Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 | WDR Symphony Orchestra & Cristian Măcelaru

Johannes Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5 is easily the most emblematic of the composer’s 21 Hungarian Dances. The world-famous classical hit is performed here by the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru at the Beethovenfest Bonn 2022.

Music in the “Hungarian style” (style hongrois) was very fashionable in Europe in the second half of the 19th century. Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) was among those who were enthusiastic about it, with its characteristic irregular rhythms, parallel thirds, and tempo rubato. Born in Hamburg, Brahms became acquainted with Hungarian music at a young age, when hundreds of Hungarian rebels had fled from Austrian troops and were waiting in the Hanseatic city for ships to take them to exile in America. In 1853, Brahms also became acquainted with the Hungarian violinist Eduard Reményi, and the two embarked on a concert tour of northern Germany and to Weimar. When Brahms published the first ten of his 21 Hungarian Dances in 1869, there was a copyright dispute with Reményi, who felt that Brahms had appropriated the melodies he had improvised.

Plagiarism or not, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances made him famous, and he expanded the cycle several times and re-instrumented individual pieces that were originally composed for piano four hands. The Hungarian-sounding melodies, which were actually not originally folk music but rather folksy popular music, were ushered into the classical-romantic repertoire by Brahms’ compositions.

The Hungarian Dance No. 5 was not arranged for orchestra by Brahms himself but by the Prussian military bandmaster Albert Parlow. For the orchestral version, Parlow changed the key of the piano score (F-sharp minor) to G minor. The stirring short 5th Hungarian Dance is a popular closing number at orchestral concerts.

The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne is one of Germany's top orchestras. It has a distinguished regional, national, and international reputation. Performances range from concert series at the Kölner Philharmonie to partnerships with major venues and festivals. In recent years, the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne has toured Asia and Europe several times. The ensemble has been under the direction of Cristian Măcelaru since fall of 2019. It has often been recognized for its dedication to new music.

The Beethovenfest Bonn is one of Germany's oldest and most significant music festivals. Founded in 1845 by Franz Liszt in the town where Beethoven was born, it is now an internationally recognized highlight on the cultural circuit, with around 80 events held in Bonn and the surrounding region each year in August and September.

© Deutsche Welle 2022

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