This recording offers the unity of two generations; generations that respectfully challenge each other, providing two views on traditional Hungarian vocal folklore. Este, the first choral work composed by Kodaly, is in keeping with the impressionist language that was in style at the time. After the First World War, feeling the urgency to preserve Hungarian heritage, the composer (with the help of Béla Bartók) collected over 3,000 melodies and wrote choral arrangements for them. The result features incredible pieces such as Esti Dal and Mátra Pictures, a monumental a cappella which perfectly captures the spirit of folk literature, recounting village life in the mountains.
It is this Mátra that inspired Ligeti to compose his Songs from Mátraszentimre twenty years later, a cycle of short pieces whose traditional style is reminiscent of Bartók’s popular songs. Surprisingly, the Songs from Mátraszentimre were composed in the same year as the diptych Éjszaka és reggel, a stunning avant-garde piece that foreshadowed the chromatic variations later used by Ligeti in his Lux Aeterna, the central piece on this album. A masterpiece described by the composer as "micropolyphonic" because of its imperceptible harmonic changes, Lux Aeterna is still recognised by the general public even today (thanks in particular to its use in Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey).
Marcus Creed directs a masterful production here at the head of a Danish National Vocal Ensemble, a choir that’s at the top of its game. The impeccable sound recording provides the perfect setting to appreciate the complexity of these works. A special mention goes to Lux Aeterna; its precision and clarity of execution giving us a stunning glimpse into eternity. © Pierre Lamy/Qobuz