Debrecen4U September 25, 2025

The organ season ticket by Hungarian Philharmonic is now part of the musical offerings in Debrecen

The Hungarian Philharmonic has always considered it an important mission to fill the country’s churches with music, to bring great organists to the great organs, and to popularize church and organ music. 

In recent years, the world’s most famous organists have performed at the organ season ticket concerts in the Matthias Church in Budapest, the Veszprém Cathedral, the Pécs Basilica, and the Szeged Cathedral.

This season, the Hungarian Philharmonic’s organ season ticket has also appeared in the music offerings of two great music-loving cities, Debrecen and Székesfehérvár. 

In all five concerts of the season ticket, a “companion” accompanies the organ, so the queen of musical instruments always shows a different face.

At the first concert on October 2, a strange pair that rarely meets each other appears together: the organ and the piano, with Szamosi Szabolcs and Balázs János ensuring that neither the program nor the performance lacks innovation!

The name “zongora” (piano) originates from the era of Hungarian language reform and was formed as an abbreviation of ”zengő orgona”, meaning “resonant organ.” It is no coincidence, since one of the most striking features of the instruments that were widespread at that time was that with the help of a pedal, it was possible to make the sounds resonate, which the keyboard instruments of the time were not capable of. Of course, the organ also had resonance, but while it was provided by the acoustics of the churches, in the case of the piano, the instrument itself had an adjustable resonance. But how does the piano resonate in the church?

The two related instruments have almost never met since then, and it is not typical in musical literature to use the piano and the organ together.

However, despite their relationship, the two instruments also have many differences. While the organ’s tones continue to sound as long as a key is held down, the piano’s struck notes fade away shortly after being played. No matter how forcefully the organ keys are pressed, the volume remains unchanged—unlike the piano, where the tone is primarily shaped by the touch and pressure of the keystroke. On the other hand, the piano does not have multiple rows of keys and registers of tones, while the organ has an abundant supply of these. In the absence of a reverb pedal on the organ, only the notes that are currently being played are played, but you can also play a melody with your foot, while on the piano, with the reverb pedal, more notes can be played at once than the player has fingers. 

How much variety is made possible by the similarities and differences between the two instruments! Here is the opportunity for the two separately known relatives to meet and show some important musical works in a guise that is rarely heard! 

Visit this website: https://filharmonia.hu and discover other concerts awaiting you within the Philharmonic Organ Season Ticket—Debrecen!

Source:dehir.hu | Photo credit:Pixabay