majláth Gusztáv Károly Square)
19.00 SEMPRE (Romania): Black & White – Vivaldi
Mikó Castle, Northwestern Bastion Hall (2 Cetății Square)
21.00 MÁRIA FÜLÖP & PIROSKA VITÁRIUS (Switzerland, Hungary): Discussions
FRIDAY, 19 JULY
Nagy István Art School, hall (18 Libertății Square)
15.00 CLOSING CONCERT OF THE 16TH EARLY MUSIC SUMMER UNIVERSITY
Saint Augustine Church (1 Szent Ágoston Square)
19.30 BAROQUE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA (Romania, Hungary, Germany): Listen and hear
SATURDAY, 20 JULY
Mikó Castle (2 Cetății Square)
11.00 Children’s Renaissance Day: craft workshops and Renaissance games
Siculicidium – Saint Anne Chapel (746 Siculeni)
16.00 FLAUTO DOLCE (Romania) and GÁBOR HEGYI (Germany): Sinfonia Spirituosa – From Caioni to Sartorius
Mikó Castle (2 Cetății Square)*
18.30
CARMINA RENASCENTIA (Romania): Sicut cervus (‘As the deer pants for water…’)
19.30 CODEX (Romania): “A tudós macskája” (The Scientist’s cat) – Songs of János Arany
20.30 Renaissance dance event with Gábor Kovács
SUNDAY, 21 JULY
Henter Mansion (545 Sântimbru)
16.00 Early music picnic with the ensembles Codex and Musica Historica
* In case of unfavourable weather conditions, at the Csíki Játékszín Theatre, Great Hall (6 Blvd Timișoarei).
** Participation in this event is based on prior registration by calling +40 746 244 235 (Zengő Tér Cultural Center, Musical activities for children) and +40 753 055 311 (for wine tasting).
A bus will leave from the parking lot of the Erőss Zsolt Arena half an hour before the event.
Details regarding the tickets can be found on page 72 and online at www.regizene.ro
The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the programme.
MUSICA HISTORICA (HU)
13 July MIKÓ CASTLE, 18.30
Early Hungarian Fun
Drinking and humorous songs with dance tunes (16th–19th centuries)
Víz, víz
(Sámuel Almási: Magyar Dalnok, manuscript, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1834)
Hungarian and Slovakian Dance Tunes (Anna Szirmayné Keczer Collection, manuscript, c. 1740; Linus Manuscript, c. 1786)
Bachusnak véletlen rabsága idejének legjobb korában (Codex Hölischer, 1686–1693)
Asztali nóta – Nota ad mensam (Codex Apponyi, Zay-Ugróc, 1730)
Egy éneket hallék Új-Tordában (Collection of György Aranka, 1782–1790, and on the basis of other 18th-century Transylvanian manuscripts)
Megbolondult a világ (text: Szádeczky-Miscellania, 1755; melody: Ádám Pálóczi Horváth: Ötödfélszáz énekek, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1813)
Wedding dances from the repertoire of dulcimer player Pál Tendl from Sopron (Folk music collection of László Lajtha, 1950’s)
Ádám Pálóczi Horváth (1760–1820): A férjhez vágyó özvegyasszony (Ötödfélszáz énekek, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1813)
A leányok jók, nem rosszak (Miklós Jankovich: Magyar világi énekek, 1789–1793)
Saltus Hungaricus (Mártonffy Manuscript, 1813 – Ádám Pálóczi Horváth: Leány ABC, Ötödfélszáz énekek, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1813 – Girl-mocking songs, turn of the 18th–19th centuries)
Ének a pincéhez (Old Hungarian songs, early 19th century)
Ádám Pálóczi Horváth: Szántódi tus (Ötödfélszáz énekek, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1813)
Fanfare Garland (Szkárosi-Járdánházi Melodiary, Sárospatak, 1787–1792; Ádám Pálóczi Horváth: Ötödfélszáz énekek, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1813; Gáspár Tahy: Hasznos Mulatságok, 1821)
Rumen István Csörsz (artistic director) voice, lute, cobza, Renaissance and 19th century guitar, bagpipe, Jew’s harp
Roland Kasza xylophone, tabor, jingles, voice
Réka Palócz soprano, Jew’s harp, bass cornamusa
Valéria Pribay bass viol, cello, voice
Zoltán Széplaki voice, recorders, Baroque flute, Turkish zurna
Márton Szilágyi violin, voice
For the first time, the Musica Historica ensemble has been invited to play in the opening concert of the festival. Their programme is reminiscent of old-time merriment and the joy of meeting, with repertoire from songs on the CDs ‘Bonum Vinum’ (2001) and ‘Ladies and Hags’ (2007). As well as wine songs, table songs and songs of teasing, the repertoire also contains dance songs, just like the one performed at carnivals, weddings and feast days of yesteryear. Initially, moralising songs about wine drinking were composed (Tinódi being the first author), but in the 18th century the genre of social songs about wine and celebratory tunes also flourished in Hungary. These compositions are mostly known from student manuscripts, but some of the melodies also survived in folk songs. István Csulyak Miskolci, on the other hand, probably wrote the wedding song for an Italian ballet in the Olaszliszka region. The battle of Bacchus and Mars, i.e. of the meat and fasting dishes at the end of the carnival, is the subject of a humorous baroque song with a rich ‘menu’. The mockers of folk poetry in the 18th and 19th centuries made fun of all kinds of people. ‘The boast of the Drunkard’ comes from a text of medieval origin written by Archipoëta (Gualterus de Mapes) and was translated several times in the 18th century. Teasing songs about women are mainly about laziness, prodigality and lust. The song ‘The World Has Gone Mad’ combines several genres: the soldier accommodated at a family home and the housewife drink together until they squander the husband’s fortune. The songs are interspersed with Hungarian and Eastern European folk dances from the 17th and 19th centuries. While food was served, table tunes from the Apponyi Codex were played, including a version of the Rákóczi March, and Pál Tendl played the dulcimer in the verbunk style.
The Musica Historica ensemble was founded in Budapest in 1988. In addition to classical and early music, its members also play Hungarian and Eastern European folk music, which decisively shaped their style. Their work relies on thorough research of the musical culture of the 15th–19th centuries. Nevertheless, they sustain that the scientific background cannot replace artistic invention, as early music is a genre open towards experimentation. The ensemble’s repertoire includes mainly Hungarian and Central European music from the 11th–19th centuries; besides, they also play the works of Western European composers from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods as well as Turkish and ancient Greek music. The ensemble has performed more than 1,400 times at prestigious festivals in Hungary and abroad. They have been performing in Transylvania for 29 years, playing for the first time at the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival in 1995. They have released nine individual CDs and contributed to two CDs of Tamás Kobzos Kiss. Since 2008, the members of the ensemble have been masterclass trainers and lecturers at the Early Music Summer University in Miercurea Ciuc.
SEBESTYÉN MÁRTA & ANDREJSZKI JUDIT (HU)
13 July MIKÓ CASTLE, 19.30
“Ritka
kertben” (Rarely Seen in a Garden)
Hungarian music of centuries with a European perspective, from folk and written sources
Nikolaus Herman (c. 1500–1561): Erschienen ist der herrlich Tag (arranger.: Michael Praetorius)
Elment a két lány virágot szedni (Čechynce, collected by Zoltán Kodály)
Traditional music from Navarra (Basque Country, Province Navarre, 17th c.)
Ej haj, kisöcsém (lyrics: Margit Szécsi, arr. Ferenc Sebő)
Hegyen-földön járogatok vala (Galbeni, collected by Béla Bartók) Bergamasca
(Codex Vietoris, c. 1670)
Ritka kertben találsz télben (Codex Vietoris, c. 1670)
Elindulék szőrt gyűjtni (Collection from Moldova) Hajdútánc
(Codex Vietoris, c. 1670)
The two artists have been performing together regularly for fifteen years. Their performances explore the parallels and connections between Hungarian folk music and European early music, and they are interspersed with personal commentary and presented in a direct style. The concert will feature the versatile members of the young generation of folk musicians, Jr. Béla Szerényi and Ferenc Zimber, as well as Zsolt Szabó, a leading figure in Hungarian early music.
UNESCO and Kossuth Prize winner Márta Sebestyén is one of the few Hungarian performers who represents traditional Hungarian culture, unchanged and unaltered, at home and abroad, bringing to life the almost forgotten folk song tradition collected by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and other researchers. A true cultural ambassador of her homeland, there is almost no country where she has not represented Hungarian culture, either in her solo performances or with her fellow musicians.
Judit Andrejszki is an emblematic figure of Hungarian early music. As a baroque soprano, harpsichordist and music educator, she promotes Hungarian early music worldwide. She is one of the founders, singer and harpsichordist of the early music ensembles Musica Profana and Corvina Consort. Since 2009, she has been performing regularly with Márta Sebestyén.
The two artists, who have been working together for fifteen years now, bring to light the hidden connections between folk music and early music and transform them into unforgettable performances. They have given numerous concerts together, not only in Hungary, but also in France, the Netherlands, England, Spain and in many Hungarian regions of the Carpathian Basin. They have released two albums together, entitled ‘Örvendezzünk’ (Let’s Rejoice) and ‘Angyali szó zengedez’ (The Voice of Angels is Heard).
14 July UNITARIAN CHURCH, 11.30
Musical Revival in 17th -century
Religious Sung-poetry
Emő Bölöni Vass alto
Melinda Mézes alto
András Szabó bass
András Ványolós tenor
Orsolya Ványolós soprano
Anon.: Confitebor tibi, Domine – offertory (Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Claude Goudimel (c. 1514–1572): Psalm no. 111., polyphonic version (Octante Trois Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1554; lyrics: Albert Szenci Molnár: Psalterium Ungaricum, Herborn, 1607)
Claude le Jeune (c. 1528–1600): Du Seigneur Dieu (Les cent cinquante pseaumes de David, Paris, 1613; lyrics: Claude Goudimel: Les Pseaumes, mis en rime françoise, Paris, 1565)
Claude Goudimel (c. 1514–1572): Psalm no. 2. (Les Pseaumes mis en rime françoise, Paris, 1565; lyrics: Albert Szenci Molnár: Psalterium Ungaricum, Herborn, 1607)
Claude Goudimel (c. 1514–1572): Psalm no. 68., polyphonic version (Les Pseaumes mis en rime françoise, Geneva, 1562; lyrics: Albert Szenci Molnár: Psalterium Ungaricum, Herborn, 1607)
Anon.: Hei mihi! Domine – responsory (Liber usualis, Tournai, 1930)
Andrea Gabrieli (c. 1532–1585): Heu mihi, Domine – Libera me Domine (Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, liber primus, Venice, 1565)
Vicente Lusitano (?–1561): Heu me, Domine (Tratado de canto de organo, manuscript, c. 1550, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Anon.: Alleluia. Laetatus sum (Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Anon.: Eorvendezek én, mikor nékem azt mondgyák (“Öreg” Gradual, Alba Iulia, 1636)
Claude Goudimel (c. 1514–1572): Psalm no. 122. (Les Pseaumes mis en rime françoise, Paris, 1565; lyrics: Albert Szenci Molnár: Psalterium Ungaricum, Herborn, 1607)
Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672): Es ist ein Freud dem Herzen mein (Becker Psalter, Freiberg, 1628)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695): I was glad (Bruce Wood: A Coronation Anthem –Lost and Found, 1977)
The 17th century, from the point of view of church music, was an era that clarified and reconciled previous differences. The Protestant movements that started in October 1517 opened up new ways in church order, which also affected church music. The new religious views attracted more and more people to the Lutheran and Reformed churches. In three years, between 1559-1562, the number of Protestant churches in Europe increased almost tenfold. This tendency was enhanced by the striving for the use of native language and metrication in the songs, making it possible for the congregation to get involved more easily – or finally – in the singing parts of the ceremony as well. The resulting “competition” also gave birth to new songs in the Roman Catholic repertoire in the second half of the 16th century (Council of Trent). It can be easily imagined what internal tension and strength shaped and increased our repertoire of songs. The ensemble will present only a few pieces of the vast material covering a wide range of topics. The presentation focuses, among others, on the work of Albert Szenci Molnár and Claude Goudimel. In addition to the monophonic Gregorian chants representing the gradual material, the ensemble will also present polyphonic musical compositions for singing congregations, as well as an artistically outstanding composition born at the end of the 17th century.
The Ars pro Toto Vocal Ensemble, founded in the spring of 2021, consists of music teachers from the Ciuc Basin (a depression in Harghita County, East-Transylvania, Romania). It is a gap-filling team, as we hardly find a similar type of ensemble in Transylvania. Their aim is to revive and rethink the path set by Joannes Caioni, a Franciscan monk, who advocated the transmission, transplantation of the Western European music (both sacred and secular) to Transylvania in the 17th century. The ensemble currently has five members, but they plan to continue their activities with a varying line-up to meet the diverse needs of the pieces they sing, even with the addition of instruments.
INTO THE WINDS (FR)
Let there be Dance!
Stella Splendens
(Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, manuscript, 14th c., Monastery of Montserrat)
Suite de Ducties
(manuscript, 14th c., British Library, London)
La Tierche estampie Real
(Chansonnier du Roy, manuscript, 13th c., Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Danse Real
(Chansonnier du Roy, manuscript, 13th c., Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Retrove
(Robertsbridge Codex, manuscript, 14th c., British Library, London)
La Manfredina
(manuscript, 14th c., British Library, London)
La Rotta
(manuscript, 14th c., British Library, London)
Anabelle Guibeaud shawms & recorders
Rémi
Yula S percussions
Lécorché slide trumpet, sackbut, recorders
Marion le Moal shawms & recorders
Adrien Reboisson shawms & recorders
Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400–c. 1476): Bassadanza “Zoglioza” (De arte saltandi, et choreas ducendi, manuscript, c. 1455, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400–c. 1476): La figlia di Guglielmino (The Musical Manuscript Montecassino 871, 15th c., Oxford, 1978)
Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro (c. 1420–c. 1484): Ballo Francese “Amoroso”
(De pratica seu arte tripudii, manuscript, 1463, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro (c. 1420–1484): Ballo Francese “Les petits vriens” (De pratica seu arte tripudii, manuscript, 1463, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro (c. 1420–1484): Voltate in ça Rosina (De pratica seu arte tripudii, manuscript, 1463, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Basse danse “Re di Spagna” – on the cantus firmus “La Spagna” (sec. XV)
(Antonio Cornazano: Libro dell’ arte del danzare, manuscript, 1455, Vatican Apostolic Library, Vatican)
Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450–1517): Gloria – Agnus Dei (Missa “La Spagna”)
(Ottaviano Petrucci: Misse Henrici Isac, Venice, 1506)
Jacob Obrecht (c. 1457–1505): Rompeltier
(Harmonice Musices Odhecaton, Venice, 1501)
Anon.: Ballo “Tentalora”
(Manuscrit de frottoles, manuscript, 16th c., Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Anon.: Saltarello “El Marchese di Saluzzo” (manuscript, 16th c., Bavarian State Library, Munich)
Hilaire Penet (16th c.): Au Joly Bois
(Adrien Le Roy: Tiers livre de chansons, Paris, 1553)
Claudin de Sermisy (c. 1490–1562): Pavane “Au joly bois”
(Pierre Attaingnant: Trente et une chanson musicales, Paris, 1529)
Vincenzo Ruffo (c. 1508–1587): La Brava & La Gamba
(Capricci in musica a tre voci, Milan, 1564)
Diego Ortiz (c. 1510–c. 1570): Recercada Quarta sur la Gamba (Trattado de Glosas, Rome, 1553)
Claude Gervaise (1525–1583): Pavane Passemèze
(Pierre Attaingnant: Sixième livre de danceries, Paris, 1555)
Pierre Phalèse (c. 1510–c. 1575): Passemèzes d’Italie
Jean D’Estrée (?–1576): Suite de branles gay (Premier livre de danseries, Paris, 1559)
Has there ever been a culture that hasn’t explored the ritual, social, sacred, or simply jubilant act of joining music and physical movement?
Dancing has been a universal and timeless activity throughout the history of mankind, and Occidental dance’s earliest steps are the focus of this programme.
Engravings and manuscript illuminations from the Middle Ages are the silent evidence of thousand-year-old practices, of which musical sources are as mysterious as they are rare. Whether solemn or festive, estampies, ductia, saltarelles and other forgotten dances create a picture of a lively and colourful world of contrasts.
From the 15th century and onwards we begin to find traces of the earliest choreographic indications. At the court of Burgundy, which was bursting with splendour and vitality, the aristocracy fully embraced the noble basse danse which seemed to draw a bridge from the mundane towards the realm of the gods. Italian dance masters were meanwhile putting their first treatises to paper during this same period. However, it was not until the Renaissance, with the birth of the Venetian music printing press, that dance music became more widespread throughout Europe. Extraordinary accounts of the balls and the magnificences of the time reveal the public’s desire for amusement and festivities, particularly at the French court. The short and repetitive phrases of the “branles à mener”, played by minstrels at the court of Henry III, served to familiarise the first court dancers with the dance steps. Audiences today are instantly entranced by the hypnotic power of this music, a feeling to which we can all relate when we suddenly have the urge to let go on the dance floor!
At its essence, Into the Winds is a sound – at once powerful, striking, hypnotic, and singular – created by wind instruments whose unique and colourful timbers are rooted in Europe’s Middle Ages and Renaissance. The invigorating breath and pulsating energy of their instruments invite listeners on an immersive sensory journey through time and space.
Always on the lookout for fresh sensations and new challenges, Into the Winds channels the spirit of bygone ages with elegance, simplicity, authenticity and conviction, juggling myriad instruments while grooving like a big band, and driven by the energy, joy and pleasure of sharing with audiences.
CONCERTO SPIRALIS (RO, HU)
Dávid Csibi baroque violin
Mária Fülöp harpsichord
Előd Gábor baroque viola
Koppány Hunyadi (artistic director) baroque violin
Dóra Király recorder, dulcian
Anna Lachegyi viola da gamba
Zsombor Lázár
baroque cello
Voices from 17th Century Chamber Music
Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) : Io mi son giovanetta (Il quarto libro de madrigali, Venice, 1603)
Emilio de’ Cavalieri (c. 1550–1602): Ritornello – Sinfonia (Rappresentazione di Anima, et di Corpo, Rome, 1600)
Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654): Canzon super “O Nachbar Roland” (Ludi Musici I., Hamburg, 1621)
Salomone Rossi (1570–1630): Sinfonia Prima (Il terzo libro di varie sonate, Venice, 1613)
Salomone Rossi (1570–1630): Gagliarda à 5 detta la Narciso (Il secondo libro delle Sinfonie et Gagliarde, Venice, 1608)
Massimiliano Neri (c. 1621–c. 1666): Sonata quinta à 4 (Sonate da sonarsi con varij stromenti a trè, fino a dodeci, Venice, 1651)
Marco Uccellini (1603/10–1680): Sinfonia terza a cinque (Ozio Regio, Venice, 1660)
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643): Canzon à due bassi (Canzoni da sonare a una, due, tre et quattro, Venice, 1634)
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (c. 1623–1680): Sonata IX a cinque (Sacro-profanus concentus musicus, Nuremberg 1662)
Giovanni Legrenzi (1626–1690): Sonata seconda a 4 (La cetra. Libro Quarto Di Sonate A due Tre e Quattro Stromenti, Venice, 1673)
Johann Rosenmüller (c. 1619–1684): Sonata decima à 5 (Sonatae à 2, 3, 4 è 5 stromenti da arco et altri, Nuremberg, 1682)
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644–1704): Sonata VIII a cinque (Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes, Salzburg, 1676)
Giovanni Valentini (1582/3–1649): Sonata à 5 (Partiturbuch Ludwig, manuscript, 1662, Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel)
The programme will focus on works for five voices, which, along with trio sonatas, were a typical form of chamber music in the 17th century. This five-voice (or more rarely four-voice) sonority was inherited by chamber music for instruments from the seconda prattica madrigals, which can be traced back to the late Baroque period, but is most characteristic for the 17th century. The pieces are marked by various alternating characters and a very rich and informal counterpoint, expressing a multitude of passions, giving the impression as if one is experiencing the “textual painting” of madrigals. The performance gives an overview of the history of the development of these compositions, both in Italy and Germany.
Concerto Spiralis was founded in 2012 by Koppány Hunyadi, after his return from his studies in Italy. The aim of the ensemble is to promote quality early music, by showing to an audience as wide as possible that this music, which has stood the test of centuries, is still alive and fresh today, if the recorded sounds are played by musicians who know the musical language of the time. The members of the ensemble have honed their professional skills with top European masters such as Enrico Onofri, Philippe Pierlot, Nicholas Parle, etc. Their repertoire covers the musical period from the second half of the 16th century to the mid-18th century. The ensemble has given concerts in several Transylvanian towns and, since 2015, has regularly organised series of concerts in the churches of the former Csík County, at the same time raising public awareness of the built heritage.
