National Dance Theatre – Main Auditorium, 25 April, 2019
“I have a new plan; I am going to collect the most beautiful Hungarian folk songs and give them the quality of composed songs by adding the best possible piano accompaniment. Such a collection would enable international audiences to get acquainted with Hungarian folk music...”
Béla Bartók wrote the above to his sister Elza in1904. We now know that he had been absolutely right - the letter has documentary value, it is the inspired source of researching the “true source”. We are well aware that plan had been executed and the results were much more significant than originally anticipated. We can only be thankful for the monumental, heroic works gifted to us by Bartók and other collectors. They conserved our folk music and folk songs for all the generation that came after them.
The aim of this dance theatre performance is to commemorate these collectors (Bartók in particular at this time) and also to translate a small slice of the collection, Bartók’s male choir works, into the language of dance. The internationally renowned Saint Ephrem Male Choir will help us bring the pieces to life. We aspire to achieve co-operation and harmony between folk song and folk dancing, to show how these two work together and to be able to see their common roots.
From Past Times – Bartók & Folk evokes a world which was present once and it has a living link with our present. We will explore this link in order to prove that traditions come from the source in which we exist.
Performers: Duna Art Ensemble, Göncöl Band, Saint Ephrem Male Choir, Blázs Szokolay Dongó
Choreographers: Zsolt Juhász, Calin Orza, Tamás Farkas
Music: Bela Bartok Male Choirs, authentic folk music
Music Editors: Balázs Szokolay Dongó, Tamás Bubnó, Zoltán Dulai
Dance Masters: András Csasztvan Jr., Zoltán Gera, Balázs Sáfrán, Eszter Horváth, Enikő Kenéz, Ágnes Farkas, Katalin Bonifert, Csaba Szabó, Norbert Kolumbán, Gyula András Soós
Costume Designer: Gábor Michac
Visual Designer: JuZso
Compilation of authentic costumes: Eszter Horváth, Gyula András Soós
Director: Zsolt Juhász
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