2008 Jubilee Concert Of The 100-Member Gipsy Orchestra

If you like gispy music, or if you are just looking for something to do on the 30 December, then this might be a good option. For the 11th time this concert is arranged in the Budapest Congress & World Trade Center. The visitors are promised that they will hear music from Offenbach, Rossini, Khachaturian, Liszt, Strauss as well as wonderful examples of folk music and spectacular folk-show elements.

Program:
18.00 Wine tasting and folk dance show
19.00 Concert, part 1
20.20 Concert part 2

Concert tickets:
Tickets – with dinner: Stalls 29 800 HUF
Tickets – concert and wine tasting: Gallery, rows 1-4
Tickets – concert and wine tasting: Gallery, rows 5-9 16 500, 14 500HUF

Further information and ticket sales:
V.I.P. Arts Management: 13-15 Hajós street, Budapest, H-1065
Phone/fax: +36-1-332-4816, +36-1-302-4290
[email protected]
www.viparts.hu

New Years Eve Opera Gala And Ball

We have already written about the New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra taking place on the first of January, 2009. But, if you are looking for an event on the 31st of December this might be the one. If you want to finish the year in beautiful surroundings and with elite company, the Hungarian State Opera might be the place. The famous Gundel Restaurant will serve the food!

Program of the Gala Night:
20.00 Welcoming of guests in the aula with a welcome cocktail
20.30 Parts of the popular operetta of Johann Strauss, the Bat
21.30 GUNDEL dinner
Served on the stage, banquet halls and galleries of the Hungarian State Opera,
23.00 Performance by the popular Erox Martini
24.00 National Anthem
Champagne
Opening dance by professional dancers
Ball until early morning

Other events in Budapest

Hungarian food in McDonalds

Hungarian food in McDonaldsMcDonalds just started their new campaign where they serve “Hungarian” food in their restaurants. On the menu you can find Paprica Chicken hamburger, French toast (Bundás kenyér), Scone (lángos), Rissole (fasírt), Golden Dumplings and Porksandwich with horseradish. We somehow managed to drop by a McDonalds yesterday evening and tasted the Paprica Chicken Burger and the Golden Dumplings. I had great expectations, especially as Golden Dumplings is among my favorite desserts in Hungary.

Maybe you were hoping that you can skip the Hungarian restaurants as of now to eat in McDonalds… I would not do so! The two things that we tasted were not at all good, and worst of them was the Paprica Chicken burger. The dressing, or whatever was supposed to give the burger paprica taste rather destroyed it all. The Golden Dumplings tasted a little bit better, but still… it is not often I have eaten so bad dumplings. Today I read a review chef.hu were they mostly agreed with us concerning the two things we ate, but they were slightly more positive to the Rissole and the Porksandwich, so maybe we will have to try them later!

Restaurants in Budapest

Paris of the east = Budapest?

I have often heard people speaking of Budapest as the Paris of the east. It sounds really nice, and I must admit, that Budapest is a really beautiful city, just as Paris. Having some seconds today I just typed in on google “Paris of the east”, curious to see what it would show me. To my great surprise there are many “Parises” of the east. Tehran, Prague, Shanghai, Bucharest and Istanbul were some of the cities mentioned, and it seemd to me as if Bucharest was the most “popular” one with the title “Paris of the east.”

There are probably many cities fighting for the title, but for many tourists coming to Eastern-Europe the question is not whether to go to Budapest or Shanghai, or Budapest or Istanbul, but rather if they should go to Budapest or Prague. As editor of this page, and as a person who loves Budapest, I would for sure recommend Budapest, but if you have time, I would visit both Budapest and Prague. After that you can make up your own oppinion what city has most right to the title “Paris of the East”; Budapest or Prague.

Some pictures from Budapest
Budapest by nightSzabadság TérSchöne DonauDanube and the CastleStreet in BudapestSaint Stephens Basilica

New Years concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra

With the aim of starting a new tradition, the Palace of Arts decided to celebrate the new year of 20008 not by the usual, light music played in other places but with the exquisite oratory of Joseph Haydn which involves the magic of the creation and which has been a constant favourite with audiences for 210 years.

The orchestra will be led by Ádám Fischer, who is the most experienced and most inventive representative of the composer’s music. The orchestra is the famous London Philharmonic Orchestra founded by Sir Thomas Beecham, accompanied by the London Philharmonic Choir. The invitation of the London orchestras and choir is not a coincidence: Haydn composed the Creation in London.

