Welcome to the 21^st Börzsöny Baroque Days early music festival

Year after year in late August, an ever growing number of early music enthusiasts gather among the majestic landscapes of the Danube Bend and Börzsöny regions, in their picturesque villages and beautiful historic churches, to enrich themselves with musical experiences of the highest standard. Last year, we celebrated the 20^th anniversary of one of Hungary’s longest continuously running early music festivals, which has featured the cream of the Hungarian early music scene as well as several foreign artists, including such renowned groups as the Hilliard Ensemble and London Baroque. The festival’s ‘ensemble-in-residence’, Sebastian Consort, also serves as a permanent local early music workshop throughout the year, involving local artists. We consider it an important mission to engage young people and cultivate the future audience and performers. Exceptionally talented young music students regularly perform at the festival, taking the stage together with their artist-teachers. We are also proud and delighted that all age groups are represented at the concerts, including the youngest generation and families with children.

About the programme

This year’s festival once again lasts for six days – with a break due to the national holiday on August 20 – in the churches of Nagymaros, Zebegény, Verőce, Kismaros, Szokolya, and Göd, featuring the finest performers and exciting programmes of great variety. The festival traditionally begins with a liturgical event: a Vespers service, this year coinciding with the eve of the feast of Saint Stephen, first king of Hungary. Despite it name, the festival does not strictly adhere to the Baroque period when curating our programme. For many years, we have been striving to cover the entire timeline of early music with our concerts, and this year, we have particularly focused on medieval and Renaissance music. The opening Vespers and the medieval–Renaissance concert of the Sebastian Consort on 24^th August will also honour the 550^th anniversary of the death of Guillaume Du Fay, one of the greatest early Renaissance composers. The concerts feature a variety of Medieval and Renaissance instruments from the hand portative organ (organetto) with hand-operated bellows through rebec (a string instrument) to Renaissance trombones, as well as unique musical pieces such as motetti missales (‘mass motets’), a 15^th-century vocal genre from the Duomo of Milan. Naturally, the lovers of Baroque will not be disappointed either: from intimate French keyboard and viola da gamba music to the monumental double concertos at our closing concert this era will be well-represented at the festival. Once again, the closing concert is co-hosted by the ‘Göd Baroque Days’ series.

Our performers include renowned Hungarian artists such as organists and harpsichordists Dóra Pétery and Márton Borsányi, viola da gamba player Anna Lachegyi and Lúcia Krommer, lute virtuoso Igor Davidovics and many more. We also welcome an excellent young vocal quartet from the Netherlands, Pulse Ensemble, who, besides their concert on 21^st August, will also sing at the opening Vespers.

Accompanying events: on-stage interviews and open atelier

Accompanying events will also enrich the festival. This year we are launching a new initiative: short on-stage interviews before the concerts, featuring one of the performers talking about the programme, composers, instruments, and other interesting details. These 15-minute conversations, called ‘Præambulum’, will take place from 5.30 to 5.45 p.m. before the concerts on 21 and 22 August. Another exclusive accompanying event will take place on August 24 in Szokolya: from 12 n. to 5.30 p.m. visitors are welcome at the home and atelier of artists János Saxon Szász and Zsuzsa Dárdai, where you can view their artworks and studio with guided tours hosted by the artist couple.

Donations

For 21 years, our mission has been to ensure that the Börzsöny Baroque Days can be attended free of charge. However, we could not organize the festival without your donations. You can donate via the collection boxes placed at the concerts, by bank transfer, and by credit card payments through our website. We are truly grateful for your support.

We hope to welcome you at the concerts. Please follow our news and updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Imre Lachegyi
recorder player, festival director