NICHOLAS PARLE (EN)
15 July ZENGŐ TÉR CULTURAL CENTER, 21.00
Spain, Italy & England
A Golden Age of Keyboard Music
Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566):
Diferencias sobre “La dama le demanda” (Obras de música para tecla, arpa y vihuela, Madrid, 1578)
Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566):
Diferencias sobre “El canto llano del Caballero” (Obras de música para tecla, arpa y vihuela, Madrid, 1578)
Francisco Correa de Arauxo (c. 1576–1654):
Segundo Tiento de quarto tono (Facultad organica, Alcalà, 1626)
Nicholas Parle harpsichord
Andrea Gabrieli (c. 1510–1586): Intonazione del sesto tono (Intonationi d’Organo, Venice, 1593)
Andrea Gabrieli (c. 1510–1586):
Canzon ariosa (Il terzo libro de ricercari, Venice, 1596)
Claudio Merulo (1533–1604):
Toccata prima sopra Undecimo detto Quinto Tuono (Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, libro secondo, Rome, 1604)
Girolamo Cavazzoni (c. 1520–c. 1580):
Canzon sopra “Il est bel et bon” (Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificat, Venice, 1543)
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643): Balletto – Corrente – Passachagli (Toccate d’intavolatura di cimbalo et organo, Rome, 1637)
Bernardo Storace (17th c.):
Partite sopra il cinque passi (Selva di varie compositioni [...] per cimbalo, Venice, 1664)
The 16th and early 17th centuries were, in some countries, a period of extraordinary musical creativity and encompass one of the richest periods of keyboard music. Unfortunately, in a world today where much of the study of music history was originally done and defined by German musicologists, whose own musical heritage was peaking in the 18th and 19th centuries, the earlier period is still neglected by many and somehow thought of being in some way “inferior” to the music which came later. This programme is designed to give a small glimpse into the riches of the earlier Spanish, Italian and English keyboard music. It should be no surprise that around 1600, in Shakespeare’s time, England supported brilliant musicians such as William Byrd and John Bull, or the period of Spanish expansion around the world could also sustain the high artistic invention of composers such as Cabezón and Coelho. Those who unquestioningly accept that Johann Sebastian Bach is the true master of counterpoint have not experienced the complexity, beauty and – dare one say it – joy expressed through the skill of the earlier composers, whose inventiveness sometimes seems to have no boundaries.
Nicholas Parle is born in Australia, after obtaining his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Sydney, he moved to London where he has since worked with many of the leading early music orchestras. In 1989 he won the first prize in the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges, Belgium, which has only been awarded three times in 30 years. In 2014 he completed a Master of Music degree in musicology at Royal Holloway, University of London and continues to learn from his colleagues and students around the world.
From 2004 to 2019 he was professor of harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig. Now he is Professor of Harpsichord at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna and also teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
MADÉFALVI
SCHOLA & LUX AURUMQUE (RO)
16 July FRANCISCAN CHURCH OF ȘUMULEU CIUC, 19.30
Gregorian Chant in Contemporary Choral Music Literature
Lux Aurumque (Miercurea Ciuc)
Madéfalvi Schola (Siculeni)
CONDUCTOR: András Ványolós (Siculeni)
Gergely Barta (*1978): Ave maris stella (Hymnarium, Prima pars, 2014)
Nocte surgentes, gregorian hymn (Hymnarium Cisterciense, Westmalle, 1909)
György Orbán (*1947): Ad nocturnum (Latin Vegyeskarok I., Kecskemét, 2021)
Kyrie IX in festis Beatae Mariae Virginis (Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Zoltán Szalay (*1959) : Kyrie (Mass from Brașov, separate print, 2017)
Gloria IX in festis Beatae Mariae Virginis (Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Márton Levente Horváth (*1983): Gloria (Missa omni tempore, Budapest, 2010)
Evangelium secundum Matheum 26, 6-13 (Liber Usualis, Tournai, 1930)
Arvo Pärt (*1935): The woman with the alabaster box (separate print, Vienna, 1997)
Márton Levente Horváth (*1983): Ki minden fénynek Atyja vagy (Lucis creator) (separate print, 2019)
Sanctus IX in festis Beatae Mariae Virginis
Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Márton Levente Horváth (*1983): Sanctus (Missa omni tempore, Budapest, 2010)
Agnus IX in festis Beatae Mariae Virginis (Graduale Novum I., Regensburg, 2011)
Márton Levente Horváth (*1983): Agnus (Missa omni tempore, Budapest, 2010)
Sub tuum praesidium, Marian antiphon (Liber Usualis, Tournai, 1930)
Gergely Barta (1978): Sub tuum praesidium (Antiphonae finales, 2014)
Márton Levente Horváth (*1983): Salve Regina (separate print, Budapest, 2015)
As you will realise, the earliest formulations of European art music, written 1200–1300 years ago, are in fact not so far apart: the “sound of the soul” (Zoltán Kodály), i.e. contemporary music, once again focuses on silence and intimacy, on the eternity of God’s world. With the present programme, the two ensembles strive to illustrate the influence of Gregorian chant on contemporary music literature. Gregorian chant has been experiencing a renaissance in recent decades, at least in concert halls. This is partially due to the fact that today’s composers often draw on the Gregorian source for their compositions. Today’s performance, which is really a musical devotion, does not insist on looking for Gregorian melodic quotations in contemporary music literature; instead, it searches for parallels in medieval and contemporary formulations of liturgical texts. At the same time, specific, authentic Gregorian melodies will also be included in some works. The Madéfalvi Schola and the Lux Aurumque chamber choir sing alternately on stage, with the exception of three works, which are performed together.
Marian songs occupy an important place in the programme, connected to the spirituality of the shrine in Șumuleu Ciuc. In addition, the programme also includes a complete ordinary, hymns and a sung gospel fragment.
The Lux Aurumque Chamber Choir was founded in the autumn of 2009 in Miercurea Ciuc, from music teachers and music lovers interested in choral singing. Their repertoire includes mostly contemporary choral works by composers such as György Orbán, Lajos Vass, Zsolt Lászlóffy, Miklós Kocsár, Zoltán Szalay, Ede Terényi, Péter Nógrádi, Gergely Barta, Levente Márton Horváth, Miklós Csemiczky, János Vajda, or among foreigners, Arvo Pärt and Eric Whitacre. The members of the choir consider it important to interpret contemporary music, thereby introducing the works of today’s living and creative composers to today’s people. The choir has already performed in churches in the Ciuc, Cluj, Brașov, București, Gheorgheni and Budapest. They also participated in the events of the Hungarian Choir Singer’s Association in Romania: in 2015 they sang at the Spring Choir Festival in Sovata, and in 2017 they performed in the original presentation of the Brasov Mass held in the Black Church in Brașov. In 2018, as part of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival, they participated in the performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Passion of Matthew, and in 2022 they performed in the Hungarian Church Music Forum in Cluj.
The Madéfalvi Schola vocal ensemble was founded in 2013 under the leadership of music teachers András Ványolós and Orsolya Ványolós. Its members are enthusiastic, music-loving children from Siculeni and neighbouring villages. They took part in schola meetings several times, but also sang in Budapest, Târgu Mures, Sângeorgiu de Mureș, Alba Iulia, Deva, Brașov and Sfântu Gheorghe. The ensemble has been practising and cultivating Gregorian chant for more than 10 years, and this style has proved to be highly suitable for the development of the singing voice and the deepening of faith. The basic principle formulated by Zoltán Kodály, to meet which universal values should be the standard in the education of youth, seems to be justified by the fact that the children feel and love this complicated musical language as their own.
TÓTH-VAJNA ZSOMBOR (HU)
Keyboard Music of the Restoration Period in England
“For ye Harpsichord”
Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (c. 1665–1746): Prelude in F
(John Blow’s transcription, manuscript, The Library of the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels, Brussel)
Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656): A Sad Pavan for these distracted Tymes
(Pièces pour virginal, manuscript, 1646–1654, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Johann Jakob Froberger (1616–1667): Meditation, faite sur ma mort future, FbWV 620/1
(manuscript, 17th c., Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Berlin)
Zsombor Tóth-Vajna harpsichord, organ
17 July MILLENNIUM CHURCH, 21.00
Louis Couperin (1626–1661): Tombeau de Mr. Blancrocher (Bauyn Manuscript, c. 1660, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695): Crown the Altar, Ground in D minor, Zd 222 (Celebrate this Festival, 1693, British Library, London)
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643): Capriccio di Durezze (Il Primo Libro di Capricci, Rome, 1624)
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) – John Blow (1649–1708): Verse in C (manuscript, GB-Lbl. Add. MS. 31446, The British Library, London)
John Blow (1649–1708): A Verse for ye Organ (manuscript, GB-Lbl. Add. MS. 31446, The British Library, London)
Anonymous (Henry Purcell – John Blow?): Voluntary in D minor (manuscript, GB-Lbl. Add. MS. 31446, The British Library, London)
Henry Purcell (1659–1695): Sefauchi’s Farewell, Z. 656
(The Second-Part of Musick’s Hand-maid, London, 1689)
John Blow (1649–1708): Psalm 113
(The Psalms by Dr. Blow Set full for the Organ or Harpsichord, manuscript, 18th c., The British Library, London)
After the fall of Cromwell, the power of the Puritans collapsed, and in 1660 King Charles II took the English throne. The king had previously been exiled in France, in the court of his cousin, King Louis XIV. It is therefore no coincidence that when he returned to England, he took with him his love of the arts, especially of music. The musical life of the court soon came to life, and the most important organ builders of the time, Bernard Smith and Renatus Harris, built new, wonderful instruments to replace the organs destroyed by the Puritans. In this inspiring atmosphere, English baroque keyboard music began to flourish. John Blow and his disciples, all organists at Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal, created a new kind of musical tradition based on improvisation, which was influenced by the Italian and French musical fashion of the time. Works by Louis Couperin, Girolamo Frescobaldi and Johann Jakob Froberger were as much a part of the organists’ daily repertoire as their own works. This art has survived almost exclusively in manuscript form, in fragments, and therefore poses significant challenges for today’s performers. In addition, all of these musicians were important teachers, as evidenced by countless contemporary publications containing harpsichord works. During the concert, one can gain an insight into the musical world of amateur keyboard works in English homes and professional keyboard works played in cathedrals.
