Balázs Szokolay solo recital A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

“The music of Scriabin, this exalted genius, has always excited me; his mature style is unmistakeably individual,” says Liszt Prize laureate pianist Balázs Szokolay. “A few years ago I was on the jury of a Scriabin competition in Moscow, since when the art and concepts of the remarkable composer who died a hundred years ago have taken up ever more of my time. Perhaps it would have been more convenient to marry his preludes with those of Chopin, since the music of the Polish master proved highly influential in his early period. However, I wanted something a bit more unusual, which is why I chose Debussy instead to pair with Scriabin, but another justification for the programme is that at the beginning of the 20th century Russian and French art were entwined to a remarkable degree, and these two greats created their music at exactly the same time as well as being renowned pianists. It was a fascinating and exciting job placing their miniature piano poetry alongside one another, yet there was still room for a major work from each composer.”