Antal Doráti, who was one of the most important conductors of the past century, saw composition as his life’s work. He wrote some forty works, distinguished by consummate instrumentation, an unerring sense for a wide range of moods and a grasp of clear structures and forms. Composed in the summer of 1974, Doráti’s Piano Concerto is tonal, deeply Romantic and undeniably influenced by Bartók and Kodály. Now and then, there is even a touch of Hollywood.

There were various reasons why we decided to combine works by Doráti with those of Mátyás Seiber on the present CD. Both attended Zoltán Kodály’s composition class at the Franz Liszt Music Academy, both were highly regarded by their illustrious teacher.

Mátyás Seiber was receptive to a wide variety of styles. Apart from “classical” works, he wrote film music and got in the groove for jazz. The music for “The Invitation” (1960) is Seiber’s last work. He wrote the music in close cooperation with choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, who provided him with a detailed outline of the ballet’s narrative. MacMillan’s aim was to present a topical and challenging story on the ballet stage.