György Ligeti was born in Diciosânmartin, Romania, once part of Hungary, studied in Cluj-Napoca, attended the Liszt Academy in Budapest, and after the 1956 revolution emigrated to Vienna and lived in Germany and Austria, but also worked in Sweden and America. He was a true citizen of the world. Never having been to Africa, he learned about the music of sub-Saharan peoples (many of whom use percussion instruments exclusively) from recordings and the writings of folk music researchers, and was fascinated by what he heard. Rightly so. At the concert, moderated by Szilveszter Szélpál and with expert assistance from musicologist Gergely Fazekas, we reflect on what it was that enchanted Ligeti in the intricate pulsations and overwhelming energies of this music. We also take a detour to American composer Steve Reich, who was no less fond of African music, and find out what was on Ligeti's mind when he composed music for 100 mechanical metronomes. The concert features one of the most important Ligeti performers of our time, pianist Zoltán Fejérvári, the young percussion ensemble Trio Dakoda, complemented by the percussionists Benjámin Mohácsi and András Simon, as well as six students of the Béla Bartók Conservatory (taught by Aurél Holló), and one hundred metronomes.

Age: 9-16 year

Presented by: Müpa Budapest