Early keyboard specialist and conductor Zsombor Tóth-Vajna is an outstanding figure of the young Hungarian generation of musicians. He graduated with honours in harpsichord and organ from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, and continued his master’s studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. In addition to many countries in Europe, he has performed in the United States of America, given organ recitals at St Thomas’ Church in Leipzig, is a regular guest at the Handel Festival in Halle, and has played for Queen Elizabeth II and the British Emperor Charles III. He is the founder and artistic director of the Harmonia Caelestis Baroque Ensemble, and is passionate about four-handed keyboard music, which he plays with his twin brother, Gergely, in the ensemble Piano e Forte Duo. He held master classes at home and abroad, and has been a member of the jury of international competitions. From 2020, he is a doctoral student with a scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London. So far, he has released nine solo albums, which have received unanimously positive reviews. In 2013, he received the Kerpel Award of Semmelweis University, in 2015 he was chosen by La Femme magazine as one of the fifty most talented young people in Hungary, and in 2019 he received the Bach for Everyone Festival Award. In February 2024, he was the first Hungarian to give a concert in London’s Westminster Abbey in the 700-year history of the church.
Melinda Béres baroque violin
Rafael Butaru baroque violin
István Csata violone
Tamara Dica baroque viola
Raluca Enea (artistic director) harpsichord
Mircea Grigore Lazăr baroque violin
Zsombor Lázár
baroque cello
Cristina Vasilache soprano
18 July CINEMA CSÍKI MOZI, 19.00
Black & White – Vivaldi
Summer
Violin Concert in g minor, RV 315
Allegro non molto – Adagio – Presto
Nulla in mundo pax sincera
Motet for soprano, two violins, viola and basso continuo in E major, RV 630
Aria – Recitativo – Aria – Alleluia
Spring
Violin Concert in E major, RV 269
Allegro – Largo e pianissimo – Allegro pastorale
Autumn
Violin Concert in F major, RV 293
Allegro – Adagio molto – Allegro
In turbato mare irato
Motet for soprano, two violins, viola and basso continuo in G major, RV 627
Aria – Recitativo – Aria – Alleluia
The Night
Violin (orig. Flute) Concert in g minor, RV 439
Largo – Allegro – Largo – Allegro – Largo – Allegro
We have all felt, while listening to Vivaldi’s music, the infinite range of emotions. Vivaldi “plays” with us every time: he takes us from the heights to the depths, through infinite and ever-dynamic musical scales, in all registers, from highest to the lowest and back. His music thrusts us into the rolling waves of the sea, then lifts us up to the serene sky, throws us into the midst of a furious atmosphere, then suddenly transforms us into dreamers, full of peace, shows us the dazzling sun and then he suddenly plunges us into the darkness of the night. Vivaldi tells us, in just a few seconds, about love and hate, light and darkness, peace and war, life and death. The reason why we can speak of all these contrasts in Antonio Vivaldi’s case is obvious: his impetuous character and his unique instrumental and vocal style.
The latest project of the ensemble, Black & White – Vivaldi, is a proposal for a “Vivaldian synthesis”, symmetrically built around three contrasts: calm and fury, light and dark, life and death.
The baroque music ensemble Sempre was founded in 2020 by harpsichordist Raluca Enea and brings together musicians specialised in the interpretation of early music. Their repertoire is mainly focused on the Baroque music of the 18th century, but the concert programmes also include pieces from the last half of the 17th century and works from the pre-Classical period.
The members of the ensemble are concerned with authenticity of interpretation (both in terms of musical stylistics and the instruments used – copies of period instruments) and thorough musicological research, which allows them to adopt original programme concepts in their performances. The musicians who form the ensemble have specialised in the field of early music through master’s degrees, bachelor’s studies or master’s courses at prestigious institutions in Europe and have been active in the field of early music performance for over 20 years. Although the ensemble has only recently been formed, it is already very active, performing at the most important musical events in the country, such as the “George Enescu” International Festival, the Bucharest Early Music Festival, the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival.
FÜLÖP MÁRIA & VITÁRIUS PIROSKA (CH, HU)
18 July MIKÓ CASTLE, Northwestern Bastion Hall, 21.00
Discussions
Mária Fülöp harpsichord
Piroska Vitárius baroque violin
William Jackson (1730–1803):
Sonata no. 3., a minor
Allegro – Dolce con affetto – Un poco piu Presto – Dolce con affetto (Six Sonatas for the Harpsichord Accompanied with a Violin, London, 1757)
Johann Adolph Scheibe (1708–1776):
Sonata no. 2., b minor
Adagio – Allegro – Affettuoso – Vivace
(III Sonate per il Cembalo obligato e Flauto Traverso ò violino Concertato, Nürnberg, 1759)
Giovanni Bononcini (1670–1744): Divertimento in C major
Largo – Con spirito – Lento – Vivace (Divertimenti da camera tradotti per Cembalo da quelli composti pel Violino, o Flauto, London, 1722)
Charles-François Clément (1720–1789):
Sonata no. 1., c minor
Allegro, ma non troppo – Aria Affettuoso – Allegro
(Sonates en trio pour un clavecin et un violon, Paris, 1743)
Giuseppe Tartini (1692–1770):
Sonata no. 12., D major
Andante – Allegro – Presto assai
(Sonate a violino e basso, Opera Seconda, Rome, 1745)
Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711–1772):
Sonata no. 1., g minor
Ouverture. Grave – Allegro – Aria – Giga. Allegro (Pièces de Clavecin en Sonates avec accompagnement de Violon, Paris, 1734)
“After so many sonatas have been created in recent years that there is no one who doesn’t believe that the genre is exhausted, I set out to find something new.” — these are Mondonville’s words from 1740.
The works written for harpsichord and violin by the English, German, Italian and French authors performing at the concert present the possible roles and language of the two instruments in the transition period between the Baroque and Classical eras.
The word ‘gallant’ means chivalrous, courteous, amiable, a name probably first used by Johann Mattheson in his work Das forschende Orchestre in 1721. After the monumental seriousness and complexity of the late Baroque, a trend that lasted until the 1770s – leaving the courts of nobles and entering the salons of the nobility – the musical style returned to simplicity and light elegance.
It can be seen from the program that, in addition to the features typical of the galant style, similarly to a dialect, the so-called Empfindsamer, extremely emotional, dramatic, minor-toned characters, also appeared.
In the case of music for harpsichord and violin, in addition to the balanced chamber arrangement, the use of the violin as an accompanying instrument became popular: this compositional procedure meant the overturning of the usual hierarchy between the instruments. But also flourished the fashion for virtuoso violin sonatas, and harpsichord transcriptions of works originally written for solo instrument and basso continuo were created one after another.
Mária Fülöp
She started her university studies at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, majoring in music pedagogy. At the same time, she manifested interest in early music by studying harpsichord under the guidance of Katalin Botár and Erich Türk. In 2004, she obtained an Erasmus scholarship at the Trossingen University of Music where she continued her harpsichord studies under the guidance of Franz Dieter Weitz and Marieke Spaans. In 2001, she earned the master’s degree in harpsichord at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, under the guidance of Jörg-Andreas Bötticher. Between 2011 and 2015, she attended masterclasses in Leipzig, where she was taught harpsichord by the renowned harpsichordist Nicholas Parle. She continues her professional activities in Basel. As a soloist, she has participated in many music festivals and collaborated with chamber music ensembles from Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Romania.
Piroska Vitárius
The artist graduated as a violin teacher from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in 1994 and has participated in several early music courses all over Europe. She has taught baroque violin and chamber music at the Faculty of Music, University of Szeged and gained her primary teaching experience at the Music School of Ferencváros and Józsefváros of Budapest. She performed in the Erkel Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, the Concerto Armonico and Musica Profana ensembles, and was a founding member and concertmaster of the Orfeo Orchestra. Currently she is the concertmaster of the Savaria Baroque Orchestra, member of the Tercina ensemble founded by herself. She is also a teacher at the Ward Mária Music Secondary School in Budapest, the Early Music Summer University in Miercurea Ciuc, the Castle Festival and Course in Gödöllő and the Renaissance and Baroque Week in Győr.
BAROQUE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA (RO,
HU, DE)
19 July SAINT AUGUSTINE CHURCH, 19.30
Listen and Hear
As every year, the current theme of the festival, Parallels – Contrasts, got me thinking. A traditional programme, with complete symphonies, concertos or suites, with detailed and precise information in the programme booklet, seemed too rigid, too distracting, too restrictive to me.
That is why we will present an unusual programme. A series of movements extracted from different works, without providing more precise information. I cordially invite you to this ”all for the ears” trip. Just listen and pay attention to the music, and enjoy the surprises!
Works better known from the Christmas festival circuit will be resounding this time with secular texts. But both the religious and the secular versions have essentially the same thing to say: the desire and yearning for happiness, peace, and then gratitude for them.
Is it a parallel or rather a contrast when a musical theme appears in one voice at a lively tempo, while at the same time another voice sings it widened and augmented, also reflecting its pitches?
CONCERTMASTER: Ulrike Titze (Dresden) violin
SOLOISTS: Előd Gábor (Brașov) viola d'amore Koppány Hunyadi (Miercurea Ciuc) violin
Dóra Király (Budapest) recorder Árpád Szőgyör (Miercurea Ciuc) double bass
VIOLIN I:
Előd Gábor (Brașov)
Koppány Hunyadi (Miercurea Ciuc)
Csilla Pál (Lunca de Jos)
VIOLIN II:
Zsuzsánna Czikó (Miercurea Ciuc)
Éva-Magdolna Kovács (Miercurea Ciuc)
László Kovács (Miercurea Ciuc)
VIOL:
Csaba Adorján (Miercurea Ciuc)
Gabriella Tankó (Brașov)
CELLO:
Zsófia Bartha (Brașov)
Zsombor Lázár (Miercurea Ciuc)
DOUBLE BASS:
Árpád Szőgyör (Miercurea Ciuc)
OBOE: Bence Haáz (Cluj-Napoca)
Maria Petrescu (Bucharest)
TRUMPET:
László Ambrus
(Târgu Mureș)
And can it be called rather a parallel or a contrast when a contemporary composer was inspired by the sound of baroque masters and baroque instruments?
It is easier to recognize contrasts when loud and soft, slow and fast, high and low meet, especially when the music goes to extremes in bringing these into evidence. But perhaps parallels can be discovered as well in these same contrasts.
