Hungary's tax dollars at work

You can tell a lot about a country by what it subsidizes.  Hungary, for example, subsidizes the arts -- heavily.  It also subsidizes public transportation, at least in Budapest.  But that is for another post.

Today's visit to the Bartok Marathon was quite revealing.  For under $10 we attended two concerts, one a celebration of the folk dance tunes Bartok used as the inspiration for many of his piano works.  It was charming and professional, with two modern folk dancers performing against the backdrop of early 20th century peasants filmed while dancing.   The second was an  orchestral concert, again performed at a very high level. And expensive to put on -- two harpists, eight French horns, and a massive string section.  They were very good, and while not sold out, the hall looked full.

And the venue?  The Bela Bartok National Concert Hall is about 10 years old, and has amazing acoustics.  Unfortunately, it's in a unprepossessing neighborhood, surrounded by construction-related mud.  Inside is just fine. And maybe it looks better in the summer.  But that is my only quibble.

I feel almost guilty taking advantage of these offerings -- but not guilty enough to boycott.