István Várdai and Péter Frankl A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

In 2015 pianist legend and London resident Péter Frankl reaches the age of 80, while Budapest-based cellist István Várdai – in all likelihood someone who will also be a legend in 50 years’ time – turns a relatively boyish 30. Although in a musical sense they could have a grandfather-grandson relationship, in truth they are perfect and equal partners thanks to the youthfulness of Frankl’s way of thinking and musicality and the maturity of Várdai, who has won several of the most prestigious music competitions, including most recently the 2014 ARD. The two intend to undertake no less a task than performing all five Beethoven sonatas for cello and piano in one grand concert. This not only represents a unique artistic experience for the audience but also the opportunity to review the astonishing trajectory that Beethoven’s career followed. The two early sonatas, written between 1796 and 1801, are more piano works with cello accompaniment (although the cello receives some truly virtuoso material); the A major sonata derives from the middle period, although it is music not of the struggle with fate but the cheerful music of triumph and peace; while the final two sonatas are emblematic creations of the late period: they are their own universes in themselves, full of magical moments and unforgettable enigmas.