Szegedist
01-23-2013, 04:01 PM
"Slovakia - a small country with great musical tradition," was the title of the classical music event organized by the Slovak Embassy in Athens at the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Slovakian state. So far so good, however the funny thing about the event was that several Hungarian composers like Béla Bartók and Ferenc Liszt have been presented to Greek audiences as Slovakian composers. In addition, the organizers of the event said that Brahms' Hungarian Dances were mistakenly called Hungarian because the musical piece is closer to gypsy tradition than Hungarian culture.
Hungarian Ambassador to Athens, Eszter Sándorfi notified Hungarian foreign ministry officials including Foreign Secretary Zsolt Németh and Deputy-Secretary Gergely Prőhle about the scandal. In a letter sent to the press, the ambassador complaining about Slovakian practices of appropriating Hungarian artists and musicians and presenting them as Slovakian even if these artists spent only a few days in Pozsony as transit travelers.
At the concert in Athens, Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was introduced as the greatest Slovakian collector of folk music. In the case of Ferenc Liszt, the announcer was more careful, he only mentioned that the composer might have Slovakian family links. When announced the musical piece of Brahms' Hungarian Dances the announcer remarked that the piece was mistakenly called Hungarian because the composition is closer to gypsy music then Hungarian culture.
When index.hu approached the Slovak Embassy in Athens requesting an explanation, it was told that the Slovakian ambassador has never said anything like that, then Slovakian officials added "It is not in our interest to comment on information received from unauthorized sources”. Later, the Slovakian embassy sent an email to the news-portal stating that no audio or video recording was made about the alleged incident.
"The Slovak conduct reveals the frustration of a twenty-year-old state looking for its identity,”. “One would expect that the Slovakian state respects internationally recognized Hungarian composers like Béla Bartók and Ferenc Liszt" writes Hungarian Ambassador to Athens, Eszter Sándorfi.
The case is all the more remarkable because these sorts of incidents are recurring phenomena in Slovakian official or semi-official conducts; a similar incident happened last year when during a musical event Slovakian announcers introduced a number of Hungarian composers as Slovakian.
The Hungarian ambassador believes that by using these sorts of events Slovakia builds a false picture about itself. The ambassador suggesting that Hungarian foreign ministry officials should discuss the issue with their Slovakian colleagues as it is not in the interest of the two countries to poison bilateral relations with these sorts of fraudulent events.
The ambassador said: "I do not know who leaked my remarks to the press, but if it has already happened, it is important to note that it was not the Slovak Embassy staff that presented the Hungarian composers as Slovakian, but a member of the Slovakian orchestra.”
http://www.hungarianambiance.com/2013/01/this-is-what-happens-when-twenty-year.html
:rofl:
Hungarian Ambassador to Athens, Eszter Sándorfi notified Hungarian foreign ministry officials including Foreign Secretary Zsolt Németh and Deputy-Secretary Gergely Prőhle about the scandal. In a letter sent to the press, the ambassador complaining about Slovakian practices of appropriating Hungarian artists and musicians and presenting them as Slovakian even if these artists spent only a few days in Pozsony as transit travelers.
At the concert in Athens, Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was introduced as the greatest Slovakian collector of folk music. In the case of Ferenc Liszt, the announcer was more careful, he only mentioned that the composer might have Slovakian family links. When announced the musical piece of Brahms' Hungarian Dances the announcer remarked that the piece was mistakenly called Hungarian because the composition is closer to gypsy music then Hungarian culture.
When index.hu approached the Slovak Embassy in Athens requesting an explanation, it was told that the Slovakian ambassador has never said anything like that, then Slovakian officials added "It is not in our interest to comment on information received from unauthorized sources”. Later, the Slovakian embassy sent an email to the news-portal stating that no audio or video recording was made about the alleged incident.
"The Slovak conduct reveals the frustration of a twenty-year-old state looking for its identity,”. “One would expect that the Slovakian state respects internationally recognized Hungarian composers like Béla Bartók and Ferenc Liszt" writes Hungarian Ambassador to Athens, Eszter Sándorfi.
The case is all the more remarkable because these sorts of incidents are recurring phenomena in Slovakian official or semi-official conducts; a similar incident happened last year when during a musical event Slovakian announcers introduced a number of Hungarian composers as Slovakian.
The Hungarian ambassador believes that by using these sorts of events Slovakia builds a false picture about itself. The ambassador suggesting that Hungarian foreign ministry officials should discuss the issue with their Slovakian colleagues as it is not in the interest of the two countries to poison bilateral relations with these sorts of fraudulent events.
The ambassador said: "I do not know who leaked my remarks to the press, but if it has already happened, it is important to note that it was not the Slovak Embassy staff that presented the Hungarian composers as Slovakian, but a member of the Slovakian orchestra.”
http://www.hungarianambiance.com/2013/01/this-is-what-happens-when-twenty-year.html
:rofl: