Lajtha - Sym No 5 Pasquet, Pecs SO (1996) [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.

It's been noted before that Lajtha's symphonies, like those of Beethoven, swing between extremes on an expressive pendulum. His even-numbered symphonies are light-hearted but satirical, often mocking government militarism and taking delight in the Hungarian folk heritage of which he was such a master. (Bartok ranked him alongside Kodaly and himself in that respect.) His odd-numbered symphonies are "catastrophe" works, colorful but reeking of oppression and tragedy. Composed in 1952, the Fifth was one of many works that came to be accused "of western European cosmopoliticism and formalism," meaning it was neither simple in form nor optimistic in tone.

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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/