Saint Stephen Philharmonics and Purcell Choir

Among the performances of the Filharmonia season are the Saint Stephen Philharmonics and Purcell Choir.

In the 2024-2025 season, the Balaton Theatre and Filharmonia Hungary will once again offer four great concerts for the musical audience in Keszthely. The Budapest Festival Orchestra, Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, Saint Stephen Philharmonics and Purcell Choir and Jazzation Acappella Vocal Group will be among the exceptional performers.

Mozart’s ‘Grand’ opera

Although Mozart’s operas may first come to mind as The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro or Don Giovanni, Mozart long referred to Idomeneo as “Meine große Oper – My Grand Opera”. There was a reason for this, for although he had already been writing operas at his father’s instigation as a child, this was the first work in which he began to take control – as history has shown, not only of his own opera, but of the development of the entire operatic repertoire. The story of Idomeneo is in many ways an important document. On the one hand, it is a classical opera seria, in the Italian language and with an ancient story; on the other, it was the first Mozart opera in the making, in which Mozart, then 24 years old, had a major say in the writing of the libretto, and he also had heated discussions with the singers, who took it for granted that the composer was at their beck and call. Even the overture breaks with the Baroque and Italianate traditions and puts the drama first, and later on, character and emotion are the primary concern, rather than self-serving virtuosity or the domination of prefabricated formal conventions. And although he wrote “the opera of operas” in Figaro or Don Giovanni, Idomeneo was an important milestone on the road to his operas, now undeservedly forgotten.

Artists

Saint Stephen Philharmonics
Purcell Choir
Ilia – Ella Smith (soprano)
Elettra – Katalin Szutrély (soprano)
Idamante – Eszter Balogh (mezzosoprano)
Idomeneo – Márton Komáromi (tenor)
Arbace – Zoltán Megyesi (tenor)
György Vashegyi – conductor

Programme

Mozart: Idomeneo

Source: Filharmonia Hungary