Zoltán Kodály, like his compatriot Béla Bartók, wrote major orchestral scores that were deeply enriched by his research into Hungarian folk music. The Dances of Galánta and Dances of Marosszék are full of swagger and vitality, and the Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary, is lush, sparkling, and vivid. Like the Variations on a Hungarian Folk Song, a virtuoso showcase of sizzling effects, these scores reveal the brilliance of his orchestral colors and the indelible allure of traditional themes.
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra: Music of Kodaly
