Söndörgő & The Kelemen Quartet, Budapest, April 8

Budapest’s Bartók Spring festival embraces artists ranging from Tan Dun to Spiritualized, Ryoji Ikeda to Gaye Su Akyol. One of its concerts even combined traditional southern Slavic folk with Bartók string quartets. Of course, this is a composer who was steeped in folkloric expression, many of his works inspired by rustic fiddling, and collected on his own phonograph field recordings. Söndörgő are a three decades-established group of hardcore revivalists, so a match with the Kelemen Quartet was highly likely to succeed.

The Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy must surely stand proudly among the globe’s most elaborately decorated music spaces, filled with ornate and opulent golden curves, potentially distracting from the music, but ultimately providing a glowing surround for these predominantly string sounds.

(Photo: Andrea Felvégi)

The Söndörgő line-up is dominated by various-sized tamburas (long-necked lutes), but also includes accordion, guitar, reeds, trumpet, flutes, percussion and upright bass. Much instrument-changing ensues. A high-speed dance-flow was the primary aim here, full of intricate twists, delicately negotiated. Söndörgő managed to marry a headlong momentum with a gentler palette. After a few openers, they sat down to play Bartók in the jazz fashion, 'A Kind Of Béla' featuring a suitably muted trumpet for a Miles Davis aura. Then there were two Bartók duos for a pair of (Kelemen) violinists, for a palate switch, the first half closing with the combined ensembles, clarinet and accordion also featured. Spiky trumpet and rattling drums powered to the pre-intermission climax.

The Kelemens opened the second half with Bartók’s String Quartet No 5, followed by three Söndörgő members parading from the rear of the hall, armed with trumpet, clarinet and drum. After another Bartók violin duo, Söndörgő dominated the final run, joined by the Kelemens in folk mode. These tunes sounded like a suite, complete with multiple solos and mood-shunts, trumpet and clarinet again providing extended peaks. This was a thoroughly exciting and well-balanced fusion programme, surely pleasing the evening’s diverse attendees in equal measure.