Hungarian master composer Lajos Bardos (1899-1987) was an outstanding figure of the prominent generation of students of Kodaly and Bartok who, inspired by their ideas, did much for Hungarian musical culture. As with Kodaly and Bartok, after becoming a master, Bardos taught generations coming after him and was an active choral conductor (for the Cecilia Chorus, the Budapest Chorus and others) for decades. His work as a composer is represented on this disc by a selection of choruses for children's and female voices. Denes Szabo directs the Cantemus Children's Choir and Pro Musica in these 27 lively choral works: "Cantemus!," "On Sunny Roads," "Awake You, Youth," "Blow the Pipe," "Three Choruses for Children," the dramatic "Recruiting Song of the Hussars," "Breeze," "Hey, Put It Right!," the 2-part "The Bride," "To Ferenc Liszt," "In Memory of Bartok," "Summer-Sunday," "Gold-Winged Angel," and the sacred songs "Ave Maris Stella," "Ave Maria" and "The Blessed Virgin Mary." There is piano accompaniment on a few tunes. The high, bright voices of the children go perfectly with this material by a man whose life and work remain a gift to Hungary and to the world. |
