Budafoki Kamarakórus – Britten, Kodály, Károlyi Pál, Mihály András 

UPC: SLPX 12617

Product Details:

• Label: Hungaroton – SLPX 12617
• Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
• Country: Hungary
• Released: 1980s
• Genre: Classical, Choral

Product Features

• Distinctive 20th-century choral selection featuring Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Kodály’s folk adaptations, and contemporary Hungarian works.
• Budafoki Kamarakórus, an award-winning women’s choir, delivers rich, emotional interpretations of sacred and folk-inspired pieces.
• Includes translated texts and original settings, enhancing both accessibility and authenticity.
• Diverse instrumentation with harp, clarinet, and percussion enriches the vocal textures.

Overview

This recording by the Budafoki Kamarakórus, founded in 1971, showcases the vibrant spirit and vocal precision of a choir composed of young Hungarian women—students and professionals alike. Under the direction of István Biller, a key figure in Hungary’s choral life, the ensemble became a celebrated representative of Hungary in international competitions such as the BBC’s Let the Peoples Sing, winning first prize in the contemporary music category.

The A-side presents Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols Op. 28, a deeply expressive cycle composed in 1942. Set to anonymous medieval and Renaissance English poetry, the work weaves themes of nature, the Nativity, and reverence through distinctive harmonies and harp accompaniment by Márta Haraszthy. Translated into Hungarian by Katalin Nádas and Dr. Károly Vargha, the work’s emotional depth is enhanced by solo soprano and contralto passages.

On the B-side, Kodály Zoltán’s Two Folksongs from Zobor recall his ethnomusicological travels, blending traditional Hungarian melodies with rich choral harmonies. The album continues with contemporary Hungarian works: Pál Károlyi’s Synaesthesia, and András Mihály’s Apocrypha, whose three movements (How I Hate Words, Start Dancing My Sweetheart, The World Rushes) explore themes of communication, emotion, and pace of life through experimental choral textures and modern instrumentation.

This LP captures the unique synergy between historical roots and modern interpretation in Hungarian choral music.

Track Listing:

Side A

Benjamin Britten – A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28

1. Procession (Bevonulás)
2. Wolcum Yole! (Jöjj gyermek!)
3. There is no Rose (Még sosem nyílott rózsa) 4a. That yongë child (Hogy sírni látta) 4b. Balulalow
4. As dew in Aprille (Áprilisi harmat)
5. This little Babe (Oly kicsi ő)
6. Interlude (Közjáték) – harp solo
7. In Freezing Winter Night (A téli fagyos éjszakán)
8. Spring Carol (Oly dús a lét)
9. Deo gratias (Adam lay i-bounden)
10. Recession (Elvonulás)

Side B

1. Zoltán Kodály – Két zoborvidéki népdal / Two Folksongs from Zobor
2. Pál Károlyi – Synaesthesia
3. András Mihály – Apokrifek / Apocrypha  • Ó, hogy gyűlölöm a szavakat / How I Hate Words  • Édes párom perdülj táncra / Start Dancing My Sweetheart  • Rohan a világ / The World Rushes

Key Credits:

• Conductor: István Biller 
• Sopranos: Anna Stiblo, Ágnes Beer, Anna Krizsán 
• Contraltos: Erzsébet Schmidt, Annamária Scholtz, Klára Gáspár, Tünde Igaz 
• Harp: Márta Haraszthy 
• Clarinet: Ferenc Meizl 
• Percussion: József Marton 
• Hungarian Translations: Katalin Nádas (Tracks 1, 2, 5, 8, 9) and Dr. Károly Vargha (Tracks 3, 4, 6, 10)

BOX #57