MASSENET: LA VIERGE (THE VIRGIN)

La Vierge Aude Extrémo
L’Archange Gabriel Katalin Szutrély
Une jeune Galiléenne, Marie Magdeleine Judit Varga-Szathmáry
Marie Salomé Ágnes Kristófi
Jean Jenő Dékán
L’Hôte, Simon Zsombor Cserményi
Thomas Zoltán Melkovics

Nemzeti Énekkar (karigazgato: Csaba Somos)
Nemzeti Filharmonikus Zenekar
Vezényel: György Vashegyi

Rarely heard gems worthy of discovery feature prominently on the calendar of the Hungarian National Philharmonic’s 2025/2026 season. In this spirit, there will be special emphasis on a handful of intriguing of works of French Romanticism, including the sacred legend entitled La Vierge (The Virgin) by Jules Massenet (1842–1912), who is best known for his highly successful operas Manon and Werther. He composed the piece aged 38 and it was first heard by the audience of the Paris Opera in May 1880. The “sacred legend”, as the genre is more precisely designated, narrates the life of Mary from the Annunciation and the Wedding at Cana to Good Friday and the Assumption. At the fourth concert of the Pászti season ticket, the work, a Hungarian première, is to be heard in French in four scenes with one intermission. Joining the Hungarian National Choir and Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, the soloist will be the celebrated French mezzo-soprano Aude Extrémo. Hungarian performers at the concert:  Katalin Szutrély, Judit Varga-Szathmáry, Ágnes Kristófi, Jenő Dékán, Zsombor Cserményi and Zoltán Melkovics. The conductor for the evening is György Vashegyi, who, in addition to his profound understanding of early music, has long championed overlooked gems of French music.