Béla Bartók composed Dance Suite in 1923 for the 50th anniversary of thefoundation of Hungary's capital through the unification of Buda, Óbuda, andPest. It soon became one of his most popular orchestral works, and in 1925 hearranged it for piano solo. Ádám Tabajdi completed the organ version of DanceSuite in 2019/20, and recorded it on the Kern organ of Sapporo's KitaraConcert Hall later that year. His transcription was inspired by the composer'sown version for piano, exploiting the alternative solutions offered by the''orchestral'' timbres of the organ, with its manuals and pedals. The idealinstrument for the present version is an expansive, eclectic style organ withat least three manuals.Thisflamboyant arrangement requires great virtuosity, stamina, and creativity fromthe performer. Ádám Tabajdi (b. 1993) is an outstanding young Hungarianorganist. Alongside the music of J. S. Bach, his repertoire includes Liszt,and Franck, as well as twentieth-century works, with a special focus onMessiaen, Ligeti, and Florentz. He is a committed performer of contemporarymusic, but he also feels a close connection with the works of old masters suchas Sweelinck, Weckmann, and Couperin. In 2021 he won first prize in theToulouse International Organ Competition, and in 2022 he was awarded theJunior Prima Award.
