On the night of March 28^th, Maestro Iván Fischer returned to the NCPA together with the world-renowned Budapest Festival Orchestra after a lapse of two years and a half. They presented Prokofiev’s three classic masterpieces in celebration of his 135^th birth anniversary. Meanwhile, the orchestra showed its virtuosity to the Beijing audience.

Founded in 1983 by Maestro Iván Fischer, the Budapest Festival Orchestra is the youngest of the “World’s Top Ten Orchestras” chosen by Gramophone, a prestigious British music magazine. Under Maestro Iván Fischer’s baton, this elite orchestra performed at the NCPA in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2023, receiving critical acclaim each time. Iván Fischer said in an interview that Prokofiev is one of his favourite composers and that Prokofiev’s music, which is fairly varied, changing at every moment, should be performed and enjoyed more frequently.

The concert began with an excerpt from Prokofiev’s opera The Love for Three Oranges Suite. The opera boasts an absurd and bizarre plot. Prokofiev luxuriated in blending its musical vocabulary and artistic imagination into his musical composition. The Budapest Festival Orchestra played the music masterfully, bringing out the best in every detail including the striking contrast between brass and strings in the “Burlesque”, the gorgeous, fantastic orchestration in the “Scherzo” and the joyful mood expressed in the rhythmic cadence of the “March”, with each concise piece sounding like dazzling gemstone.

The orchestra then performed Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major under Iván Fischer’s baton. In this work, the modern musical vocabulary of the early 20^th century is used to imitate the classic style of classical symphonic music prevalent in the late 18^th century. To the audience’s surprise, the musicians “stood” all the time when they played this piece, seeming as if they were a small ensemble of the 18^th century. The first movement is full of energy, overflowing with vigour, while the second is ethereal and melodious, invested with mystery. Following the Gavotte, the music came to its end chicly in an interplay of fast string music and woodwind music. By acting in perfect unison, the musicians gave full expression to the composer’s creative talent.

In the second half of the concert, the Budapest Festival Orchestra offered a brilliant rendition of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major. The composer himself hoped to make this piece a “symphony in which the human spirit could look great”. Interpreted by the musicians, the work left a deep impression on the entire audience with its epic grandeur and optimistic melody. From the first movement, which is majestic, sounding as if lingering in the ear, to the second, which is fast-paced and lively, to the third, which is profoundly philosophical, and to the final one, which is a song of triumph sung in a festive atmosphere, the orchestra gave a perfect performance under Iván Fischer’s calm, precise gestures, earning prolonged cheers and applause from the audience.

On the night of March 29^th, Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra will present another wonderful concert at the NCPA. They will play excerpts from Prokofiev’s ballet Cinderella and Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major. These two works, totally different in style, will continue to showcase the orchestra’s exquisite artistry. Your presence is requested.