Charity events, however well organized, are inevitably a bit of a lucky dip. A mixed bag of acts put together to please as wide an audience as possible means that most people will enjoy some of it but not all, and the turns are probably not going to have enough time to really make an impression. It is probably not normally the place to send a reviewer either, but we were there for a particular reason.
It has to be said that, as variety shows go, one could not do much better than this. The All Nations Lions Club of Budapest has been doing their Music and Dance throughout the World event for some years now, and very good it is, too. Well organized, something for most tastes, a beautiful venue (The Italian Institute of Culture) and a good cause. The first half was given over to folk music – not your reviewer’s forte – although it would be churlish not to commend the considerable skills of the Kós Károly Elementary School Choir, beautifully prepared and directed by Katalin Hraschek.
What we were there for were the ‘classical’ elements in the second half and, in particular, the flautist Zsuzsa Vámosi-Nagy, but this should be seen in context. Before her came the Bolyki Brothers. For the benefit of those newly arrived from another planet, these guys are amongst the finest a cappella ensembles to be heard anywhere. Their terrific entertainment value cannot disguise an extraordinary artistic endeavor with an attention to detail which belies the apparent artlessness of it. They were priceless as usual and provided a barnstorming finish which nearly raised the roof. The final act was that fine tenor of the National Opera Company, Zoltán Nyári, with arias from Onegin (Lensky’s aria) – which he did so well at the Opera in the current production – along with Bizet, Offenbach and Rossini. Arias out of context with piano accompaniment may not be to everyone’s taste, but it was good entertaining stuff.
Just imagine that you were asked to go on stage between these two acts and play a flute sonata by Poulenc. Elegant, delightful and good humored though this music is, it is asking a bit much to hold an audience in spellbound silence for the duration in that context. Yet this is exactly what Ms. Vámosi-Nagy did. Further comment seems superfluous. Suffice it to say that it was a performance with a lightness of touch which brought out the best in this charming music. The considerable reputation which preceded her is plainly fully deserved.