Budapesti Festivali Zenekara
May 31, Ivan Fischer conducting in Suntory Hall -- Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Op. 56a (Johannes Brahms, 1833-97), Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 (Bela Bartok, 1881-1945) and "Zigeunerweisen" for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 20 (Pablo Martin Militon de Sarasate y Navascuez, 1844-1908), featuring Akiko Suwanai; Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 (Brahms)
The Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer presented 10 performances during 13 days in Japan recently. Founded in 1983, the 89-member orchestra was making its second appearance here.
The BFO seems to have metamorphosized since its appearance here four years ago. It's not just that the complement of players has been increased by some 20 percent, nor that the years have brought international acclaim to the orchestra and to the native-son conductor who at the age of 32 founded it as the Hungarian capital's sixth orchestra.