UMS Concert Program, January 17, 1978: The Hungarian Folk Ballet Of Budapest And Gypsy Orchestra --

Concert: Sixteenth
Complete Series: 4103
Power Center Por The Performing Arts Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University M
The Univei
sical Society
Presents
The Hungarian Folk Ballet
of Budapest
and
Gypsy Orchestra
(Ensemble Budapest)
ANTAL SIMON, Director and Artistic Leader Antal Kriskovics, Deputy Artistic Leader
Bela Vavrinecz, Musical Leader
Lajos Molnar, Leader of the Dancers Gyula Toky, Leader of the Orchestra
Sandor Perlusz, Ballet Master Margit Kascsak, Costume Designer
Zsuzsa Hargitai
ZOLTAN BARCSAY, Cello
Solo Dancers Laszlo Kovacs
Soloists of the Orchestra Laszlo Feher, Clarinet
Lajos Molnar
Oszkar Okros, Cymbal
Tuesday Evening, January 17, 1978, at 8:00
Power Center por the Performing Arts
Ann Arbor, Michigan
PROGRAM
Czardas "Slot"..........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon
The Czardas is a virtuosic dance from the Nyirseg county in northern Hungary. Traditional Czardas start slowly and end with a flourish. The portion of the dance called "slot" is performed solely by the men. This dance can still be seen today in the "bush ranches."
The Shepherds..........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon
Shepherds lead a hard life, always out in the open. Their dances are part of the old Hungarian dance treasury and take many different forms. As the sticks or shepherd's staff are also in constant use as tools or weapons, they have been incorporated into many of their native dances.
Pastoral Dance from Czege..........Music: Gyore
Choreography: Lajos Molnar
This dance is from the county Kunsag, which recalls the former life in the desert. Again the stick is prominent, derived in this case from its use as a weapon in the Middle Ages.
Sixteenth Program
Seventh Annual Choice Series, Power Center
Complete Programs 4103
Orchestral Interlude -Fireworks Czardas .... Music: Bela Vavrinecz
The virtuoso performance of the Gypsy Orchestra glitters in this fast Czardas dance. Adapted from WestHungarian folk melodies, the music resembles fireworks in which the instruments have outstanding solos.
Bottle Dance..........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon
One of the oldest and most popular dances from southern Transylvania in the Somogy county, the "Bottle Dance" is usually performed at weddings. Beautiful girls dance, balancing bottles of wine on their heads and skillfully dance over and around other bottles placed on the floor, without spilling the wine.
Men's Dance from Tiire........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon
One of the most developed of the Hungarian men's dances, this dance is rich in rhythm and dynamics. It is a competitive dance whereby the men demonstrate their skill and prowess for each other as well as for their audience. It is from the village Tiire in Kalotaszeg.
The Gypsy Orchestra
Recruiting Dance and Czardas......Music: Bela Vavrinecz
In the last centuries the pressing into military service started with rigid men's dances. Even Franz Liszt was inspired by the characteristic music of the recruitment. The main theme is played by clarinet solo and the music increases in tempo and intensity to serve its purpose.
Miller's Dance and Rangers' Czardas
This is a virtuoso vehicle for the cembalo, a native Hungarian instrument of great popularity. There is a solo cadenza in this work which makes it a great showpiece of Hungarian music.
Happy Love...........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon A lyrical dance for couples in which they express their sentiment for each other.
Dances from Bacska.........Musk: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Kriskovics
A dance of great color and vitality from Bacska expressing the happiness of the people of this region.
INTERMISSION
Czardas from Doboz.........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Lajos Molnar
This is the Hungarian national coupledance. It takes various forms and is improvisational in nature. It is probably the most popular dance form in Hungary and appears in various forms in other countries.
Gypsy Dance..........Music: Bela Vavrinecz
Choreography: Antal Simon
Part one is another form of the stick dance as performed by the gypsies with a five hundred year tradition behind them. There is much changing of couples to the odd rhythms of the music. Part two is an impetuous dance characteristic of the nature of these colorful people and their varied emotions. It originates from the upper part of Tisza.
The Gypsy Orchestra -Hungarian Fantasy......Franz Liszt
Liszt adapted the most popular tunes of his age into this rhapsody, particularly the "verbunk" or recruiting dance. The cembalo is prominently featured and the rhapsodic form of this fantasy gives us a thrilling and throbbing picture of Hungarian folk music as treated by one of the world's greatest composers.
Dances from Transylvania.......Music: Daroci and Gyore
Choreography: Lajos Molnar
Transylvania is one of the richest territories of Hungarian folklore. Because of the historical and geographical situation of this area, one can still see dances of several countries performed today. The slow and courtly dances evolve into many styles and the musical accompaniment is highly ornamented and extremely varied.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
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