FERENC FARKAS (1905-2000): Die listigen Studenten, JOHANN STRAUSS (1819-1880): Platzkonzert.

Description: Out of nowhere comes this unheard of video label with two short ballets filmed in 1949. Farkas' 35-minute work was premiered the same year and, it would appear, filmed for Hungarian audiences - the titles for this are all in Hungarian and, since TV was hardly widespread and black-and-white only, we must assume that this was for cinema presentation. The costumes are gorgeous, it's shot out of doors in a town plaza which looks centuries old and the color is of the vivid Hollywood Technicolor you're used to from The Adventures of Robin Hood. The music is all folk-derived and instantly approachable. Platzkonzert (also with Hungarian-only titles) is also 35 imnutes long, using well-known Strauss waltzes, also in color but the quality slightly less vivid due to age. The choreographer was Gyula Harangozó. Hungarian State Opera Ballet and Orchestra; Gedeon Fráter, Tamás Pál (Farkas).