Kurtág100 | Isserlis – Aimard – Várjon – Simon

On the occasion of György Kurtág's 90th birthday, English cellist Steven Isserlis said: “György Kurtág is music itself. He slowly, irresistibly flows from the depths of his being, bursting to the surface with an exceptional, all-encompassing intensity. I have never met a musician in my life for whom every single note was so important; whether it is his own work or a piece by one of the great composers he admires, for him every single note carries a whole world of meanings, events and intense emotions.” Pianist Dénes Várjon made a similar statement: “With Kurtág, even a single note is about the whole. In fact, if you study with him for many years, it becomes clear that there is much more to that particular note. A chain of connections emerges from a single note, leading to important insights into the composer’s entire oeuvre.”

 Program:

Johann Sebastian Bach – Kurtág György: 
Actus tragicus (BWV 106)
O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (BWV 1085) 
Izabella Simon – piano
Dénes Várjon – piano

György Kurtág:
Circumdederunt (In Memoriam Rita Wagner)
Socrates’ Farewell
Az hit
Steven Isserlis – cello

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata in C major for cello and piano, Op. 102, No. 1
Steven Isserlis – cello
Dénes Várjon – piano

György Kurtág:
Souvenir de Balatonboglar
Schatten
In Memoriam György Kroó
Steven Isserlis – cello

Robert Schumann: Adagio and Allegro for cello and piano, Op. 70
Steven Isserlis – cello
Izabella Simon – piano

*****

György Kurtág: Games (selection)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard – piano

Featuring:

Steven Isserlis – cello
Izabella Simon – piano
Dénes Várjon – piano
Pierre-Laurent Aimard – piano