"Echoes Under the Dome: A Night at St. Stephen's Basilica"

Attending the evening concert at St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest was an uplifting musical experience. The basilica boasts a massive dome, making it the tallest building in the city (96 meters high).

Lifting your head, you can see the image of God the Father.

The large pipe organ on the balcony was built in 1905 by József Angster – the last modernization was completed in 2004 by Varadi and Songs, a Hungarian organ builder. The organ has 93 stops and 7,544 pipes, including 22 reeds, which I heard during the performance of Widor. The gold decorations, made of 22-karat gold, are awe-inspiring and worthy of the King of Instruments.

During the concert, the organist performed on the three-manual console situated in front of the altar.

The basilica's acoustics are genuinely excellent, allowing the music to flow freely throughout the church. I enjoyed Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the Widor excerpt from the organ symphony, and other pieces in which the organ accompanied the trumpet, violin, and soprano. Listening to Ave Maria was a spiritual experience.

Although I wish the entire concert had included more solo organ pieces, the chamber pieces evoked fond memories and brought back memories of the standard church repertoire.

Here is the link to the concert's excerpts: