Kurtag Scenes
June 1987; György Kurtág for the first time in Amsterdam, while working with ‘my’ Nieuw Ensemble. Scenes from a novel, Troussova etc. Two hours of ‘private lesson’ on one low B; ‘Nein, nicht wie Auto!!” An entirely new world opened to me; not only Kurtág’s highly sensitive and intense music, but also his inexorable attitude to it and his unsurpassed knowledge of the entire music-repertoire. Many encounters would follow over the years after; when he was living In Amsterdam, on Rückblick later and up till the last ‘telefonische Konsultation’ on the Sudelbücher. Utterly demanding, yes, but always warm and human, not in the last place because of Márta in the background.

Now, for already so many years, his influence and music play a very important role in my life; the ultimate result might exist for one moment, but is old news the next. Where everything has to be looked upon, felt and conquered again and again........hence the ambivalence of any recording of Kurtág’s music.

NdG June 2019

The second Rossini-Hoffmeister is out now at BIS Records and at Spotify!