Igor Toronyi-Lalic

Gypsy king

Oh, that all concerts were like its visit to the Proms last week with conductor Ivan Fischer

issue 01 September 2018

Looney Tunes was always at its best when soundtracked by a Hungarian gypsy dance. (Watch ‘Pigs in a Polka’ if you don’t believe me.) It’s music that was made to chase small cartoon animals — and terrify conductors. The gunshot syncopations. The hand-break turns in tempi. The banana-skin portamenti and rubato ravines… Musical tripwires everywhere.

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