György Kurtág – Signs, Games and Messages (mode230)

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going out to the picturesque town of Szentendre, about 35 minutes outside of Budapest, with my girlfriend and some fine old friends.  I expected a nice trip, and instead, we not only have that but we were treated to seeing several galleries, bookstores, and a performance space which featured graphic artist Yorgos Tzortzoglu, a local artist of Greek descent.  His exhibit featured scores from Hungarian composer György Kurtág, and lo and behold, he was in attendance!  Though he is 96 now, Kurtág looked in pretty good condition, and had a smile on his face after watching some fine interpreters of his work, including German soprano Juliane Banse.  The post is dedicated to my girl, friends, Kurtág and Szentendre.