Press Kit www.100violins.com 1
Conducted by Lajos Sárközy Sr. and Lajos Sárközy Jr. President József Raduly Artistic Director Dezső Balogh Agent, Manager & Producer Xavier DUBUC Cypress Music proudly present GYPSY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA www.100violins.com 2
Note from our Manager GYPSY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA is the world's largest gypsy symphony orchestra and the only of its kind in that its transcends music to a new level of enjoyment for the audience. Gypsies are so sensitive to the music which they play intuitively as if by instinct that the audiences sees it as much as hears it. We'd like to share a poem with you: Please enjoy our art. Sensitive violins warbling Determined contrabasses marching Diligent clarinets whispering Serious cellos thinking Excited cymbaloms dancing what a beautiful thing With Gypsies beating Poem by Mustafa Tabak Istanbul, 19.12.2008 www.100violins.com 3
Programme First Part GIOACCHINO ROSSINI Willem Tell Overture JOHANNES BRAHMS Hungarian Dance n 5 JOHANNES BRAHMS Hungarian Dance n 1 FERENC ERKEL Palotás VITTORIO MONTI Csárdás JOHANN STRAUSS II Die Fledermaus Overture JOHANN STRAUSS II Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka Cimbalom s themes PABLO DE SARASATE Zigeunerweisen Russian Melodies Second Part JACQUES OFFENBACH PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY FERRARIS JOHANN STRAUSS GRIGORAS IONICA DINICU JOHN WILLIAMS Orpheus In The Underworld Waltz of the Flowers Two Guitars On The Beautiful Blue Danube Pacsirta Schindler s List Yiddishe Mamma Hevenu Shalom Hava Nagila Hungarian Csárdás + Encores Programme duration is approximately 2 hours with an intermission of 15 minutes www.100violins.com 4
GYPSY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA The GYPSY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA is the only orchestra of its kind that transcends music to such a level of fun to the public. Gypsies are so sensitive to the music they intuitively play as if by instinct for the public to see as he hears. Their repertoire mixes the traditional gypsy violin Grigoras Dinicu, Ferenc Erkel, Ferraris, Vittorio Monti, the airs of the Hungarian repertoire and Yiddish with the great classical composers works such as Johannes Brahms, J a c q u e s O ff e n b a c h, P a b l o d e Sarasate, Johann Strauss Father & Son, Pyotr Tchaikovsky All masterfully interpreted without partition, 90 gypsy musicians from Budapest, all virtuosos and fascinating. Violins, cellos, basses, cymbals and the clarinets, all united to bring to us catchy and rending accents of a tradition-shattering, those gypsies and a performing art that belongs that them. This art of twirls, changes that betrays nothing but enrich the composition. They convey to the viewer the energy of a people who have chosen music as a universal language. Instinctive as a popular gypsy evening, rigorous as a Vienna concert black tuxedo. A delight!!! "They transmit to the spectators the energy of a nation, which has chosen music as universal language." Cypress Music has organized tours in more than 30 countries, notably in Austria, Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italia, Japan, Latvia, Luxemburg, Netherland, Poland, Portugal, Principality of Monaco, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Tunisia and Ukraine. Inspiring audiences in leading concert halls including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Moscow International House of Music, Vienna Konzerthaus, Geneva Victoria Hall, Beijing National Centre for Performing Art, Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art and Paris Théâtre des Champs Elysées. www.100violins.com 5
The Gypsies By Willy Wenger The Legend The Gypsies lived near the Ganges River and their strong leader was respected holding sway over ail the land. The leader had an only son, named Tchen. At that time, a very powerful king reigned in the country of Hind, and his favourite wife had given birth to a daughter, whom they named Gan. After his death, Tchen decided to marry Gan. Although she wasn't his sister, he considered her like one. The population separated into two factions, and a sorcerer foresaw invasions and catastrophe. Shortly after, invaders destroyed the country, just as the sorcerer had predicted. Tchen's opponents chased him and his partisans out of the country and the sorcerer declared that they would never sleep two nights in the same bed, nor drink the same water two times in a row; that they were condemned to wander the earth forever. The Origin Throughout their wanderings, for reasons that are obscure, the Gypsies themselves thought that they came from Egypt. It wasn't before 1783 that the Grellman studies showed indisputably their Indian origins. Their language is very close to Hindi, and specifically to that which is spoken in Northwest India. Ancient Hindi is actually closer to the Romani spoken currently than it is to contemporary Hindi. As it happens, the Romani language constitutes the only "book" and collective memory for the Gypsies enriched here and there with new words borrowed from the cultures they've rubbed up against. The Wandering The first migrations spread in the direction of Iran and Armenia, then on to the Byzantine Empire. A few groups remained in Arabia, while smaller communities left for Syria, Egypt and Africa. But around 420 AD, long before these migrations, Gypsy musicians had already been invited by the Shah of Persia to what is now Iran. The exodus actually extended over a very long time, since the first significant departures appear to have taken place in the 7th and 8th centuries, when Arabs from Iraq, Iran, and central Asia invaded Sind. There were more and more invasions, first from Afghanistan during the 11th and 12th centuries, then from Ghengis Khan and his hordes, who devastated central Asia. During that period, the Gypsies doubtlessly left their country in greater numbers than ever. Tamerlan was the last of the great conquerors to send the populations fleeing massively. Once left India, the Gypsies wandered from country to country in groups of varying sizes. Sometimes they were forcibly enlisted into armies, but they always managed to keep their Gypsy identity. www.100violins.com 6
Settlements The Gypsies arrived in Armenia during the 11th century. Many of the words in the language most widely used by them are Armenian in origin. They first appeared in Constantinople (also Crete) in the early 14th century, then the Dubrovnik area around 1362. Since the Turks had conquered most of the Balkan region, Gypsies naturally turned up in Thrace, Bulgaria, Serbia and Rumania, usually as slaves. It wasn't until 1851 that they became emancipated. They could be found in large European cities as early as the 15th century: Hamburg, Lubeck, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Strasbourg (where as many as 14,000 of them settled), Zurich, Bern, Brussels, etc. They arrived in Paris during August of the year 1427, claiming to be of Egyptian origin. One of their leaders, André, declared himself "Count of Little Egypt" at Chatillon-en-Dombes. One group was driven out of France and arrived in Spain in 1425, only to see themselves ordered out of the country in 1449. Because they refused to leave, drastic measures were taken even blinding them under the reign of Philip V before deporting them to Africa, Brazil, Virginia, Martinique, and other places. The motivation for such persecution was multifarious in particular, the Gypsies were accused of fabricating the nails that had crucified Jesus, which "justified" their wandering and eternal damnation. "You can make a peasant drunk on a glass of water when a Gypsy violin is playing" Hungarian proverb The Music It is very important for the Gypsy people to preserve their identity. Nevertheless, they adapt very easily to their adopted country, especially the religion and the way of life. This is also true for the music. Correctly speaking, Gypsy music doesn't exist in a true form. It has definitely its own style, which is very often melancholic, almost like the Blues. Those who can afford to, use popular instruments (violin and cymbalom in Central Europe, guitar ln Spain and in France), those who can't, use whatever they get their hands on. Anything will do when they celebrate. www.100violins.com 7
The Orchestra's members Direction József Raduly President Dezső Balogh Clarinet Leading Soloist and Artistique Director Lajos Sárközi Senior Concert Master www.100violins.com 8
Primas Lajos Sárközi Junior Main Soloist Tibor Lugosi Jr. Soloist János Völgyi Soloist Zsolt Szomora Soloist Zoltán Patai Soloist www.100violins.com 9
Sections Leaders and Soloists László Rácz Cimbalom Soloist Gyula Csik Cimbalom Soloist Elemér Duka Main Cello Soloist Karoly Horvath Cello Soloist Seres Vilmos Clarinet Soloist György Kovács Clarinet Soloist László Molnár Double Basse Leader László Rácz Violas Leader Jozsef Balazs Second Violin Leader www.100violins.com 10
Contact CYPRESS MUSIC Xavier Dubuc Manager, Founder & CEO Phone: +33 478 590 074 xdubuc@cypress-music.com Arthur Dubuc Booking & Web Director Mobile: +33 682 450 517 Phone: +33 472 162 134 arthur@100violins.com Christophe Arsac Graphist arsac.ch@orange.fr Marck Seignol Webmaster marck@seignol.com Andras Farkas facebook.com/100violins youtube.com/100violins twitter.com/100violins plus.google.com/+100violins soundcloud.com/100violins Photographer www.100violins.com 11