Miklós
Rózsa was a truly remarkable composer. He left Hungary at
the age of 18 in 1925 and, apart from a brief visit in 1974,
never set foot again in his native country. Even so, his
music carries an absolutely genuine and immediately identifiable
Hungarian imprint. To quote the composer himself “the music
of Hungary is stamped indelibly one way or another on virtually
every bar I have ever put on paper”. When no feature work
appeared in Paris where he’d gone from his studies at Leipzig
Conservatoire he took up writing music for films at the suggestion
of Arthur Honegger. He first tried his luck in London where
his debut score was for
Knight Without Armour for
Sir Alexander Korda in 1937. By 1940 he had become Korda’s “one
man music department”. He went to Hollywood, as he thought
for a month or so, to put the finishing touches to his score
for
The Thief of Baghdad. He ended up remaining there
for the rest of his life, dying in California 55 years later.
This disc presents two works from each end of his composing
career, the viola concerto of 1979 being his last orchestral
work. It has an overall dark feel to it more akin to Bartók
than to Kodaly whose music the other work here, The Hungarian
Serenade, more closely resembles. Opening with a brooding
theme almost immediately taken up by the soloist, who is
called upon to play virtually without a break throughout.
The concerto has a sweeping momentum that demands attention
and passionate themes that are full of emotion. Lovers of
Hungarian themes will particularly enjoy the concerto as
they are very much to the fore here as they are in all his
works. Peasant dances and folk-style fiddling abound. Gilad
Karni is a great soloist who obviously relishes his role
here. The orchestra give committed support. This concerto
proves yet again that the viola does not deserve the reputation
it has for being second rate in comparison with the violin.
Here it is called upon to perform beautiful phrases and heart-felt
ideas.
The
Hungarian Serenade which dates from 1945 had a long gestation
to arrive at its present completed state. It began life as
a piece for string orchestra simply entitled Serenade. The
premiere came in 1932 at the opera house in Budapest under
Bruno Walter. There it received furious applause from none
other than Richard Strauss who was there with the wife of
Dohnányi,. The work went through several revisions which
included removing the final march and its replacement by
a lively dance. It teems with folk-inspired music and shows
once again how emotionally tied Rózsa was to his native land.
It receives a wonderful performance from this orchestra which
began its life as one founded in 1945 by Hungarian State
Railways!
The first in a Chandos series of the orchestral works of Rózsa
recently
reviewed also includes the Hungarian Serenade.
If
proof is still required by some that Rózsa was a master composer
whose reputation should not be confined to his fabulous film
scores then this disc is one more salvo in that argument.
Steve Arloff
Gilad Karni
(viola) 
