Dance Suite for Organ (1923)

Béla Bartók composed Dance Suite in 1923 for the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Hungary's capital through the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest. It soon became one of his most popular orchestral works, and in 1925 he arranged it for piano solo. Ádám Tabajdi completed the organ version of Dance Suite in 2019/20, and recorded it on the Kern organ of Sapporo's Kitara Concert Hall later that year. His transcription was inspired by the composer's own version for piano, exploiting the alternative solutions offered by the ''orchestral'' timbres of the organ, with its manuals and pedals. The ideal instrument for the present version is an expansive, eclectic style organ with at least three manuals. This flamboyant arrangement requires great virtuosity, stamina, and creativity from the performer. Ádám Tabajdi (b. 1993) is an outstanding young Hungarian organist. Alongside the music of J. S. Bach, his repertoire includes Liszt,and Franck, as well as twentieth-century works, with a special focus on Messiaen, Ligeti, and Florentz. He is a committed performer of contemporary music, but he also feels a close connection with the works of old masters such as Sweelinck, Weckmann, and Couperin. In 2021 he won first prize in the Toulouse International Organ Competition, and in 2022 he was awarded the Junior Prima Award.