András Keller conducts three Bartók concertos

In one of a series of concerts dedicated to Hungarian composer Béla Bartók at the 2025 Bartók Festival, András Keller and the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra present a program of spectacular concertos. To begin, the award-winning Máté Szűcs lends his talents to the beloved Viola Concerto, Sz. 120, BB 128. The concerto, which constituted mere sketches when Bartók died and was completed posthumously by Miklós Rakos, was commissioned by Scottish violist William Primrose, who told Bartók he should not "feel in any way proscribed by the apparent technical limitations of the instrument,” prompting the composer to create one of his most technically demanding solo works. It requires an absolute command of the instrument in order to pull off technical fingerwork, high speeds, and complex harmonics, particularly in the final Scherzo movement. Next, young pianist Mihály Berecz takes on the Third Piano Concerto, another piece written by Bartók in his final months, this time as a surprise birthday gift for his wife. To finish, the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra showcases the incredible talent of its members in one of Bartók’s most popular works, the Concerto for Orchestra.

Photo © Szilvia Csibi