Berlioz: Hungarian March from La damnation de Faust

Thunderous applause for the European Union Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda. As an encore for their concert at the 2018 Young Euro Classic festival in Berlin’s Konzerthaus, the young musicians play a true favorite: The Marche hongroise (Hungarian March) from Hector Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust (The Damnation of Faust), Op. 24. Hector Berlioz (1803 – 1869) wrote La damnation de Faust based upon his reading of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part One, composing it in 1845/46. The question of genre was problematic – Berlioz himself first described La damnation de Faust as a ‘concert opera’, then later a ‘légende dramatique’ (dramatic legend), and the work does bear both characteristics that are operatic, and those of a choral symphony. The first part of this dramatic legend, set on Hungary’s Pannonian Steppe, includes the Rákóczi March. This Hungarian march was composed in the early 19th century, based on a much older, popular Hungarian melody. The popular march received arrangement by several great composers, but to this day the version from Hector Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust is the most widely regarded. It is not only popular in Hungary at private wedding celebrations, but is also part of the standard repertoire for many state and military occasions – the reason why the Marche hongroise is also considered the unofficial anthem of Hungary. This interpretation of the well-known march by the European Union Youth Orchestra is characterized by a mixture of professionalism and a delight in playing. The instrumental sections of the orchestra toss the ball to each other, so to speak, thus emphasizes the rollicking, dance-like character of the piece. The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) has been in existence for over 40 years. The EUYO brings together the best musicians ages 14 to 24 from all of the EU countries. The orchestra's concerts draw great crowds, not least because the young musicians perform with some of the world's most famous conductors – as they do here, with Gianandrea Noseda.