David Greilsammer Piano Recital A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

A single instrument is sufficient for most solo recitals. However, the Israeli pianist famed for surprising audiences with his original programme compilations requires two, and what is more, one of them not only has to be tuned but ‘prepped’, something that often takes three or so hours. Pieces in the John Cage series demand a piano in which the composer has defined most precisely what size screws, rubber items or other objects have to be inserted between which strings, and exactly where. The counterpointing of Italian Baroque and 1940s New York avant-garde is truly a concept of genius, so much so that we are left wondering: how is it that nobody else thought of this? Both composers use roughly the same two-part form for their framework, but naturally the content derives from different sources. Domenico Scarlatti, who, by the way, was considered at least as daring an innovator in the first half of the 18th century as his colleague living 200 years later, wrote the (to use his word) “exercises” for the Portuguese princess who became a Spanish queen, while Cage’s imagination was sparked by Indian philosophy. In other words, this is an opportunity to witness an extraordinary meeting: a brilliant artist and two masterpieces by two geniuses.