Budapest, a city whose musical legacy rivals its Austro-Hungarian past in grandeur and fascination, dusted its aura over the Royal Albert Hall last week: from the Budapest Festival Orchestra and its co-founder, Iván Fischer, to his childhood friend and collaborator, the pianist András Schiff; to the composers Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, György Kurtág and Dora Pejačević, all of whom were born or spent time in the Hungarian capital, notably in studies at the celebrated Franz Liszt Academy, established by the composer-pianist whose name it takes.
The gregarious Fischer, master of ceremonies as well as conductor, led three Proms, including an audience-choice matinee (heard on Radio 3 – and pithily described by the presenter, Petroc Trelawny, as “delicious chaos”). Choosing from a list of options, the works to be performed were decided by crowd decibel level. I regret that Haydn, long based at Hungary’s stupendous Esterházy Palace, missed the mark: he would have been radical among the inevitably safe choices. This orchestra’s zest and idiomatic style would convert anyone to his music: why does this genius still fall into the shadows?
