Folk or classical

Much like buildings, musical works are also made up of tiny building blocks – sounds, timbres, rules, and the playful breaking of those rules. The Sound Castle series focuses on these building blocks, from which we will, on this occasion, assemble forms of folk music.

It’s the same violin – yet the way it is held, its timbre and the role it plays are completely different. Despite their differences, what is it that connects the worlds of classical and folk music? How does a folk singer and an opera singer perform without a microphone, and what makes their techniques so different? How did classical music shape folk music? How did Kodály and Bartók incorporate Hungary’s folk music heritage into their own compositions? Through live examples, we are invited to observe how a folk melody transforms on stage. This programme promises not only musical discoveries but also to spark the imagination of anyone curious about where music comes from, and where it is headed.