Concerts at Matthias Church
The Duna String Orchestra and its violin soloist share their love and appreciation for classical music from the 17th and 18th century with their Concerts at Matthias Church in Budapest. Johann Pachelbel, Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart build the foundation of the evening’s programme. The selection features well-known works as well as some hidden gems that not everyone would recognise immediately. What binds the set list together, however, is the melodic beauty of each number and the great talent and passion of the experienced performers.
Among the compositions that define Baroque, Pachelbel’s ‘Canon in D-Major’ holds a very special place, and it provides a programmatic opening to the concert. Its freely flowing melodies then give way to the expressive and intense ‘Winter’ from Vivaldi’s violin concerto cycle The Four Seasons and the similarly passionate ‘Domine Deus’ from his sacred work Gloria. The first movement from Bach’s ‘Violin Concert in E-Major’ and Handel’s ‘Water Music’ continue building the regal and majestic atmosphere.
The second half of the programme brings the tension down and focuses on ethereal, gentle melodies. The ‘Adagio in G-minor’ by Tomaso Albinoni, Mozart’s ‘Church Sonata in D-Major’, ‘The Swan’ by Camille Saint-Saëns, and ‘Panis Angelicus’ by Cesar Franck all share a soft touch and a lightness that caress the soul. The smooth and gentle vibes continue with Bach’s ‘Air on the G String’ and the ‘Meditation’ from Jules Massenet’s Thais. The performance finds an appropriate climax with a Mozart double feature: ‘A Little Night Music’ and ‘Alleluja’ from Exsultate, Jubilate raise the emotional grade and put an exciting final point to the evening. Concerts at Matthias Church in Budapest offers a celebration of Baroque and Classical music, ripe with famous composers and beloved tunes, in the storied Roman Catholic church in the middle of the Buda Castle District.