From Mupa: There are many people who consider Maxim Vengerov to be the finest string instrumentalist of our time. His friendship with the MÁV Symphony Orchestra is reflected in the fact that this evening will mark the third time he has taken the stage with the ensemble since 2019.

Many people will perhaps also be pleased about the unavoidable change in programme necessitated by the situation with the global pandemic, for Vengerov will now be playing one of the most popular and beautiful pieces in the violin literature at this concert.

Gábor Takács-Nagy originally planned two widely familiar Hungarian works for this programme. Instead of those, he will conduct a symphony by Mozart and another by Beethoven.

The 'inventory' of Mozart's oeuvre includes 41 symphonies, of which the 35th is the Haffner. It was composed in 1782, during the period when he had settled permanently in Vienna and was living the life of an independent artist.

The work nevertheless 'refers back' to his Salzburg years, as its original namesake, Sigmund Haffner the Elder, had been the city's mayor. Mozart wrote a serenade for his daughter's wedding and, later on, the symphony we will hear at this concert to mark the occasion of his son's ennoblement. What makes Beethoven's work on the programme particularly significant is the fact that it is the first of his nine giant symphonies, his initial encounter with the genre.

It is a wonderful piece, full of original ideas, invention and humour - but it is especially exciting for us viewers of today to listen to it knowing where the path, of which this was the first step, would lead.

Place: Budapest

Address: Budapest