There have been many notable rivalries in the long history of music. The troubadours of the middle ages competed with one another (consider the Wartburg song contest from Tannhäuser, or the competition between the Meistersinger craftsmen of Nuremberg), and later came the duel between Bach and Marchand ¬(which, according to legend, was ultimately called off after Marchand learned of Bach's skill and disappeared). Duels also occurred between Mozart and Clementi, Liszt and Thalberg, and many others. Müpa Budapest offers audiences a more modern, more playful and friendlier version of the duel through its enormously popular Organ Duel series.
On this occasion, Dutch musician Sietze de Vries (1973) will take the stage with the German Dirk Elsemann (1977) to match their skills in a great variety of trials. (Both of them have previously duelled at Müpa Budapest. Their most recent invitation suggests that they will be worthy 'opponents'.) While the majority of the musical challenges are very difficult, they are always cleverly conceived and generally playful. As listeners follow the competition, they may consider the diversity of the knowledge and skill the modern successors of the great Baroque organist composers still need to possess...
What is most important is that no blood is shed in these duels, and there are no winners nor losers. Well, perhaps there is one winner: the audience, which will enjoy the show from the first minute to the last, and - perhaps without even noticing - learn a lot about a great variety of music.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest