Ave Maria / Air / Alleluja
In the heart of Budapest, a celebration of spirituality and music takes place. The concert Ave Maria / Air / Alleluja brings together European composers from several centuries and periods. The common thread is their adoration of a higher power, their humility before God, and their indubitable talent. Performed by a soprano and a tenor backed up by a classic church music ensemble of organ, violin and trumpet, the sacred works by greats such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Franz Liszt and others are bound to touch the soul of every music fan, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Bach’s ‘Toccata’ and ‘Air’ start the programme and establish its focus on the divine. Handel’s ‘Rejoice’ from his famed oratorio Messiah and Tomaso Albinoni’s Church Sonata continue the line of jubilation and devotion. In addition, Handel's ‘Largo’ from the opera Xerxes, the Vespers’ hymn ‘Ave maris stella’ by Franz Liszt and Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ from the concerti grossi cycle The Four Seasons demonstrate the spiritual elements of non-sacred music, too. True to its name, the concert also includes two renditions of the beloved ‘Ave Maria’ – by Charles Gounod and by Franz Schubert. Of course, no spiritual evening is complete without the contemplative, poignant melody of Albinoni’s ‘Adagio in G-minor’.
The famous vocal work ‘Panis Angelicus’ by Cesar Franck and the gorgeous violin spotlight number ‘Meditation’ from the opera Thais by Jules Massenet offer an exalting lead into Mozart’s ‘Alleluja’ from his celebrated motet Exsultate, jubilate. As performed by the ensemble of talented musicians and singers, Ave Maria / Air / Alleluja promises to take you on a deep spiritual exploration. When you come back from that wondrous journey, do not be surprised if the lights of Budapest shine a little brighter and you feel a little closer to divinity. Such is the power of music and the talent of the stellar composer cast behind this concert of sacred tunes.