Early 2000, I joined Alfons to visit a concert of the Ebony Band, one of the leading modern music orchestras in the Netherlands. The main theme that night was typical ’30s avant-garde music from (rather unknown) Hungarian and Czech composers. The concert was well-attended (packed, one might say) and had some amazing (and often funny) moments: it was a showcase of exceptional music played by exceptional and obviously enthusiastic musicians.
We were surprised when the show ended with a commentary about the (then impending) crisis in public funding for professional musicians and orchestras, which would (or could) affect the Ebony Band too. At the same time, the Band celebrated its 10th anniversary and because of that, attendees were handed out a free copy of a CD filled with (the same) obscure music from relatively unknown composers.
Which brings us to (or at) today’s Past-The-Bridge sample: ‘Le Tourbillon Mecanique’ (30 some seconds, MP3) from Hungarian composer, Tibor Harsanyi (pronounced) as performed by the Ebony Band.
This composer gets extra bonus points for his interest in Finnegans Wake.
Ebony Band is, I might say, almost dead because they did not succeed getting plenty of funding. They did release the very succesful Revueltas CD, which means they pop up every now and then.
This composer gets extra bonus points for his interest in Finnegans Wake.
Do you have links to his (extended) biography or is this something you found elsewhere? I cannot find anything about Harsanyi.
Ah, no, it’s the other Hungarian composer, Matyas Seiber, who developed an interest in James Joyce.
I visited this concert which had a piece by Seiber.
Right, just as you pronounce teh Ebony Band as nearly non-existant, they come up with this concert.
That includes Milhaud.
Ah, no, it’s the other Hungarian composer, Matyas Seiber, who developed an interest in James Joyce.
I used to confuse Harsanyi with Alois Haba one time…