Various Composers - The Hungarian Harpsichord (Szilvia Elek)

Information

1. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): I. Allemanda
2. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): II. Gigue
3. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): III. Curranta
4. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): IV. Sarabanda
5. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): V. Balletta
6. Mihály Bulyovszky - Harpsichord Suite in B-Flat Minor (C.1675): Vi Gavotta
7. Bernhart Schmid - Passomezo Ungaro & Saltarello Suo (Collection Bernhart Schmid, 1577)
8. Johannes de Lublin - Hajduk Dance (Collection Johannes De Lublin, 1541)
9. Wolff Heckel - Hungarian Dance (Collection Wolff Heckel, 1556)
10. Dániel Brassai Croner - Toccata 2di Toni in G Major
11. Dániel Brassai Croner - Fuga 2di Toni Ex G
12. Codex Kájoni - Chorea No. 1 (Codex Kájoni, 1634-1671)
13. Codex Kájoni - Chorea No. 2 (Codex Kájoni, 1634-1671)
14. Vietoris Tablature Book - Chorea Hungarica (Vietoris Tablature Book, 1675-1679)
15. Sopron Virginal Book - The Prince of Transylvania's Hungarian Dance (Sopron Virginal Book, C.1689)
16. Löcse Tablature Book - Chorea Ex C (Lőcse Tablature Book, 17th Century)
17. Codex Kájoni - Lázár Apor's Dance (Codex Kájoni, 1634-1671)
18. Sopron Virginal Book - Hungarian Dance (Sopron Virginal Book, C.1689)
19. Mária Koháry - Sonata in E Major (1780S): I. Allegro Maestoso
20. Mária Koháry - Sonata in E Major (1780S): II. Rondeau
21. Jozsef Bengraf - Hungarian Dance in A Minor (Lassan-Adagio) [1790]
22. Jozsef Bengraf - Hungarian Dance in E Minor (1810/1811)
23. Jozsef Bengraf - Hungarian Dance in D Minor (1806/1807)
24. Pál Hermann - Divertissement Pour Clavecin (1938): I. Toccata
25. Pál Hermann - Divertissement Pour Clavecin (1938): II. Interludio
26. Pál Hermann - Divertissement Pour Clavecin (1938): III. Gigue
27. Lajos Huszar - Sonata for Harpsichord, Op. 11 (1979-85, Revised Version 2018): I. Preludio
28. Lajos Huszar - Sonata for Harpsichord, Op. 11 (1979-85, Revised Version 2018): II. Scherzo
29. Lajos Huszar - Sonata for Harpsichord, Op. 11 (1979-85, Revised Version 2018): III. Lento
30. Lajos Huszar - Sonata for Harpsichord, Op. 11 (1979-85, Revised Version 2018): IV. Toccata
31. Maté Hollos - Cemballata Per Clavicembalo Solo (2009)
32. Szilvia Elek - Sonata for Harpsichord (2024): I. Prélude
33. Szilvia Elek - Sonata for Harpsichord (2024): II. Allegro Moderato
34. Szilvia Elek - Sonata for Harpsichord (2024): III. Tombeau
35. Szilvia Elek - Sonata for Harpsichord (2024): IV. Con Moto

Szilvia Elek, harpsichord

Date: 2026

Label: Brilliant Classics

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This unique album spans six centuries of Hungarian keyboard works originating from historical Hungary and abroad. The collection opens with the earliest known suite by a Hungarian composer, Mihály Bulyovszky (ca. 1640–1712), alongside 16th- and 17th-century Hungarian dances and Dániel Brassai Croner’s Toccata & Fuga. Classical selection features 18th-century sonatas by Mária Koháry and József Bengráf. Moving to modern eras, the program highlights 20th-century composer Pál Hermann’s Divertissement and continues into the 21st century with Lajos Huszár’s Sonata for Harpsichord, Op. 11, Máté Hollós’s Cemballata, and a suite by Szilvia Elek, offering a rich lineage of regional keyboard art.

Born in Budapest in 1965, Szilvia Elek is an accomplished Hungarian composer, pianist, harpsichordist, and fortepianist. She earned her degrees at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music under masters like György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados, with further studies alongside Malcolm Bilson and Jos van Immerseel. As a soloist and chamber musician, her repertoire bridges early Baroque and contemporary music, taking her to stages across Europe, the USA, and Japan. A founding member of ensembles such as the Cristofori Trio, Elek regularly performs period-instrument four-hand literature and leads interdisciplinary programs, combining scholarly historical awareness with contemporary musical exploration.