Does that sound a little over the top? Actually, it is a reflection based on real life experience. One concrete example: In 2015, the cellist István Várdai, who was 30 years old at the time, and the pianist Péter Frankl, who had just turned 80, gave a joint concert in Budapest, producing a historical performance of Beethoven's cello and piano sonatas in their entirety. It was unforgettable. Concert-goers may have expected the gap of half a century to feel like a chasm - surely their sentiments would be too different, with varying thoughts on tempo, instrumentation and much else besides? All of us change with the passing of time, with new generations rejecting the values honoured by their elders. Várdai and Frankl's collaboration demonstrated nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite, in fact: the duo displayed a mutual understanding that gave the impression they had played together since ancient times.
The same spirit, the same playfulness, the same delicate sound, the same humour - if not completely identical, then very close indeed. Receptive to each other and open to the world. How did this come about? Perhaps it's because the school of Hungarian chamber music has carefully preserved (under the guidance of András Mihály and then György Kurtág) the traditions built on the teachings of Frankl's legendary master, Leó Weiner.
If you love Beethoven's cello and piano sonatas, listening to Várda and Frankl perform together is simply a must - a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest