The Bards of Wales
The Bards of Wales / Beirdd Cymru is the exciting new work by leading Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. Based on the iconic ballad by Hungarian poet János Arany, The Bards of Wales was commissioned by Concert Masters International, and received its world premiere at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall , Budapest on 21 June 2011.
The Bards of Wales (Hungarian: A walesi bárdok) is an iconic work in Hungary, written by Arany in 1857. The author was asked to write a poem of praise for the visit of Franz Joseph I of Austria. Instead he wrote a poem about the tale of the 500 Welsh bards sent to the stake by Edward I of England in 1277, as a metaphor to criticise the tyrannic Habsburg rule over Hungary, following the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It was a method of encoded resistance to the repressive politics of Alexander von Bach in Hungary, and indeed the planned visit of Franz Joseph himself.
The Bards of Wales (Hungarian: A walesi bárdok) is an iconic work in Hungary, written by Arany in 1857. The author was asked to write a poem of praise for the visit of Franz Joseph I of Austria. Instead he wrote a poem about the tale of the 500 Welsh bards sent to the stake by Edward I of England in 1277, as a metaphor to criticise the tyrannic Habsburg rule over Hungary, following the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It was a method of encoded resistance to the repressive politics of Alexander von Bach in Hungary, and indeed the planned visit of Franz Joseph himself.
The poem was originally written "for the desk drawer" but was then published 6 years later in 1863, disguised as a translation of an Old English ballad, so as to conceal the real meaning from Austrian censors. It was considered to be a manifesto of the Hungarian passive resistance, which ultimately led to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
Arany wrote his own preface to the poem: "Historians doubt it, but it strongly stands in the legend that Edward I of England sent 500 Welsh bards to the stake after his victory over the Welsh (1277) to prevent them from arousing the country and destroying English rule by telling of the glorious past of their nation." In the 6th grade of elementary school, every Hungarian student is required to learn The Bards of Wales as it has an important role in both Hungarian history and literature.
Arany wrote his own preface to the poem: "Historians doubt it, but it strongly stands in the legend that Edward I of England sent 500 Welsh bards to the stake after his victory over the Welsh (1277) to prevent them from arousing the country and destroying English rule by telling of the glorious past of their nation." In the 6th grade of elementary school, every Hungarian student is required to learn The Bards of Wales as it has an important role in both Hungarian history and literature.
Premiere Performance
Further details of the premiere performance in Budapest on June 21 2011 can be found at the Palace of Arts website www.mupa.hu while a prospectus for the Bards of Wales project itself can be found at the Concert Masters International website
UK Premiere
Details of the UK premieres of the Bards of Wales during 2012 are currently being finalised. Further information on them will be placed here as and when they become available
Further details of the premiere performance in Budapest on June 21 2011 can be found at the Palace of Arts website www.mupa.hu while a prospectus for the Bards of Wales project itself can be found at the Concert Masters International website
UK Premiere
Details of the UK premieres of the Bards of Wales during 2012 are currently being finalised. Further information on them will be placed here as and when they become available
