Our era is characterized by constant changes. Our economic environment, the society in which we live, our customs, our culture are in a change - we also keep changing. It is difficult to hold on in this world of transformation since our attitude towards tradition also undergoes a transformation. We are no longer satisfied with reproducing the folklore we have witnessed or that is transmitted either by mediators or recorded audio/video materials. We identify with the parts of culture that are meaningful, applicable and valuable for us; we try to identify ourselves using our language and hope to locate ourselves in the world.
By creating Highland Treasures, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble pioneers the presentation of an overview of dance and music that originated from an ethnically diverse area in present-day Slovakia. The world-famous composer and pianist Béla Bartók began his career as an ethnomusicologist in this region. We chiefly concentrated on the cultural heritage of those villages where Bartók conducted his field research.
On the anniversary of Béla Bartók’s death, we have an opportunity to rediscover his genius. We focus our attention on an exemplary oeuvre and mentality which contribute to our substantial knowledge of folk music and folk dances, allowing us to extract our own current and perpetual meanings.
Highland Treasures is the first part of the Bartók Trilogy. It is an authentic production. Tradition is performed in a form that is the closest to the source. The subsequent parts pursue Bartók’s development from an inspiring model to a contemporary product, from the genuine to the abstract.
A joint production of Hungarian and Slovakian artists.