Today’s musical environment will be a “quieter” environment: healing in our often-noisy today’s world. We will close our concert with a prayer for peace.
The musical mysteries will be revealed after the concert.
The Baroque Festival Orchestra consists mainly of musicians from Romania playing baroque instruments, widely acclaimed in professional circles, some of whom perform abroad. Formed specifically for the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival, the orchestra performed for the first time in 2010, the event being preceded by the collaboration between the violinist Ulrike Titze and the Miercurea Ciuc Chamber Orchestra. The initiative, which comes as a novelty at national level, seeks to integrate instrumentalists from various smaller chamber orchestras for a high-quality concert. The instrumentalists, the invited choir involved as well as concertmaster Ulrike Titze are the guarantee of an extraordinary musical event.
Ulrike Titze studied violin in Dresden, her hometown. This was followed by a four-year collaboration with the Staatskapelle Weimar. She was a founding member and concertmaster of the Dresdner Barockorchester. In the meantime she gave up directing the orchestra in favour of chamber music. For several years she taught baroque violin at the Dresden Music Academy. In the framework of the International Bach Academy she has worked several times with music academicians from Romania and Ukraine. She works mainly as a member of the Grundmann Quartet and has been invited by various orchestras and ensembles.
Melchior Franck: Intrada – Alessandro Grandi: Fantasia – Benedictus es Domine (Codex Caioni, 17th c.)
Balletto detto il Lunati – Balletto detto il Squilletti –Brando detto il Bianchi – Balletto detto il Gavotti (Girolamo Fantini: Modo per Imparare a Sonare di Tromba, Frankfurt, 1638)
Canzona terza detta La Bernardinia –Canzona Nona detta La Gualterina (Girolamo Frescobaldi: Il Primo Libro delle Canzoni, Rome, 1628)
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767): Sinfonia spirituosa, TWV 44:1 Spirituoso – Largo – Vivace
Johann Sartorius (1712–1787): Sonntag Invocav it – aria (Franke, Erhard, ed.: 70 Arien auf die Sonnund Festtage des Kirchenjahres, Kludenbach, 1995)
The Greek word ‘sinfonia’ has several meanings: harmony, unison, consonance, and later it became another naming for instrumental pieces. The word ‘spirituosa’ means witty, spirited, lively, clever. Both words fit the ensemble’s programme this year, which also includes a Telemann work of this title. Although it may seem a contrast, the instrumental line-up (soft organ, flutes and vocals against a more boisterous baroque trumpet) is balanced and stylistically faithful, thanks to the performers. The programme is framed by a selection of pieces taken from a domestic manuscript (from the codex of Joannes Caioni and a work by Johann Sartorius), with Italian and German music.
In the composition of the programme, we had to take into account the very tiring sound of the baroque trumpet. Composers of the time already adapted to this feature: they always made sure that there was a movement without trumpet while the instrumentalist prepared for the next movement.
20 July SICULICIDIUM – SAINT ANNE CHAPEL, 16.00
The Flauto Dolce Ensemble, founded in Cluj-Napoca in 2000, places a great focus on the cultivation of early music in the country. In its performances, the performers always pay attention to the early music of the Hungarians of Transylvania and the Carpathian Basin, but also the music of the different peoples who have come to live in this region over the years.
In their concerts, they play only faithful copies of period instruments. The ensemble has participated in over 500 concerts, radio and TV recordings and festivals and has released several CDs. Apart from Romania, it has performed in Italy, Spain, Argentina, Israel, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia. Gábor Hegyi, who lives in Cologne, started his collaboration with Flauto Dolce in 2019. Since then, they have had a lot of successful concerts. Gábor Hegyi studied at the Bartók Béla Music High School in Budapest, then attended university and master courses at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He has given concerts as chamber musician and soloist in Argentina, Algeria, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Hungary (Bach Ensemble, Concerto con Anima, Concert Royal Köln, Elbipolis Barockorchester Hamburg, La Stagione Frankfurt, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Concerto Köln).
CARMINA RENASCENTIA (RO)
20 July MIKÓ CASTLE, 18.30
Sicut cervus
Salamone Rossi (c. 1570–1630): Sinfonia á 4 (Il primo libro delle sinfonie et gagliarde, Venice, 1607)
Salamone Rossi (c. 1570–1630): Gagliarda detta Zambalina (Il secondo libro delle sinfonie et gagliarde, Venice, 1608)
(Les Cent Cinquante Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1580)
Thomas Campion (1567–1620): As by the streames of Babilon (First Book of Ayres, London, c. 1613)
Alfonz Jónucz voice, recorder, viola da gamba
Csilla Kind recorder
Ildikó Keresztesi (artistic director) voice, recorder, harp
Szilveszter Lőrincz voice, recorder, viola da gamba
Tünde Lőrincz voice, percussion
Norbert Nagy harpsichord
János Vezér recorder, crumhorn
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525–1594):
Sicut cervus (Psalm no. 42.)
(Motecta festorum, Liber 2, Venice, 1604)
Claude Goudimel (c. 1510–1572): Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf (Psalm no. 42.)
(Les Cent Cinquante Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1580)
Thomas Tallis (1505–1585): When like the hunted hind (Psalm no. 42.)
(The whole Psalter Translated, London, 1567)
Johann Jeep (1582–1644): Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele (Harmonisches Chor- und Figural Gesangbuch, Frankfurt am Main, 1659)
William Brade (1560–1630): My Ladi Wraiths Mascharada (Newe außerlesene liebliche Branden, Intraden, Mascharaden, Hamburg, 1617)
William Brade (1560–1630): Der erste Mascharada des Pfaltzgraffen (Newe außerlesene liebliche Branden, Intraden, Mascharaden, Hamburg, 1617)
John Dowland (1563–1626): All people that on earth do dwell (The Whole Book of Psalmes, London, 1621)
Giorgio Mainerio (1530–1582): La Zanetta Padoana (Il primo libro de balli, Venice, 1578)
Bálint Balassi (1554–1594): Ad Apes (“Hallám egy ifjúnak minap éneklését” ) (Codex Balassa, manuscript, 17th c.)
Valentin Haussmann (1560–1613): Polish Dance (Rest von Polnischen und andern Tänzen, Nuremberg, 1603)
Miklós Bogáti Fazakas (1548–a. 1592): Az Úrnak országul hálát adjatok (Psalm no. 100., paraphrase) (Psalterium, manuscript, 1582)
The programme focuses on psalms and church songs that are almost identical in terms of their age, but highly varied in form and sometimes in their melodies. The psalms in different languages – Hebrew, Latin, French, English, German and Hungarian – are our common, religious prayer treasure trove, which express joy, gratitude and longing for God. They owe their diversity of form not only to their texts or translations, but also to prominent composers such as Salamone Rossi, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Claude Goudimel, Thomas Tallis, John Dowland or Miklós Bogáti Fazakas. Each psalm contains homophonic and polyphonic sections within itself. And some of them, apart from their liturgical use, continue to live and have become part of the religious Hungarian singing tradition. The Balassi poem performed in the program, which was scored “to the note of the Polish song “Bys ty wiedziala”, is accompanied by a version arranged by Endre Deák for four voices, as well as a Polish dance.
Carmina Renascentia is an early music ensemble from Carei, founded in 2012. The ensemble took over the early music workshop started in 1977 and led by Endre Deák (†2012), a Tinódi Prize-winning lutenist, for more than 40 years. The members of Carmina Renascentia all played in the former Collegium ensemble, thus actively participating in the life and development of the early music movement in Transylvania. Since 1980, the members of the ensemble have been regular participants of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival. The ensemble performs mainly Transylvanian, Hungarian and Western European church and secular music of the 16th and 17th centuries on period instruments. Their mission is to create a musical bridge that brings the instrumental and vocal music found in Hungarian and Western publications closer to today’s modern musical tastes, bringing it to life through their performance style. They have proven on numerous venues and stages, both at home and abroad, that the early music they play is indeed popular and conveys value to today’s audiences.
Csaba Adorján viola, 3-stringed viola
Ignác Csaba Filip (director artistic) recorders, flutes
Zsombor Filip guitar
Éva-Magdolna Kovács violin
László Kovács violin
Zsombor Lázár cello
Éva Szabó recorders, flutes
Árpád Szőgyör voice, double bass
“A
tudós macskája” (The Scientist’s Cat)
Songs of János Arany
János Liszt (?–1851): Lassú magyar. Nyájasan. Gratioso
János Bocsári Svastics (1802–1873): Lassú magyar. Felségesen (“Grazioso”)
Ignác Ruzitska (1774–1833): Butsuzó – Lassú magyar. Szomorúan. Moderato – Friss magyar. Allegretto (Hungarian songs from Veszprém county, from the collection of Ignác Ruzitska, 1823–1832)
A tintásüveg (Sándor Petőfi, 1874)
A kálomista pap s Csokonai (Sándor Petőfi, 1880)
Toborzó (Baronul László Amade, 1875)
Zách Klára (János Arany, 1876)
A hegedű száraz fája (János Arany, 1874)
A toronyban delet harangoznak (Sándor Petőfi, 1880)
A tudós macskája (János Arany, 1882)
A bús vándor (unknown poet, 1862–1867)
Igyunk biz azt egy-egy kicsit (János Arany, 1875)
(The songs of János Arany on the poems of Petőfi, Amade and his own, Budapest, 1884)
Ignác Ruzitska: Frissen. Allegro
(Hungarian songs from Veszprém county, from the collection of Ignác Ruzitska, 1823–1832)
“Death had to reveal the secret that Arany, a prominent ballad writer, also wrote great lyrical songs. The press already informed the public about this during the days of mourning; and also about the fact that the deceased gave the songs to me for elaboration, if you like.” (István Bartalus) With this program, the Codex Early Music Ensemble commemorates the 140th anniversary of the publication of János Arany’s songs, as well as the 125th anniversary of the death of István Bartalus (1821–1899), music teacher, pianist, music historian, folk song collector and composer from Unguraș (Bálványosváralja in Hungarian). Among the lyrics of the songs, we find ballads, satires and odes by János Arany, Sándor Petőfi and Barron László Amade. The melodies were composed by János Arany and were provided with piano accompaniment by István Bartalus. The resulting volume was published in Budapest in 1884 under the title János Arany’s songs for Petőfi, Amadé and his own poems, dedicated with the “deepest homage” to Her Majesty Empress Elizabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary. The ensemble adapted some of these songs to their own instruments. The songs try to reveal the deep sadness and bitter humour of the 19th century Hungarian soul to today’s audience through the dry wood of the violins and the idyllic sound of the flutes.
