Lajtha - Sym No 4 - Pasquet, Pecs SO (1995) [Philidor; FLAC]

Laszlo Lajtha was one of the most highly respected Hungarian composers of his day, a good friend of both Bartok and Kodaly; but one who fell out of favor with the Communist regime as early as 1948. His works were seldom performed in his homeland, and he was repeatedly punished by the loss of valuable commissions and posts. Lengthy protests from abroad at his being denied a visa eventually worked, and he was expecting to travel to France (where he'd initially studied composition), when he died suddenly in 1963. A prolific composer of both symphonies and string quartets, his musical style changed and became less astringent over time, though his attitude towards the government never did.

Even-numbered symphonies by Lajtha are usually light-hearted, alternately lyrical, wistful, and mocking. His Fourth, composed in the early 50s, led to heavy criticism from the Party and its musical establishment because he didn't write in a "picture postcard" Hungarian manner, as insisted upon by Socialist Realism, but in a more cosmpolitan fashion with strong French elements. Yet the ending of the first movement features a violin solo with a fine Hungarian folk-like theme; it just wasn't enough to please the people in charge, and Lajtha wasn't going to go out of his way to please them at all, at any time. He wrote as he wanted, and suffered the consequences in the withdrawal of jobs, and the confiscation of his passport.

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A bio's enclosed. You can find all my classical uploads by searching on Philidor, or just looking in this regularly updated thread:

https://kat.cr/community/show/philidor-s-classical-stuff/