The large-scale composition took Haydn two years to complete; it was first shown in Vienna at the end of April 1798. It meant him a huge artistic acknowledgement and financial success. “Since then the Creation has become one of the emblematic masterpieces of European music, an icon. But the respect that surrounds the composition is not the only reason for gaining a place amongst the “compulsory” pieces – such as the passions of Bach, oratorio of Handel and the Missa solemnise of Beethoven of the repertoires in the music life of the world. We actually need the Creation. We need somebody to show us the beauties of the world and convey the message that living on Earth is a good thing.” (András Batta)

Ticket prices: 4000.- 6300.- 8300.- 9900.- HUF.
You can get hold of tickets from Interticket (be aware: the page is hard to use, and the english is not too good)
Source: Budapestinfo.hu

Other concerts and events in Budapest

Delirious in Budapest, December 19

After 17 years and 14 albums, Delirious? will be playing its Central European farewell show in Budapest, Hungary. They are touring “Kingdom of Comfort”, their last studio album that revolves around the heavy theme of social justice. Tickets can be bought from eventim and BudapestGospel.

Event info
Date: 19 December 2008, Friday 7.30PM
Venue: Petőfi Csarnok Main Hall
Zichy Mihály u. 14., 1146 Budapest, Hungary

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Opera Ball 2009, 21 February

The annual Opera Ball will take place on the 21 February in 2009. The star guest will be Richard Clayderman, so if you like him you have one more excuse to come visit the Hungarian State Opera.

The event is not a cheap thing; tickets start from 84.000 forints. For ticket booking, programme and more information go to operabal.com.

Richard Clayderman BudapestRichard Clayderman

Short History of the Budapest Opera Ball: (source: operabal.com)
A social event has been reborn where the leading persons of the middle class that is to say the Hungarian culture, knowledge, power and money meet one another each year. The opera ball had been first organised in 1886 and, after an interval of 62 years, it has revived in 1996. Representing the 111 years’ tradition, it has become the largest and most important meeting of the participants of the Hungarian public life winning the keenest attention of the public opinion already the first time.

Other events in Budapest

A picture from the Vörösmarty Square


Gerbeaud by night, Originally uploaded by GuideToBudapest

At this square there will in not to many weeks be a christmas market. The Vörösmarty Square, the main square of Budapest, is the place where the traditional Christmas Market will be held this year for the tenth time.

At the picture you can see the Gerbeaud building, and totally in front a nice coffee place where you can get some hot drinks and cold drinks.

Just as a little nice thing; today it has been measured almost 20 Celsius in Budapest. Quite nice, ey? This Thursday we had a guided tour with some Norwegians, and during the tour one received a phonecall, because they needed him to remove the snow from some norwegian roads… I just though; man it is good, at least from the perspective of climate, to live in Hungary.

Lots of pictures from Budapest

Depeche Mode in Budapest, 23 June 2009

Depeche Mode in BudapestDepeche Mode will hold a concert in Budapest 23 June 2009 at the Puskas Ferenc Stadium. Tickets are available at WorldTicketShop.

About Depece Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group’s original line-up was Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andrew Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980–81). Vince Clarke left the band after the release of their 1981 debut album, and was replaced by Alan Wilder (lead keyboards) who was a band member from 1982 to 1995. Following Wilder’s departure, Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher have continued as a trio. Depeche Mode are one of the longest-lived, most successful and influential bands to have emerged from the New Romantic and New Wave era. They have had forty-five songs in the UK Singles Chart, as well as one US and two UK number one albums. According to EMI, Depeche Mode have sold over 75 million albums worldwide, as part of total worldwide record sales in excess of 100 million.
Source: Wikipedia

Concerts and events in Budapest

Budapest Spring Festival 2009

Budapest has a lot of festivals, and every year they arrange a spring festival. In 2009 the spring festival will be arranged between 20 March and 5 April. Among the artists you can find:

Ágnes Szakály, Amadinda Percussion Group, Anderszewski Piotr, Arkadi Volodos, Bartók Quartet, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Budapest Tomkins Vocal Ensemble, Camerata Salzburg,
Ensemble Martinù, Harding Daniel, János Dobra, Kálmán Záborszky, Kodály Quartet, Kremerata Baltica, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Maisenberg Oleg, Mika Teranagane, Milan Turkovic,
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Say Fazil, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis and Zugló Philharmonia.

For a full list of the programs and venues, go to www.btf.hu/btf2009/

If you are looking for an apartment or would like a guided tour as you come to Budapest for the festival, feel free to contact us for advices and help!

Other programs and concerts in Budapest