About the Programme

Bartók's 6 string quartets, recognized as the crown of the twentieth century chamber music repertoire, will be presented in their entirety. Bartok was influenced by a number of traditions, which we will explore at the festival. Among other things, we will focus on the Eastern European folk traditions, and the iconic "night music" that is so special to Bartok's repertoire. We will also look at the legacy of Bartok's string quartets up to the present day. The festival's program will reflect that Bartok himself was a pianist and wrote a lot for the piano, and his love for folk songs which was expressed in several song cycles. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Bartok traveled to villages with the aim of collecting hitherto undiscovered and unrecorded folk music. He knew that the land abounded in these priceless treasures. At that time, Hungary's territory was three times larger than it is today, and many nationalities coexisted peacefully within it. He wrote:

— Speaking of country life, let me add my own observations concerning the relations between peasants of different nationalities ... They live peacefully side by side, speak their own languages, follow their own customs, and take it for granted that his neighbor , who possibly use a different tongue, do the same. Overwhelming proof of this is provided by the words of the lyrical folk songs themselves, which reflect the people's soul. It is difficult to find a single word or thought among those who express enmity towards other nationalities.

The ideological thoughts behind Bartok's tours and gatherings form the backdrop to the festival — which includes artists across generations, disciplines, gender and ethnic backgrounds.