Magyar Magic season

KATALIN Bogyay, director of the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London, introduced a summer series of events in London with the words, "When Hungarians move to a new home, it is customary for us to call on our new neighbors and say hello so that they can put a face to the new name on the door.


By hosting a series of events in the UK, Hungary shows what it has to offer the world. Lucy Mallows discovers more.





KATALIN Bogyay, director of the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London, introduced a summer series of events in London with the words, "When Hungarians move to a new home, it is customary for us to call on our new neighbors and say hello so that they can put a face to the new name on the door.


"We introduce our spouses and children, we ask about the new area.


"When Hungary joins the European Union next year, our whole nation will become a new neighbor, and while we cannot introduce ourselves one by one, we would very much like to be more than just a new name on the list.


"And who could think of a better way of introducing ourselves than presenting our cultural heritage, which has played a great part in ensuring this small nation's survival throughout centuries of political turmoil?"


The Hungarian Cultural Centre (HCC) is situated in London's bustling Covent Garden and between May and August of this year, it will, together with various venues throughout London, host a summer preview to Magyar Magic Hungary in Focus 2004.


Celebrating Hungary's entry into the European Union, Magyar Magicwill be a series of concerts, exhibitions, film seasons and literary events taking place all over the United Kingdom.


Magyar Magic actually begins in November of this year and the events on show during the summer serve as sneak preview for those curious to learn more about Hungary.


For a tiny country, Hungary has produced a remarkable number of cultural icons and the talents of such legends as film director/producer Sir Alexander Korda, composer Béla Bartók, contemporary composer György Kurtág, film director István Szabó, literature Nobel laureate Imre Kertész and recently re-discovered author Sándor Márai are known the world over.


One event taking place at the HCC on Monday June 16 is Rising Stars, which highlights some new names to look out for. As part of the Monday night soirée series, there will be a chamber music concert hosted by Zsanett Hadrévi, featuring pianist Emese Mali and .autist Dóra Seres playing works by Schubert, Schulhoff, Jolivet, Messiaen and Franck.


Mali was born in Budapest in 1980 and is currently studying at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music.


Mali has given concerts in both Hungary and abroad. She played in a concert series organized by the National Philharmonic at the Kapolcs Art Festival and also gave a solo recital at the Budapest Spring Festival.


Seres graduated from the Ferenc Liszt Academy in 2002. That same year she began a postgraduate course at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where she is studying with András Adorján.


This year Mali and Seres took part in the Schubert and Modern International Chamber Music Competition in Graz where they won second prize in the Flute and Piano category.


On Monday, July 7, the 17-year-old cello prodigy István Várdai performs at St John's, Smiths Square in south-west London with Britain's National Musicians Symphony Orchestra. Várdai was born in Pécs into an extremely musical family. He began learning music at the age of eight and two years later won Hungary's National Cello Competition.


Aged 12 he was accepted into the Liszt Academy's exceptionally talented students' class where he now studies with László Mezo of the Bartók Quartet.


The program for this event includes Liszt's Les preludes, Dohnányi's Cello Concerto and Rachmaninov's Symphony No 2.


A choir was specially put together from some of London's leading chamber choirs to celebrate the work of Zoltán Kodály and will perform a commemorative concert at Corpus Christi in Maiden Lane just by the HCC. Choral music dominates Kodály's work although he is better-known today for his orchestral pieces. The choir, conducted by Ivor Setter.eld and accompanied by organist John Marsden, will perform the Evening Song, 114 Psalmsand Missa Brevis.


One highlight of Hungary's presence in London is sure to be the appearance of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer, at the famous Prom concerts, which takes place every year at the Royal Albert Hall.


Formed by Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis in 1983, the BFO is not only a vital element in Budapest cultural life but also a frequent and appreciated guest at venues all over the world.


Outstanding performers such as Sir Georg Solti, Yehudi Menuhin, András Schiff, Kiri te Kanawa and Richard Goode have appeared with the orchestra and for the performance on Tuesday, July 21, pianist Stephen Hough will join the BFO to play works by Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninov.


Hungarian theater is also highlighted with performances during June of Andor Szilágyi's play Unsent Letters. Directed by rising British talent John Terry, the play will be performed at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, the only purpose-built theatre-in-the-round in London. Unsent Letters will be performed as a double bill on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the website www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk for more details.


Fans of porcelain should visit the joint exhibition of Herend and Santa Fe artist Mark Williamson at The Collectionin Brompton Road. Established in 1826, Herend is one of the oldest porcelain factories in Hungary and continues its legacy of elegance by individually hand-painting all its works using century-old traditions. Williamson creates figurative marble sculptures and porcelain busts, incorporating traditional and contemporary designs.


In 1984, the exhibition Hungary can be Yours/International Hungary organized by Artpool at the FMK (Club for Young Artists) in Budapest was shutdown just hours after opening.


A report on the exhibition stated that the works "mock and attack our state and our social order, as well as the state security organs." György Galántai, instigator of the exhibition, presents a selection of these "dangerous" works alongside documents relating to the original banned exhibits. This will appear at the B+B gallery at the Austrian Cultural Forum at 28 Rutland Gate. On Thursday August 7 at 7pm there will also be a discussion with Galántai and Julia Klaniczay, co-founders of the Artpool Art Research Center in Budapest.


Galántai and Klaniczay also present the Balatonboglár Chapel Studio "summer camp" for artists in Hungary which Galántai ran from 1970 to 1973. A video to be shown on Tuesday, August 5 tells the story of the "summer studio" featuring exhibitions, concerts, poetry recitals, theatrical performances


and .lms from the best of Hungary's "undesirable" avant-gardeartists.


Residents of the county of Dorset should mark August 15 and 16 in their diaries as the Dorset Opera, together with soloists and dancers from the Hungarian State Opera will give their first UK performance in Sherborne, performing the dramatic and melodic opera Hunyadi László by Ferenc Erkel. This can be seen again in London on Monday, August 18 at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre.


Folk and classical dance also makes an appearance in Scotland when the students of the Hungarian Dance Academy perform at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival on July 30 to August 9.


From June 3 to July 31, visitors to the HCC can see an exhibition by the photographer Dorothy Bohm.


Bohn was born in Lithuania and the great Magyar photographer André Kertész encouraged her in her career.


These events will provide proof, if any were needed, of the talent Hungary has to offer and give a tantalizing taste of what is to come in 2004 - the year of Magyar Magic.





Hungarian Cultural Centre (HCC)


10 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden


London, England WC2E 7NA


Tel: 00 44 (0)20 7240 8448


HCC ticket reservations:


call 00 44 (0)20 7240 6162


www.hungary.org.uk







12.06.2003