Teatro Filarmonico di Verona: Folk Songs and Dances

About the Event

Experience the sublime resonances of classical luminaries Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók, and Luciano Berio in the historic and globally celebrated Teatro Filarmonico in Verona. This concert, artistically arranged by the esteemed Maestro Ráth—a revered figure in Magyar music—spans aural delights from Hungary to eclectic and modern melodies from across the globe.

In Galanta, where Kodály spent his youth, the composer and ethnomusicologist crafted a suite of dances renowned on the concert stage for blending gypsy motifs with sophisticated orchestration. His work is closely followed by Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, a groundbreaking piece by his compatriot Bartók that delves into the orchestral sound possibilities by separating two sections for a stunning effect a piece so captivating, it later graced Stanley Kubrick’s iconic movie, The Shining.

Highlighting the evening is an homage to the rich, diverse folk songs of various countries, reinterpreted for voice and chamber orchestra by Luciano Berio of Liguria (1925‐2003), marking the centenary of his birth. The Fondazione Arena celebrates Berio's Folk Songs, a masterful collection that weaves together musical threads from Italy, the U.S., Armenia, France, Spain, and Azerbaijan into a seamless anthology.