AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Franz liszt totentanz2/16/2024 ![]() Then brass players entered with the ominous theme, unleashing the Devil in his stomping grounds: the Abyss at Ground Zero. Maestro Ligeti held up his baton, waiting for Péter’s hands to jump onto the ivories, which they did with an enormous thud. (You can watch this performance in two parts below.) Péter bowed to the audience and orchestra members and then pulled his black tuxedo tails back before sitting at the piano. I put down the concert program, and moments later, thunderous applause greeted the 18-year-old prodigy as he entered the stage, taking long strides toward the Steinway grand. He then spent two more decades revising Totentanz until the final version was performed in 1865 at The Hague. He first composed the piece in 1839 after being captivated by a fresco, Triumph of Death (attributed to Francesco Traini), at Campo Santo in Pisa (see photo above). He was slated to perform Totentanz at the end of the program with Maestro András Ligeti conducting members of the MATÁV Hungarian Symphony Orchestra.Ī symphonic poem with Medieval overtones, Totentanz had haunted Liszt throughout his life. I couldn’t resist.Īrriving back at the Great Hall, she and I learned that no First Prize had been awarded, but a young Hungarian pianist, Péter Tóth, had won Second Prize. I thought nothing could pull me from my shadowy thoughts until Heléna showed up on my doorstep with two tickets to the Piano Competition Gala Concert at the Academy. I tried to conjure up the soothing strains of Liebestraum that had lulled me into a semi-stupor in the Great Hall, but the Piano Competition seemed a distant blur with some regret, I decided to forego the remaining concerts. I felt lonely and homesick for my American family and friends. Although my new acquaintances, mostly Hungarians, called to offer their support and condolences, I longed for the company of a fellow American, but I didn’t know any expats from the States. Eventually, I left in a haze of tears and wove my way back to my apartment, where I hibernated the following week. I dialed their Amherst home and let out a huge sigh when Mom picked up the phone.įor the next few hours, Heléna and I sat with our eyes glued to the TV set. My heart and thoughts raced to my parents, both native New Yorkers, who often traveled to Manhattan for the day. This time, I had no difficulty grasping the gravity of her words. “Maybe like the Nostradamus predict, world coming to end,” Heléna told me. As gigantic balls of fire engulfed the uppermost floors and smoke billowed from shattered glass windows in real-time, the second Tower buckled. Heléna met me at her door with a large glass of Bikavér (a red wine known as “Bull’s Blood”) and guided me toward the sofa, where we tried to fathom the disturbing live and recorded images of huge aircraft crashing into the Twin Towers. Only after she shouted, “New York!” (the city of my birth) did I change direction and rush to her place. I had no idea why she kept uttering the words “plane” and “tower,” and assumed yet another language barrier. “There’s been accident,” she panted into the phone. I didn’t realize this name was an omen until Intermission when the “Grey Clouds” descended.ĭuring the break, I headed to nearby Oktogon for a quick snack when my friend Heléna called. 2 and the “Dante Sonata.” For the first time, I heard the dark, mysterious Nuages Gris. ![]() ![]() The stage was awash in light radiating from enormous crystal-brass chandeliers and stained glass windows.įor the next few hours, top-notch pianists from around the world dazzled the audience with Liszt’s most popular works, including Hungarian Rhapsody No. Sensuous female statues depicting musical tempos, like Adagio, stared down at the SRO crowd. Upon entering the Great Hall, I wondered if King Midas had been among the Academy’s designers: every inch of the sumptuous Art Nouveau interior was covered in gold and green marble. I was sure that attending the Semifinals at the Liszt Academy would be one of the biggest “pinch me” moments of my musical life. A pianist from childhood, I’d also been an avid Liszt fan since hearing my mother play Liebestraum during our music lessons. I eagerly awaited the start of my first English teaching gig and was thrilled that my remaining free time coincided with the event. I sipped Earl Grey on my balcony as a soft breeze rustled through the birch trees and reveled in the warmth of Indian summer. That Tuesday morning in 2001 began on a promising note. I was attending the Competition in Budapest when the planes struck the Twin Towers. The tragic events of Septemare forever linked in my mind to Franz Liszt’s Totentanz and not only because the German title translates into “Dance of the Dead.” Totentanz was one of many pieces by the Hungarian composer showcased at the Liszt International Piano Competition that fall. “Triumph of Death” by Francesco Traini, Pisa
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |