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Bartók in Budapest
Conference Activities
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- DAILY
COACHING
Each
morning, there will be 2.5 hours of coaching on the
Bartók String Quartet #6 by the Manhattan String
Quartet, acknowledged leaders in the field for this type
of activity. Their energetic and serious approach
provides conference participants with a thorough
understanding of the piece. This non-competitive
environment allows for an open exchange of ideas, great
good humor and mutual support.
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VISIT TO THE
BARTÓK HOUSE,
where the composer lived from 1932 until
he left for America in 1940. The
collection includes Bartók's piano, the Edison phonograph he used for collecting
folk songs, and carved furniture from Transylvania. You can even listen to a
recording of Bartók's voice!
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AN EVENING OF
TRADITIONAL HUNGARIAN FOLK MUSIC AND DANCING AT FONÓ.
Fonó
Music Club is one of the most important venues in
Central Europe for those involved in creating and
perpetuating Hungarian cultural life, especially the
nurturing and presentation of Central/Eastern
European folk music. Fonó features the most renowned
folk bands from throughout Hungary and Transylvania
and also has its own recording label.
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- LECTURE BY RENOWNED
BARTÓK SCHOLAR
DR. LÁSZLÓ SOMFAI,
former
Director of the Bartók Archives in Budapest and
Editor-in-Chief of the Béla Bartók Complete
Critical Edition. Dr. Somfai is a professor of musicology at the Liszt
Academy of Music and has published books on Haydn, Webern, and Bartók in English,
German, and Hungarian.
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VISIT TO
THE MUSEUM OF MUSIC HISTORY,
housed
in an 18th-century palace in the Castle district. The museum displays rare
manuscripts and instruments in its permanent collection,
including a violinmaker's workbench and an unusual
18th-century sextet table.
Of particular
interest is the "Bartók Worshop", a specialized collection of scores
showing the development of Bartók's works.
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- VISIT TO THE
KODALY
MUSEUM, former home of musicologist, music teacher and composer Zoltan
Kodaly. An archive has been created here, in which the composer's valuable original handwritten music scores and a wealth of correspondence are kept.
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SCREENING OF Gyökerek (Roots),
a documentary film by István Gaál
that tells the story of Bartók’s life and music through his
own letters and writings. Presented through a fascinating montage of
historical footage and images of old photos and
documents, the story traces Bartók’s travels into
the countryside to collect folk music, his travails
with the music establishment in Budapest, and his
exile to America during the Second World War. Of
special interest are the segments of prominent
performers interpreting Bartók’s music, including a
video clip of Bartók playing his own Allegro barbaro
and audio segments of him playing a Scarlatti sonata
and the Mozart two-piano concerto with his wife,
Ditta.
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ACTIVITIES FOR GUESTS AND SPOUSES
During morning coaching sessions we will offer
informally organized tours to explore Budapest from
an insider’s viewpoint. These are optional
activities; entrance and/or other fees are not
included in the cost of the conference.
Activities may include: visit to the thermal
baths at the world-famous Hotel Gellert, the
Hungarian National Gallery, walking tour of the
Jewish Quarter, cooking class on traditional
Hungarian cuisine (including strudel-making!).
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Gellert Hotel Spa |
Dohany Synagogue |
Strudel-making Class |
