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Inspired by Hungarian playwright Melchior Lengyel’s provocative tale, Bartók’s ‘The Miraculous Mandarin’ is a one act pantomime ballet written between 1918-1924.

The vivid music is reflects the urban setting of the ballet and also its strange, supernatural storyline. It is also influenced by Bartók’s travels through Eastern Europe in the years preceding the ballet’s composition; you can hear echoes of folk melodies from this region throughout.

It was premiered on this day, 27 November, in 1926 at the Cologne Opera, and subsequently banned in Germany on moral grounds.

This performance by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ NOW and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ NCW took place in 2008 at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, with former Principal Conductor, Thierry Fischer.