The Codex early music ensemble was founded in 1996. Their aim is to perform Baroque and Renaissance music in a contemporary and lively way on historical instruments. In recent years, the ensemble has performed mainly Hungarian, especially Transylvanian music included in the Codex Caioni, Apponyi Manuscript, Codex Vietoris and the Sfântu Gheorghe Manuscript as well as adaptations from the Ádám Pálóczi Horváth and István Mártonffy Manuscripts. The 17th-18th century works, brought to life with a unique performance style, are addressed to the audience of our days, and they encompass a whole spectrum of emotions. The most important performances of the ensemble include those at the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival, the Valley of Arts in Hungary, the George Enescu Festival, the Early Music Festival in Bucharest, the International Chamber Music Festival in Brașov and the Ravenna Early Music Festival. This year the ensemble has been awarded the Hungarian Heritage Prize for its performing work.
Parallels and contrasts in the world of the wine
Transylvanian Wine Tasting, with the Vinkli Wine Store
The presentation will be led by Szilárd Farkas, owner of the Vinkli Wine Store.
In line with the theme of this year’s festival, visitors will become familiar with wines and related stories that will help them discover parallels and contrasts in the world of these noble drinks.
The presentation will explore the similarities between the wines of two wine regions, the contrasts and differences between the styles of the Old World and the New World, and between the products of a small family winery and those of a large corporation.
To register, please call +40 753 055 311.
Homophonic psalms
Workshop led by András Szabó
The Reformation that took place in the 16th century created the metrical chorale to include the congregation in the singing. One of its guiding principles was that there should not only be a trained choir that sings at the liturgy and leads the Gregorian melodies with text rhythm, but also that the congregation members can be a part of the logical process of the given ceremony throughout. In addition, the Protestant chorale was sung in the congregation’s native language, which did not make the liturgy more difficult, but enhanced its cohesion instead.
The 450th anniversary of the birth of Albert Molnár Szenci is a good opportunity to get to know the Geneva psalms, the song repertoire that was often mentioned as a point of reference, developed in the 16th century, and to examine its inner connections. The workshop aims to introduce the melody of a Huguenot psalm and its four-voice, homophonic deposit, which also formulates general characteristics for the entire Genevan melodic material.
“With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles”
Musical activities for children, with Julcsi Ádám
Due to the great popularity of the festival, this year again, younger children will have the opportunity to join in the singing and music making at the Early Music Festival. They can learn cheerful children’s songs and poems, and they can approach the world of early music in an interactive way, with rhythmic instruments and games for children that will create a pleasant atmosphere. We welcome all children at least 6 years old who want to sing, play and try musical instruments in the Zengő Tér cultural space.
The participation fee is 30 lei/day, and registrations are made in person at the secretariat of the Harghita County Cultural Center, on weekdays, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., or by calling +40 746 244 235. The number of places is limited.
Round table conversations
DEW AND PEARLS
The Babrik Heritage – the early music movement in Transylvania and Hungary in the seventies and eighties
Collection of songs by János Arany (1874)
It is well known that János Arany was interested in folk poetry (On the Hungarian National Poem-Ideum; The Hungarian Folk Song in Literature, etc.), and that he was friends with several collectors of folk poetry, including János Erdélyi and Samu Szabó. The poet’s son László Arany also began his career with the publication of folk tales and the Hungarian Folktale Collection. In 1874, encouraged by the Transylvanian-born pianist and music historian István Bartalus, Arany set to music the songs he had known as a child and as a student: folk songs, older public poetry and high literature poetry works. The source gives an authentic picture of the musical life of the 1830s in the field town. Some of his melodies have already been remastered by Bartalus; the original manuscript was published in 1952 by Zoltán Kodály and Ágost Gyulai in a double edition with excellent notes. The lecture will give a taste of the new critical edition in preparation, based on research by Mária Domokos, Olga Szalay and the lecturer.
József Babrik (1949–1974), one of the founders of the early music movement in Transylvania, was born seventy-five years ago and died fifty years ago. In addition to his beautiful recordings, remastered pieces and the flower songs he wrote, his spiritual legacy is the Transylvanian early music movement itself, which has been making its impact on the Romanian music scene in ever-widening circles for five decades. At the same time, the early music movement in Hungary has also developed, with historical instruments now being part of the university curricula. In both countries, the connected arts have played an important role: a dialogue has developed with dance, literature, theatre and film, but also with historians and ethnographers. Researchers and musicians will discuss the origins of the two intertwined early music movements, the dialogue being interspersed with music and film clips. They will remember József Babrik, Endre Deák, László Czidra, but also the recently deceased Károly Boér, who would have been another interlocutor...
Participants in the discussion:
Zoltán Boros (Târgu Mureș) – musician, journalist Sára Bíbor Sziklai (Budapest) – music historian, PhD student
Moderator: Rumen István Csörsz (Budapest) – musician, literary historian
THE HEYDAY OF EUROPEAN LUTE PLAYING
Lutes of the Hungarian National Museum
Lecturer: Dr. Klára Radnóti
Dr. Klára Radnóti is the historian-chief museologist of the Modern Age Department of the Hungarian National Museum. Her field of research is the history of Hungarian society and culture and, in connection with the museum’s collections, she specialises in the history of musical instruments and furniture, the history of clocks, and also in historical Russistic research.
From the second half of the 15th century, the lute became for a long time the most popular and at the same time the most significant instrument of European art music. In addition to professional musicians, a significant number of dilettantes, i.e. art lovers, also played the lute: they learned to play the instrument with great pleasure in aristocratic circles and royal courts, as well as among the bourgeoisie or students. The lute was an elegant instrument, playing a major role as a solo instrument and in various instrumental ensembles. It was also very popular in Hungary: in the court of Mátyás Hunyadi and Beatrix, which was visited by the most famous lute player of the time, Pietro Bonois from Ferrara; in the court of János Szapolyai, where Bálint Bakfark, who later became famous in Europe, learned to play music. The chronicler Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos was granted nobility for his historical songs from King Ferdinand, and we also know about several lute players in the princely court of Gábor Bethlen. During the 17th century, the lute lost its importance as a solo instrument, but lutes remained in use for a long time afterwards.
Most of the lutes of the Hungarian National Museum entered the collection in 1902 from the bequest of István Delhaes. Among them, the instruments of Matteo Sellas, Joachim Tielke or Joannes Jauck represent priceless value today.
“AZ LANTOT PÖNGETNI DERÉK MESTERSÉG”
(PICKING THE LUTE IS A FINE CRAFT)
Conversation about the lute
The instrument is already mentioned in the 13th-century Gesta of Anonymous. During the Renaissance, it was called ‘Regina Omnium Instrumentorum musicorum’, or ‘Queen of all musical instruments’.
In the 15th century, the mention of lutes multiplied by leaps and bounds in Hungary, with the following names: lalth, lanth, lawtten, lauth, luctina. Lute players were constantly employed in court music (musica aulica), in the royal seats of Hungary, in the Transylvanian princedoms, and in locations where sacred music (musica sacra) was played, i.e. in bishop’s seats. Lute was also the most popular accompanying instrument for the songwriters, historians and Protestant hymn singers who replaced the medieval singers in the 16th century, but its presence can be continuously traced until the end of the 18th century.
In Hungary, the lute has been enjoying a renaissance since the middle of the 20th century, thanks to the cult of Sebestyén Tinódi and Bálint Bakfark, as well as the early music movements in Hungary and Transylvania. From 2022, as an officially teachable instrument, it was included in the curriculum of music education in Hungary, and thus the teaching of the lute could begin at the Bence Szabolcsi Music School in Budapest; also, in 2023, lute teacher training was started at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Pécs.
Participants in the conversation:
Miklós Köllő (Gyergyócsomafalva) – architect, instrument maker György Lőrinczi (Marosvásárhely) – instrument maker
Moderator: István Kónya (Budapest) – lute artist
Children’s Renaissance Day
Artistic workshops, playhouse, skill games, atmosphere from the period of King Matthias Corvinus, archery and Renaissance games for children and adults alike.
Programme
11.00–16.00 Craft workshops
11.00–15.00: With the Talentum Foundation, children can create instruments (cornets, drums) and Renaissance tiaras, wooden toys, bracelets, and various toys evoking the time of King Matthias Corvinus.
12.00–16.00: With the Pörgettyű Népi Játszóház Association, children can create period jewels and toys from wool, pearls, wood, clay, using the techniques of felting, weaving, plaiting, twisting and starching.
11.00–16.00 Renaissance games and archery
Beating of eggs, nut cracking, longlegs, spitting of beans, family doddering, grass hockey, swine herder’s game, apple biting, spear throwing and many other. The lucky ones can earn period-money, which can be exchanged for various prizes and archery lesson.
21 July HENTER MANSION, 16.00
Early music picnic with the ensembles Codex and Musica Historica
The Henter Mansion, the oldest popular Baroque mansion in the Ciuc region built by the Henter family in the early 18th century, is the pride of the village of Sântimbru. After it was taken over by the state, it housed a school, a cultural centre, a cinema and even a museum.
Now beautifully restored, the building has been brought back from an extremely dilapidated state by the local council. The manor’s wellkept courtyard, its walkways and the old trees that have been saved from felling are also remarkable. Today, it is one of the most attractive facilities in the area, with exciting local history, museum pedagogy and cultural programmes. In this fabulous setting, we invite you all to join us for an afternoon of music, which we have called the Early Music Picnic.
We will be entertained by the early music ensembles Codex and Musica Historica. Join us to close this year’s Early Music Festival in a good mood and in good company!
A bus will leave for the site from the parking lot of the Erőss Zsolt Arena half an hour before the event.
16th Early Music Summer University
MASTERCLASSES:
• Viola da gamba and Violone
István Csata (Romania)
• Renaissance Ensemble Class
Rumen István Csörsz, Valéria Pribay (Hungary)
• Percussion in Early Music, Percussion Chamber Course
Roland Kasza and Balázs Sudár (Hungary)
• Lute and Guitar
István Kónya (Hungary)
• Choir and choir conducting
Gábor Kovács (Hungary)
• Harpsichord
Nicholas Parle (England)
• Canto
Réka Palócz (Hungary)
• Recorder and Flute
Zoltán Széplaki (Hungary)
• Baroque Violin
Piroska Vitárius (Hungary)
OPTIONAL COURSES AVAILABLE FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS
• Renaissance Ensemble (as second class)
Rumen István Csörsz, Valéria Pribay (Hungary)
• Club for minstrel song
Rumen István Csörsz (Hungary)
• Morning dance class
Gábor Kovács (Hungary)
Accompaniment on harpsichord:
Zsuzsa Csengeri Kostyák (Romania), Zsolt Garai (Romania), Sámuel Sógor (Romania)
Collaborators:
Katalin Hanke (Romania), Noémi Karácsony (Romania), Elena Maria Șorban (Romania).
Teachers
ISTVÁN CSATA (Romania)
Viola da gamba and violone
Former student of the Nagy István Secondary School of Arts and Music in Miercurea Ciuc, he graduated as a contrabass player from the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music of Cluj-Napoca. Currently, he is a member of the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra. As an autodidact, he started to play early music and the viol (viola da gamba), studying later under the direction of Ilse László-Herbert. He attended masterclasses in Switzerland, studying viol with Guido Balestracci and basso continuo with Pierre-Alain Clerc and participated in several masterclasses with chamber music and solo repertoire under the guidance of Bruno Cocset, Hervé Douchy, Mira Glodeanu, Jan De Winne and Françoise Lengellé. He has collaborated with early music ensembles from Romania and abroad, such as Ausonia (Brussels), Il Gardellino (Brugge), Chanterelle (Cluj-Napoca). He is the founding member of the Baroque music ensembles Fonte di Gioia and Sectio Aurea. The artist has been invited to perform solo and chamber music concerts at home and abroad.
At this year’s viola da gamba and violone/baroque bass masterclasses we welcome those who wish to develop their existing viola da gamba / violone skills. At the same time, we also encourage beginner musicians to try out the viola da gamba.
RUMEN ISTVÁN CSÖRSZ (Hungary) Renaissance ensemble masterclass (main class and optional)
He was born in Budapest. After studying cello, he became interested in folk music and early music. He studied at the Folk Music School in Óbuda under the guidance of György Lányi and Tamás Kobzos Kiss, specialising in bagpipes and cobza, then participated in several Renaissance masterclasses taught by László Czidra. He obtained his bachelor’s degree at the Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) in Hungarian language and literature in 1997 and defended his PhD thesis in
2004 at the same university. Since 2001, he has been working at the Institute of Literary Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His main research area is old sung poetry. In 1988, he founded the Musica Historica ensemble. As a member of the Carmina Danubiana ensemble, he regularly gives concerts with Márta Sebestyén, Katalin Szvorák, András Szabó, Erdal Şalikoğlu and Miquèu Montanaro, and performs as a soloist at the Two in Verse evenings. He has composed music for the stage, and contributed in the creation of various CDs and TV films. Since 2018, he has been working as a lecturer at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and at the Eötvös Loránd University. During the academic year 2023-2024 he works as a guest professor at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He received the Tinódi Lute Award in 2003 and the Kobzos Kiss Tamás Itinerant Award in 2016, as well as several professional awards for his research. This year is the twelfth time he has been leading the Renaissance ensemble masterclass at the Early Music Summer University in Miercurea Ciuc.
The chamber music course offers both beginner and advanced musicians the opportunity to get a taste of the music of the Renaissance period, especially dance music. Vocal works will also be included if singers participate in the course. In the mornings the three permanent groups will take turns playing, with contributions from students attending the other main courses and guests. Participation in the main subject is recommended for more advanced students.
The chamber groups’ repertoire will be selected from Western European, Hungarian and Transylvanian sources, including some arrangements by Endre Deák (1952–2012), thus also cultivating the legacy of the Transylvanian early music master. The completed parts of the programme will be presented at the closing concert. String assistant: Valéria Pribay (cello, viola da gamba).
Minstrels’ Club (optional)
In the early afternoon, interested people (of any specialty) who like to sing old Hungarian songs and accompany themselves on cobza, lute, guitar or other instruments are welcome. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s your chance! We will also discuss the history and methods of minstrel singing. This year we will focus on the songs of Bálint Balassi.
Valéria Pribay was born in Budapest. She began her cello studies there, and then graduated in Győr, majoring in cello, chamber musician and music theory and conducting. Teaching music has been her
most important activity ever since. From 2004, as a performer, she has been primarily concerned with composing music for easy listening pieces, improvisation and contemporary dance theatre performances. She also created folk and world music arrangements with the ensemble Szűkített Quartett (Narrowed Quartet). Since 2015, she has been playing music in the Musica Historica ensemble (besides the cello, he also plays the viola da gamba, fiddle, rebek and kemençe). Since 2018, she has been a member of the Free Style Chamber Orchestra.
ROLAND KASZA (Hungary)
Percussion in early music, percussion chamber course: musical games, improvisation, phrase-compilation
After elementary percussion and piano studies with Károly Radányi, he studied percussion at the Secondary School of Arts in Szombathely (Hungary) as a student of László Szűcs and Magdolna Szarvas. He earned his chamber musician and music teacher diploma at the Music Faculty of the Széchenyi István University, Győr in 1999, as a student of László Váray. Starting with autumn 2003, he was a student at the Conservatoire Royale de Bruxelles for one year. In 2017, he received his master’s degree from the Béla Bartók Institute of Music of the University of Miskolc. Since 1997 has been head of the percussion department of the Weiner Leó School of Music in Budapest. His pedagogical work focuses on the application of chamber music and early music to percussion. His students have performed in numerous concerts, made radio and television appearances and won prizes prestigious competitions. He has been a member of the Musica Historica ensemble since 1995 and of Canlar since 1999.
BALÁZS SUDÁR (Hungary)
Percussion in early music, percussion chamber course: musical games, improvisation, phrase-compilation
He started his musical studies with the cobza (plucked folk instrument) at the Folk Music School in Óbuda with Tamás Kobzos Kiss. Here he also took part in a one-year masterclass on the saz, a Turkish classical instrument, with Erdal Şalikoğlu from Istanbul. Later, he took private lessons from Yusuf Benli, a master of the saz (bağlama). In the meantime, he got acquainted with the Ottoman classical music theory and practice, being primarily preoccupied with processing 17th–18th century resources.
He obtained his PhD at the Turkish Department of the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest with his work about literature and music in the Ottoman Hungary. Since 2003, he has been a researcher at the Institute for History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. His main areas of research include the cultural and political history of the Ottoman Hungary. He is the author and co-author of several books, studies and translations. Between 1990 and 2011, he was a regular member of the Musica Historica ensemble; as a guest artist, he still takes part in their activity. In 1997, he founded the Canlar ensemble specialising in Turkish classical and folk music. His relationship with music is enriched by the several reconstructions and copies of early musical instruments.
In this course we will make an attempt to explore the percussion culture of the old ages. There are hardly any surviving sources from which we can obtain authentic information about the percussionists’ solos and instrumentation of the past. In addition to the few sources on art music, the companion arts provide a wealth of information on the presence of percussion instruments in the art music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods. We will focus on instruments that can be played by anyone without any prior training. The playing of rim drums, tambourines, the drums of the derbuka family, triangles and bells offer a pleasant experience for the player even at the first try, but we will also explore the possibilities of playing these instruments in a simple but professional way. Within the framework of group music-making, we will reconstruct and rethink the place of percussion instruments in “old Europe” through its music.
ISTVÁN KÓNYA (Hungary)
Lute and guitar masterclass
István Kónya graduated in history and music at the Teacher Training College in Szombathely (Hungary) in 1985, then studied classical guitar at the local department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Debrecen (Hungary). Between 1989 and 1996, he studied at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (the Netherlands), majoring in Renaissance and Baroque lutes, archlute and chitarrone, guided by Toyohiko Satoh. He is the first Hungarian musician to hold a diploma in lute performance. He has taken master classes with Nigel North and Stephen Stubbs. He is currently a lute teacher at the University of Pécs and the Szabolcsi Bence Music School in Budapest. As a soloist and accompanist as well
as a member of various ensembles, he has given concerts in several countries in Europe and America. Since 1996 he has been a teacher and artistic director of several early music academies and festivals. As of 2010, he has been the lute and guitar teacher of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Summer University. He performed at a series of concerts and in recordings, released two solo CDs and three lute books. As the organizer of the Lute Evenings in Buda Castle, he had over 50 recitals in the Gothic Hall of Budapest History Museum. He has been at the forefront of the official teaching of the lute at primary and secondary level in Hungary from 2022, and at university level from autumn 2023.
What can LUTE PLAYERS expect from this course?
Beginners will of course be introduced to basic playing techniques and tablature reading, while advanced players will be introduced to the characteristic instrumental formats of the lute pieces, performance techniques, types of ornamentation, diminution, the basics of figured bass and accompaniment to old Hungarian songs. What can GUITAR PLAYERS expect from this course?
We will deal with the practice of the improvisation and diminution, the adaptation of continuo for the guitar, the ornamentation of Renaissance and Baroque pieces, the adaptation of Baroque lute effects for the guitar and the transcription of Baroque lute and guitar pieces into guitar modes. We will pay special attention to the luteworks of Weiss and Bach as well as to Visée’s works written for the guitar. With this knowledge, guitar players will be able to enrich their Baroque repertoire.
GÁBOR KOVÁCS (Hungary)
Choir and choir conducting
He graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in 1990 and continued his studies in London (Guildhall School of Music & Drama) and Belfast, where he obtained his doctorate from The Queen’s University. Professor and choral conductor at the University of Szeged and the Partium Christian University until 2023. He is the artistic director of the “… canticum novum” ensemble in Szeged, the Argenteus VoiceWorks and the Al Fresco Early Music Ensemble. His choirs were awarded first prize and he won the conductor’s prize at several international choir competitions (Pécs Chamber Choir Competition, Ohrid International Choir Competition, Budapest International Choir Competition). He is
also the winner of the 17th Budapest International Choir Competition and of the Supreme Award with the Choir of Partium Christian University in 2019. With his choirs, he has sung the premieres of 27 contemporary Hungarian choral works.
The choir and conducting courses are linked; the choir course will take place in the morning and the conducting course in the afternoon. In order to assist each other’s work, participants are required to be present at both parts of the course; obviously, the members of the choir are not required to conduct. The conducting course is available to people with previous experience in this field.
Goals and questions for the choir and conducting course:
1. To learn about Western European choral works recorded in and related to the Codex Caioni, to study and practise the stylish performance of these from as many aspects as possible. Key aspects include voice handling, intonation, rhetoric, text management, and the less explicit peculiarities of performing. H. I. P. - What does it mean? How do we approach it within our own capabilities?
2. Tasks of the conductor of old choral music. What can be the role of a conductor today in a function that practically did not exist at the time of the creation of the pieces? To what extent can modern conducting tools be used in conducting old choral music? What should we forget? What should we (re-)learn?
In the morning dance classes, we learn Renaissance and Early Baroque dances based on original sources, also covering why the old dances are the way they are and what they teach those who dance them today.
NICHOLAS PARLE (England) – Harpsichord
Bibliographical details can be found on page 23.
All keyboard players are welcome in the harpsichord class, whether you have played the harpsichord before or not. We can work on any solo repertoire from ca. 1500–ca. 1800, but pieces with basso continuo are also possible, particularly if you can bring along the players you will accompany. In the afternoons there will be an opportunity to learn about practical harpsichord maintenance and the basics of tuning.
RÉKA PALÓCZ (Hungary)
Singing
She graduated at the Széchenyi István University of Győr as a student of Judit Németh, specialising in solo singing. Later she improved her craftsmanship as a participant of the masterclasses of Júlia Hamari, Anna Reynolds and Ilona Adorján. For several years, she was the vocal teacher of the Bartók Béla Choir of the Eötvös Lóránd University, Budapest. As the soloist of this choir, she participated in several local and international concert tours. She has been a member of the Musica Historica ensemble since 1994. She performed several chanson and aria recitals in Hungary, Switzerland and Germany. Currently she is a teacher at the Hermann László Secondary School of Music in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. Since 2001, she has been teaching classical singing; among her students one can find not only classical but also folk singers and actors/actresses. Since 2010, she has been teaching singing at the Department of Folk Music, Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. Her main fields of interest include treating phonation problems and working out the given, natural voice. In her teaching, she lays great emphasis on the harmonisation of text and musical accents.
Participants can either bring songs, arias, duets, terzettos and obbligato instrumental pieces or they can choose and learn new pieces together at the course. In addition to the development of phonation and the pronunciation of lyrics, our goal is to provide as much information on the performance of the early music as possible. Besides the individual performances, participants will have the opportunity to sing in various chamber music groups, as in previous courses.
ZOLTÁN SZÉPLAKI (Hungary)
Recorder, flute, chamber music
He was born in Budapest in 1972. Already as a child he was interested in early woodwind instruments. He participated in several international recorder masterclasses under the direction of Anneke Boeke, Peter Holtslag and Walter van Hauwe. He earned his first music diploma (recorder) at the Early Music Faculty of the Conservatory in Szeged (Hungary), and his second one (Baroque flute) in 2002 at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, where he obtained his DLA as well. His professors were László Czidra, László Lőrincz, Vera Balogh
and Ildikó Kertész. Since 1998, he has been teaching at the Bartók Béla Music Institute of the Miskolc University and at the Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music in Miskolc. He is a regular jury member of regional, national and international competitions and has taught at several early music masterclasses. Member of the Musica Historica ensemble since 1990, he has also worked with other ensembles. He has performed in more than a thousand concerts and contributed to 23 music records.
During these classes, participants can play various pieces based on their previous experience, mainly from the music of the 15th–18th centuries. Participants can either bring some pieces from an already known repertoire or learn new ones from sheet music given on the spot. Our goal is to provide as much information on the performance of the early music as possible. Throughout the course, participants will have the opportunity to play individually and in various chamber music groups, similarly to the previous courses. This year we will once again have a renaissance flute consort available, which we would like to play together again in smaller and larger compositions. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to discover and try out old woodwind instruments.
PIROSKA VITÁRIUS (Hungary)
Baroque violin
Bibliographical details can be found on page 34.
The topic of our course is the Baroque and Classical violin literature. Applicants must be at least 12 years old and have at least 6 years of experience in playing the violin. We welcome participants who play Baroque or modern violin. Places are limited to a maximum of 8 participants.
Accompaniment on harpsichord
ZSUZSA CSENGERI KOSTYÁK (Romania)
Harpsichord
She graduated from the Sigismund Toduță High School of Music in Cluj-Napoca in 2004 and began studying organ with Erich Türk in high school, after which, in 2008, she obtained her bachelor’s degree at the Gheorghe Dima National Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca under the guidance of Ursula Philippi. Here she also studied harpsichord as a second specialisation in Erich Türk’s class. In 2010, she obtained a master’s degree in organ performance at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Switzerland), with Professor Lorenzo Ghielmi. During her years in Switzerland, she was organist at the Christkatholische Kirche in Möhlin. She has performed several times in Cluj-Napoca and other Transylvanian towns as well as abroad (Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany). She is regularly present at the Miercurea Ciuc Summer University of Early Music, where she accompanies students on the harpsichord. Between 2011 and 2014, she was the organist of the Reformed Parish no. XI in Cluj-Napoca. She is a member of the Sfânta Cecilia Chamber Orchestra of Cluj-Napoca, as organist and harpsichordist. She collaborates with various choirs in Cluj-Napoca, such as the UniCante University Choir, the Mihály Guttman Choir of Teachers and the Schola Cantorum Transsylvaniensis. She is currently an organ and piano teacher at the Sigismund Toduță College of Music in Cluj-Napoca.
ZSOLT GARAI (Romania)
Harpsichord
He was born in Arad in 1979, where he started playing the piano at a young age. After graduating from the Sabin Drăgoi Secondary School of Arts in his hometown, organ–piano specialisation, he studied organ with Ursula Philippi, Erich Türk and Maria Abrudan, and musical
composition under the guidance of Cornel Țăranu, at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, where he graduated in 2005 and obtained his PhD in 2013. He has attended several masterclasses in Karlsruhe, Bad Wimphen, Budapest, Debrecen, Breaza and Oradea. He has held numerous organ and harpsichord concerts in Romania, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Poland, the United States of America and Israel. At present, he is an associate professor at the music faculty of the Emanuel University of Oradea. Since 2010, he has been the harpsichordist of the Il Pastor Fido baroque ensemble.
SÁMUEL SÓGOR (Romania)
Harpsichord
Graduated in 2019 from the Sigismund Toduță High School of Music in Cluj-Napoca, where he began to study organ under the guidance of Zsuzsa Csengeri Kostyák. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organ and harpsichord at the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy under the guidance of Erich Türk and Amalia Erdős, and is a first-year student in the university’s conducting programme. In addition, he completed a master of voice course at the Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania.
He has participated in several organ and choirmaster classes, and has been a returning participant at the Summer University of the Early Music Festival in Miercurea Ciuc. He has performed on harpsichord at the University Chamber Music Days (Ensemble Festival), the Farkas Street Summer Concert Series and the Bach Marathon in Cluj-Napoca. As an organ player, he has participated in the Cantus Ecclesiae organ festival in Bucharest, the Bachwoche in Vienna and many other events, concerts and organ inaugurations. In addition to his university studies, he works as an organist and cantor at the Reformed Church of Suceagu and is a member of the Schola Cantorum Transsylvaniensis vocal ensemble.
KATALIN HANKE (Brașov)
She graduated from the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in ClujNapoca, obtaining her violin teacher’s degree in 1976. Until 1989, she played in the symphonic and chamber orchestra of the Gheorghe Dima Philharmonic Orchestra in Brașov, and since 1992 she has been teaching chamber music at the Faculty of Music of the Transilvania University of Brașov. She owes her passion for early music mainly to the Cantus Serenus ensemble in Brașov, founded in 1973 by enthusiastic professors of the Pedagogical Institute. Her first concert with this ensemble took place at the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival in 1981, followed by several concerts in the country and abroad. She is a founding member of the early music ensemble Codex, established in 1996 by professors and students of the Faculty of Music in Brașov.
NOÉMI KARÁCSONY (Brașov)
Mezzo-soprano Noémi Karácsony graduated at the George Enescu University of Arts of Iași, in the canto class of Prof. Dr. Doina UrsacheDimitriu, and continued her studies in the class of Prof. Dr. Cristina Soreanu at the Faculty of Music of Transilvania University of Brașov, where she is currently a lecturer.
She regularly appears in performances and vocal-symphonic concerts, her artistic activity taking place both in the country and abroad.
She won the first prize at the Victor Giuleanu National Competition in classical canto category (2017) and the second prize at the International Canto Competition “Città di Pisa – Omaggio a Titta Ruffo” (Italy; 2017). She participated in masterclasses held by Maria Slătinaru-Nistor (Iaşi), Liliana Bizineche (Brașov), Cyrille Gerstenhaber (France), Mária Temesi (Brașov), Laura Niculescu (Italy) and Francesco di Mauro (Italy).
ELENA MARIA ȘORBAN (Romania)
She received her doctorate in Gregorian chant in medieval Transylvania and her habilitation in Scientific and Public Musicology from the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj. She studied at the Kodály Institute of Kecskemét, the Institute of Musicology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, the University Erlangen-Nürnberg (German Institute for External Affairs – DAAD scholarship holder), the Music Conservatory of Madeira, the Paul Sacher Foundation of Basel and the Bucharest University of Music. At the moment, she is a senior research fellow and a teacher of music history and palaeography at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music of Cluj-Napoca, and Gregorian chant and analysis of Bach Cantatas at the Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Reformed Theology. She has given lectures in Cluj-Napoca, at the early music festivals in Miercurea Ciuc and Timișoara as well as at several universities in Europe. She has been a translator at the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival and Summer University for several years.
IGNÁC CSABA FILIP (Sfântu Gheorghe)
Artistic Director of the Festival
He studied at the Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca in the flute class of Gavril Costea, with Ferenc László as his chamber music teacher. He participated in several international masterclasses, where he acquired the techniques of modern flute, baroque flute and recorder. As a member of the Cantus Serenus, Amaryllis, Georgius, Codex, Collegio Stravagante and other ensembles, he has performed in numerous national and international chamber music concerts, as well as theatre and opera performances. As a flute soloist, he has collaborated with several philharmonic orchestras in the country. In 1998, he published two methodology books, entitled Furulyaiskola (Recorder methodology) and Furulyamuzsika (Recorder music) which appeared in five editions. Since 1996, he has been a lecturer at the Faculty of Music of the Transilvania University of Brasov, and since 2001 he has been head of department. In 2004 he obtained his doctorate at the Gheorghe Dima Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca. As of 2008, he has been the artistic director of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival and Summer University.
The art object of the Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival in 2024
The work of Ferenc Siklódy (Miercurea Ciuc) Copper engraving, 21 × 15 cm
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