Salon de Budapest Thomas Albertus Irnberger, Pavel Kašpar, Brigitta Simon

• Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948): Hungarian Fantasy, Op. 45 "Hungarian Dream" (Arr. for Violin & Piano):
• 1 Lehár: Hungarian Fantasy, Op. 45 "Hungarian Dream" (Arr. for Violin & Piano) 07:27
• Zigeunerliebe:
• 2 Lehár: Zigeunerliebe: Lied & Csárdás (Arr. M. B. Weiß for Voice, Violin & Piano) [Sung in Hungarian] 05:29
• Leopold von Auer (1845 - 1930): Rêverie No. 2 in E-Flat Major for Violin & Piano:
• 3 Auer: Rêverie No. 2 in E-Flat Major for Violin & Piano 07:11
• Joseph Joachim (1831 - 1907): Romance in B-Flat Major for Violin & Piano, Op. 2 No. 1:
• 4 Joachim: Romance in B-Flat Major for Violin & Piano, Op. 2 No. 1 05:10
• Pongrác Kacsóh (1873 - 1923): János Vitéz:
• 5 Kacsóh: János Vitéz: Ó csak ne volnék gyenge leányka (Arr. M. B. Weiß for Voice, Violin & Piano) [Sung in Hungarian] 03:28
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1:
• 6 Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 1 in G Minor (Arr. J. Joachim for Violin & Piano) 03:30
• 7 Brahms: 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 16 in F Minor (Arr. J. Joachim for Violin & Piano) 02:50
• Jenő Huszka (1875 - 1960): Gül Baba:
• 8 Huszka: Gül Baba: Leila belépője (Arr. M. B. Weiß for Voice, Violin & Piano) [Sung in Hungarian] 05:10
• Carl Bohm (1844 - 1920): La Zingana for Violin & Piano, Op. 102 "Hungarian Mazurka":
• 9 Bohm: La Zingana for Violin & Piano, Op. 102 "Hungarian Mazurka" 02:56
• Miska Hauser (1822 - 1887): Bolero et Csárdás, Op. 38:
• 10 Hauser: Bolero et Csárdás, Op. 38: No. 2, Csárdás. Ungarisches Lied ohne Worte 03:26
• Emmerich Kálmán (1882 - 1953): Csárdáskirálynő:
• 11 Kálmán: Csárdáskirálynő: Hogyha sziven kered tolem (Arr. M. B. Weiß for Voice, Violin & Piano) [Sung in Hungarian] 03:12
• Jenő Hubay (1858 - 1937): Scènes de la Csárda No. 4, Op. 32 "Hejre Kati" (Version for Violin & Piano):
• 12 Hubay: Scènes de la Csárda No. 4, Op. 32 "Hejre Kati" (Version for Violin & Piano) 05:14
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893): Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42, TH 116:
• 13 Tchaikovsky: Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op. 42, TH 116: No. 1 in D Minor, Méditation 09:25
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943): 2 Morceaux de salon, Op. 6:
• 14 Rachmaninoff: 2 Morceaux de salon, Op. 6: No. 2 in D Minor, Hungarian Dance 04:51
• Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962): La Gitana for Violin & Piano "Arabic-Spanish Gypsy Song from the 18th Century":
• 15 Kreisler: La Gitana for Violin & Piano "Arabic-Spanish Gypsy Song from the 18th Century" 03:10
• Zoltán Kodály (1882 - 1967): 3 Hungarian Dances for Violin & Piano:
• 16 Kodály: 3 Hungarian Dances for Violin & Piano: I. — 02:25
• 17 Kodály: 3 Hungarian Dances for Violin & Piano: II. — 01:12
• 18 Kodály: 3 Hungarian Dances for Violin & Piano: III. — 01:18
• Total Runtime 01:17:24

Info for Salon de Budapest

With their album Salon de Budapest, Thomas Albertus Irnberger, violin, and Pavel Kašpar, piano, take us to the bourgeois salon of the late 19th century - a kind of oasis in a supposedly good old time, in which unrest and social grievances and, above all, wars were raging all around the world, as has been the case for the most part unabated since then. There you can listen to Hungarian dances by Brahms, Kodály or Rachmaninoff, Csárdás' by Franz Lehár, Miska Hauser or Jenő Hubay, romances, fantasies and melodies by Tchaikovsky, Leopold Auer, Carl Bohm or Joseph Joachim. Some songs from operettas by Lehár, Jenő Huszka, Emmerich Kálmán and Pongrác Kacsóh with the Hungarian soprano Brigitta Simon complete this musical visit of the Salon de Budapest.

