Strings Alike

Through their performance, the members of the Kodály Quartet bring to the fore the noted works of Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály

Over the years, the Kodály Quartet has seen numerous changes - a few members retired one by one to pursue other musical interests and even the original name of the Quartet was changed. Its core purpose however has stood the test of time for well over four decades. Its main aim is to promote the works of Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály. The Quartet comprises Attila Falvay on the 1st violin, Erika Tóth on the 2nd violin, János Fejérvári on the viola and György Éder on the cello. Their first performance in the city was held on Wednesday at the Mazda Hall, Camp, and they will take centrestage again today. The concerts have been organised by the Balassi Institute, Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi, in association with the Poona Music Society.

The Quartet was formed in 1966 by four students of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. Originally called 'Sebestyén Quartet,' after one of the founding violinists, they changed their name to the Kodály Quartet in 1971 after their work began gaining prominence the world over. "Also, we were working to show the works of Zoltan Kodály. We wanted to honour his name and thus changed the name of the Quartet," informs Falvay, the oldest member of the band. While Falvay has been with the Quartet since 1980, the current line-up has been playing together since 2005.

"Today, we will perform Wolf: Italian Serenade; Dohnányi: String Quartet No. 2 in D flat major; Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 74 Harp and Beethoven : String Quartet Op. 95 Serioso. This year, for the first time, we are performing thecompositions of Dohnanyi, a contemporary of Kodály. The works of Beethoven are amongst the purest music of the West. A light piece by Hugo Wolf, which is a rare Italian serenade, will complete the performance," says Falvay. Apart from Kodály, all major Hungarian composers like Bartók, Dohnányi, Kurtág, Ligeti, as well as, most classical composers are represented in their repertoire.

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