String Concert at Basilika

The concert given on a hot Sunday evening by the Duna String Orchestra at Budapest's Basilika was magnificent.

Just seven players managed to make themselves sound like a full-size orchestra. The inclusion of a cello and bass in their line-up created a resonant timbre that enhanced both musical quality and sound.

The programme consists of excerpts from popular works from Bach, Handel, Albinoni, Vivaldi, Purcell, Schubert, Mozart and others.

While I was familiar with the music, I am not that familiar with concert performance. But my assessment is that this group would be an asset to a concert platform anywhere in the world.

Of course, there is just the possibility that their performance owed its perfection to the qualities of the auditorium. Seated beneath the frescoed dome of the Basilika and ornately cloistered on three sides, the projected sound is sonorous.

However, I'm sure this theory can be discounted as the acoustics proved more an obstacle than an advantage to the Hungarian mezzo-soprana who joined the orchestra for three of their works.

It would be churlish to comment further... perhaps the problem lay in her interpretation of European vowels. Nevertheless, she smiled glowingly and exuded warmth toward the audience. And she didn't spot the sigh of resignation from one of the players as she came on for her final performance.

N.B. Now I've researched the Duna Orchestra, after writing about them, I see they play the same repertoire about every week of the year. So they should perform well. But I still give them top marks. And here's a tip: if you arrive for a concert three minutes late and haggle over choosing cheap or expensive tickets you might get a 50% discount to sit in the front seats -- it worked for me!