On 17 November, legendary film composer Nino Rota’s consummate technical mastery, strong sense of classical form, and genuine inspiration will captivate audiences at Kölcsey Centre through three pieces performed by the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra.

Programme

Nino Rota: La strada – Suite / Cello Concerto No. 2 / Sinfonia su una canzone d’amore (Symphony on a Love Song)

Featuring: Tamás Varga – cello / Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Vito Clemente

Ticket prices: HUF 4,500 and HUF 3,500

Almost every analysis of Federico Fellini’s 1954 film La strada highlights how image and sound, visual storytelling and music feed into one another. Rota remained fascinated by this unusual story long after the film’s release. In 1966, he created a one-act ballet in 12 scenes using the film’s musical material. This ballet score was later distilled into a seven-movement orchestral suite which, through its ingenious compositional techniques and emotional depth, stands as a masterful work in its own right.

Rota composed his Cello Concerto No. 2 in 1973 and dedicated it to the world-renowned Russian musician Mstislav Rostropovich. However, its premiere did not take place until 1987, after Rota’s death, in Bari. Lasting approximately 23 minutes, the work unfolds across three movements. The opening Allegro moderato is lively and playful, followed by the intimate lyricism of the second movement, Andantino cantabile con grazia. This movement is built around a theme and six variations, offering a particularly beautiful showcase of Rota’s melodic inventiveness. The Finale brings the concerto to a close with renewed, exuberant energy. One of its most intriguing features is the natural blending of different musical styles: the clarity of Viennese Classicism, Romantic melodic richness and a direct, distinctive musical voice coexist effortlessly.

Rota composed his Symphony on a Love Song in 1947, although it was not premiered until 1972. The work has an interesting history: some of its melodic material had already appeared on the big screen, including in Luchino Visconti’s film The Leopard. The love song referred to in the title is not an arrangement of a specific existing song, but rather a musical idea around which Rota builds the entire composition.

Melodic richness, lyricism and the distinctive colours of the full orchestra combine to create a unique sound world. The symphony reflects both the legacy of 19th-century symphonic tradition and the song-like expressiveness that makes Rota’s film scores so memorable.

The four-movement composition opens with an Allegro of lively, clear-cut character, followed by a playful Scherzo. The slow third movement, Andante sostenuto, brings the work’s lyrical, deeply personal voice to the fore. The closing Allegro impetuoso draws together motifs from the preceding movements in a passionate and energetic finale.

Source: debreceniprogramok.com | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)