Thomas Albertus Irnberger, violin
Pavel Kaspar, piano
Brigitta Simon, soprano

Thomas Albertus Irnberger
who was born in Salzburg 1985, is among Austria’s leading violinists. The German specialist press wrote: “like hardly any other young artist in his field, in recent years Irnberger has secured himself a leading position amongst Europe’s violinist elite.”

At the age of 15 in the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels he celebrated a debut that attracted widespread attention as the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.

Since then Thomas Albertus Irnberger has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in major concert halls in Europe, Israel and in Asia, for instance in the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Beethovenhalle in Bonn, the “Glocke” in Bremen, the Laeiszhalle Hamburg, the Stadthalle in Karlsruhe, the Meistersingerhalle Nuremberg, the Liederhalle Stuttgart, the Fairfield Hall London, the Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, the Henry Crown Auditorium, Jerusalem, the Rebecca Crown Auditorium, Jerusalem, the Heichal HaTarbut, Rishon LeZion, the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, the Casals Hall, Tokyo and in the Musikverein in Vienna.

He has been a guest at renowned international festivals such as for example, the “Festivals internationales de Violon – Signé Ivry Gitlis” in France, the Mahler-Festival Toblach/Dobbiaco, the Weilburger Schlosskonzerte, the Menuhin Festival Blonay, the Schleswig Holstein Festival, the Karel Halír Festival Prague, the Bruckner Fest Linz etc. At the age of 17 his debut double CDs featuring works by Hindemith, Debussy, Enescu, Paganini, Kreisler, Fauré and Elgar was released by Pan Classics and received excellent critiques in the specialist press in which his “brilliant technical ability combined with a mature creative power and sophisticated sound”, his “differentiated tone colours”, and his “assured feeling for style” were singled out for praise.

In 2004 he signed an exclusive contract with the established Vienna label Gramola and built up a notable and much acclaimed discography. In 2017 the artist will present his 40th CD recording.

His recordings have regularly been the recipients of prizes and top rankings from the international press: Supersonic Award – Luxembourg, Opus dʼor – Paris, top recording on several occasions (10 stars) at Klassik heute – Germany, 5 stars in Ensemble Magazin – Germany, several recommendations by Crescendo magazine – Germany, nomination for the Amadeus Classic Award 2006, Strad Selection – London, Gramophone recommendation – London, Oe1- CD of the Day and of the Month, Oe1 Pasticcio Prize, CD des Tages plus at Radio Stephansdom (Radio Klassik), Radio-Bremen recommendation, Grand prix du disque – honorary diploma Franz Liszt 2012, ION Arts Washington “10 worldʼs best classic CDs 2011”, Fanfare Magazine recommendations – New York, American Record Review – recommendations, The Record Geijutsu – Tokyo et al., CD of the week at the German Radio stations of BR, MDR, SWR and WDR, Radio Toscana and Radio Bolzano etc.

His regular chamber music partners include renowned musicians as Paul Badura-Skoda, Jörg Demus, Michael Korstick, David Geringas, Barbara Moser, Pavel Kašpar and Edoardo Torbianelli.

Since 2008 Thomas Albertus Irnberger has devoted himself to research into and the rediscovery of “ostracised composers” and in Israel he played the first performance of the violin concerto by Hans Gál. Enthusiastic critics wrote in this regard: “Music that represents a revelation”. A further focal point of his work together with Barbara Moser is the wide field of music by female composers which, unjustly, does not yet enjoy the status it deserves.

Booklet for Salon de Budapest