Péter Bársony & József Balog Chamber Recital Presented by Liszt Academy

Today, few remember Hungarian-born violist Ferenc Molnár, who lived in America and was a founding member of the famous Roth Quartet. The concert by Péter Bársony and József Balog is an ideal opportunity to recall this artist, his life full of dramatic twists and turns, and the highpoints of his musical career, amongst which one of the most important was the presentation in San Francisco in 1949 of the sonata dedicated to him by Ernst Krenek. The programme of this chamber evening also has room for the premiere in Hungary of the viola duo by Péter Eötvös, written in 2001 and reformulated in 2018, as well as the viola version of the saxophone sonata, spiked with jazz elements, by Erwin Schulhoff. It is to the great credit of Péter Bársony that the Schulhoff piece is perfectly accommodated to the viola. Composer László Weiner, who died tragically young, dedicated his viola-piano sonata to violist Pál Lukács, born 100 years ago. Increasingly found on the programmes of top artists, György Ligeti’s solo pieces present their performers with extraordinary challenges; this recital’s two musicians are experienced interpreters of the oeuvre of this Hungarian composer.