Szinergia Pablo Barragán, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, István Várdai, Sárközy Trio

• Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967): Kállai kettős, K. 104 (Arr. for Clarinet & Orchestra by Gyula Csík):
• 1 Kodály: Kállai kettős, K. 104 (Arr. for Clarinet & Orchestra by Gyula Csík) 05:46
• Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905 - 1963): Kammerkonzert:
• 2 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: I. Introduktion 08:40
• 3 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IIa. Tanz-Variationen. Einleitung und Thema 01:21
• 4 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IIb. Var. 1, Allegro molto 00:40
• 5 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IIc. Var. 2, Adagio 02:19
• 6 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IId. Var. 3, Allegretto 02:24
• 7 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IIe. Var. 4, Allegro 00:40
• 8 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: IIf. Var. 5, Allegro molto vivace 00:49
• 9 Hartmann: Kammerkonzert: III. Fantasie 08:54
• Leó Weiner (1885 - 1960): Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai):
• 10 Weiner: Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai): I. Tempo di csárdás 02:43
• 11 Weiner: Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai): II. Róka-tánc 02:23
• 12 Weiner: Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai): III. Marosszéki keringős 01:08
• 13 Weiner: Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai): IV. Verbunkos 02:40
• 14 Weiner: Divertimento No. 1, Op. 20 "Jó alapos csárdás" (Arr. for Clarinet, Violin & Orchestra by Lajos Sárközy & István Várdai): V. Csürdöngölő 02:38
• Paco de Lucía (1947 - 2014): Callejón del muro (Arr. for Clarinet by Pablo Barragán):
• 15 Lucía: Callejón del muro (Arr. for Clarinet by Pablo Barragán) 03:14
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel):
• 16 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 2, Brâul 00:53
• 17 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 3, Pê-loc 01:54
• 18 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): Variation [Added by Jonas Dominique] 00:34
• 19 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 4, Buciumeana 02:22
• 20 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 5, Poargǎ româneascǎ 00:33
• 21 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 6, Mǎrunţel 00:15
• 22 Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cimbalom & String Orchestra by Jonas Dominique & Olof Wendel): No. 7, Mǎrunţel 00:42
• Zoltán Kodály: Epigram No. 3 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello & Orchestra by István Várdai):
• 23 Kodály: Epigram No. 3 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello & Orchestra by István Várdai) 01:29
• Epigram No. 6 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello & Orchestra by István Várdai):
• 24 Kodály: Epigram No. 6 (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello & Orchestra by István Várdai) 01:39
• Total Runtime 56:40

Info for Szinergia

The album SZINERGIA celebrates the interconnectedness of composers who, despite leading different lives, found common ground in the dance rhythms and folk traditions that inspired their music. At the heart of this album is Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Kammerkonzert for clarinet, string quartet, and string orchestra, a poignant homage to Zoltán Kodály. Hartmann’s work epitomizes the synergy of musical ideas, blending the spirit of Hungarian folk music with a modern, introspective voice.

Zoltán Kodály’s Kálló Double Dance and Epigrams Nos. 3 & 6 showcase his profound connection to Hungarian traditions. These pieces, reimagined through contemporary arrangements, reveal the timeless nature and the vibrant energy of his melodies.

Léo Weiner’s Divertimento No. 1 “Old Hungarian Dances” adds a nostalgic yet lively dimension to the album. The expert arrangements by Lajos Sárközy and István Várdai breathe new life into these classic dances, highlighting the enduring appeal of Hungarian folk music.

Paco de Lucía’s Callejón del Muro brings a touch of Andalusian passion to the collection. Pablo Barragán’s arrangement seamlessly integrates the fiery flamenco rhythms into the album’s narrative, illustrating the universal language of dance that transcends cultural boundaries.

Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, arranged for clarinet, cimbalom, and strings by Jonas Dominique in dedication to Swedish clarinetist Martin Fröst, further enriches the album’s tapestry. Bartók’s dedication to preserving folk music traditions shines through in these lively, evocative dances, demonstrating his deep connection to the musical heritage of Eastern Europe.

Performed by clarinetist Pablo Barragán, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra under the musical direction of István Várdai, and the Sárközy Trio, SZINERGIA presents a rich, multifaceted soundscape. Each piece highlights the unique voice of its composer while uncovering the profound connections that link them. SZINERGIA is a celebration of the unity found in diversity. Through the lively rhythms and evocative melodies, listeners are invited to experience the harmonious dance of parallel lives, bound together by the shared threads of musical inspiration.

Pablo Barragán, clarinet
Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra
István Várdai, musical direction, cello
Sárközy Trio

Pablo Barragán
The clarinetist, Pablo Barragán is recognised for his refined sound paired with a high skill of craftsmanship, stage charisma and boundless curiosity for the programming of his performances.

Pablo trained at the Seville Conservatory with Antonio Salguero and with Matthias Glander at the Fundación Barenboim-Said in Seville. He is the winner of the Prix Crédit Suisse Jeunes Solistes in 2013, amongst other competitions.

He has worked with orchestras such as the Brucknerhaus Orchestra Linz, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Televisión Española, the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra with conductors such as Anja Bihlmaier, Thomas Dausgaard, Daniel Raiskin, and Zsolt Hamar.

Pablo is humbled to collaborate with fabulous chamber music partners such as Liza Ferschtmann, Elena Bashkirova, Beatrice Rana, Kian Soltani, Emmanuel Pahud, the Modigliani Quartet, Schumann Quartet and many more. His Chamber music invitations included performances at Rheingau Music Festival, Classiche Form, the Martha Argerich Festival, the Wigmore Hall London and Tonhalle Zurich.

The 2023/24 season brings solo appearances with orchestras such as the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra in Neumarkt and at the Heidelberger Frühling led by cellist & conductor István Várdai, the Brasov Philharmonic under the direction of Paul Meyer, and the Bursa Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Adrian Prabava among others. He has been invited to open the season for the Cordoba Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alvaro Albiach.

In the realm of chamber music, he will perform with Noa Wildschut and pianist Frank Dupree at Konzerthaus Dortmund, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam among other venues. Further concerts bring him to the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Cologne Philharmonic Hall, as well as to Teatro Ristori in Verona and Auditorium C. Pollini in Padova with the Sitkovetsky Trio and with the Cremona Quartett to Amici della Musica in Florence. Other festival invitations are the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, the Kaposfest in Hungary, the Beethovenfest in Bonn, Festival Monteleón in Spanish León, as well as Música Musika in Bilbao. Pablo will also participate in a tour with Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival Ensemble in South America.

Pablo’s curiosity and eagerness to create are also reflected in the repertoire selection for his February 2022 album BOUNDLESS, on which he has united the diverse sound universes of Weinberg, Bernstein, Prokofiev and Poulenc clarinet sonatas for the music label Aparté. Together with Noa Wildschut and Frank Dupree they will release a recording 24/25, featuring works by Paul Schoenfield, Béla Bartók, Claude Vivier and Ernest Bloch for the label Accentus Classic.

Since 2020 Pablo Barragán is as a Professor at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Seville and at master classes such as Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid.

István Várdai
who was born in Pécs (Hungary) in 1985, was admitted at the age of 12 to the Franz Liszt University of Music in Budapest and studied in Professor László Mezö’s class for “extraordinarily gifted” students. In 2005 he transferred to Reinhard Latzko at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. He also took masterclasses with Natalia Gutman, János Starker and Natalia Shakhovskaya. In 2010 he was awarded the Boris Pergamenschikow Scholarship during the Kronberg Academy’s Cello Masterclasses.

István Várdai has won awards in numerous international competitions. He won the David Popper International Music Competition in Budapest three times (in 2000, 2003 and 2004). In 2006 he was awarded a special prize at the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in Berlin and won first prize in the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach (Austria). He was also an award-winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2007 and won the Geneva International Music Competition in 2008. In 2014 he won first prize in the ARD Competition in Munich.

István Várdai’s debut CD, a recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Prokofiev’s Sonata and Janáček’s Pohádka with the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève conducted by Simon Gaudenz, was released in October 2009 (Nascor). In 2010 he recorded the Cello Concerto in C major by Johann Baptist Vanhal with the Camerata Schweiz conducted by Howard Griffith and in 2013 played a selection of Variations in a recording with Walter Delahunt.

Since making his orchestral debut in 1998 in The Hague, István Várdai has performed with internationally renowned orchestras. He has worked, for example, with conductors such as Ádám Fischer, Howard Griffith, Zoltán Kocsis, Josep Pons, Nicolás Pasquet, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Marcus Bosch, Roman Kofman and Simon Gaudenz. In 2010 István Várdai took part in Chamber Music Connects the World, partnering Gidon Kremer, Tatjana Grindenko, Yuri Bashmet and András Schiff. From 2010 to 2013 he studied at Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson. His studies were sponsored by the Gerlinde Haber-Schaefer Stipendium.

He has been teaching at Kronberg Academy since October 2013.

István Várdai plays a Montagnana cello built in 1720 and the legendary "Ex du Pré-Harrell" Stradivari built in 1673.

2010 - 2013, he has been studying at Kronberg Academy with Frans Helmerson, funded by the Gerlinde Haber-Schaefer scholarship.

Booklet for Szinergia