Zoltan Kodaly - Duo for Violin and Cello Op.7, Anton Kontra & Michaela Fukacova, live recording скачать в хорошем качестве

Zoltan Kodaly - Duo for Violin and Cello Op.7, Anton Kontra & Michaela Fukacova, live recording

I made this video in honor of my beloved friend Anton Kontra, who passed away just recently. Anton was a phenomenal Hungarian violinist living since 1956 in Scandinavia. We played a lot together after my arrival to Denmark(1985), as we felt very strong cultural, musical and personal connection and loved each other's company. As young, Anton used to play the Kodaly Duo for Kodaly himself and also therefore I felt, I should digitalize this recording as a document of an autentic traditional interpretation. Well aware, that Anton was first of all a great spontaneous intuitive musical heart. Every rehearsal and concert was different, and we both loved the improvisative freedom, that Kodaly allows in this piece. As this could easily get rather unlimited, we had to make some fast meeting points, when bathing in this ocean of freedom. I will never forget the Hungarian word for 'agreement' , which is 'Megállapodás' — and will always see Antons twinkling eyes smile, every time we decided to make one... Last time we played together was in 2002, when he invited me to celebrate his 70th birthday by playing his favorite Kodaly together in the Tivoli concert hall in Copenhagen. It was his music, music of his origin and his childhood, that gave him the space to feel totally at home and be the most spontaneous shiny expressive brilliant violinist that he was. After his retirement we unfortunately lost touch and only few days before his passing I managed to finally get his telephone number and reach him in his isolation in Sweden. The joy of our reunion was indescribable, love was pouring out through words and tears. I kept telling him, how much we love and miss his unique musical voice. That he is a living legend and that his heartfelt expressive playing is still now — (or even more now - in our sometimes too technical perfect ambitious world) — loved and adored, also by the young generation, that knows him thanks to internet (an invention, Anton never became friendly with) . He was very moved to hear it and kept saying, how happy he is. We made a fresh 'Megállapodás' to call very often from now on.... His passing was therefore even harder to accept for me, as I might have been the last one he talked to. Yet I am so grateful, that I have got that chance to give him a strong fresh confirmation of love, so he could leave this world knowing, that he made a great unforgettable impact on many of us and feeling, that he is living in our hearts. I spent time searching in my unorganized archive and found few tapes with live recordings from our concerts together. Strongly motivated to cherish Anton's memory, I finally learned how to digitalize the old cassette tapes, which opens new world of possibilities to me... This recording is far from perfect, one of those spontaneous musical meetings.... Was it not for Anton and my wish to let his fantastic sound live on, I would most probably not post it. But some might be happy out there to hear Anton's Kodaly, beautiful, raw and alive as it was..... There is also a tiny little section of music missing in the beggining of last movement, not due to our spontaneity this time, but due to changing the tapes sides on the old recorder. Big thanks to dear Richard Kontra, who provided me with this sweet photo of his beloved father. Zoltan Kodaly Duo for Violin and Cello Op.7 1. Allegro serioso, non troppo 2. Adagio 3. Maestoso e largamente, ma non troppo lento - Presto Anton Kontra violin & Michaela Fukacova cello live recording from a concert in Denmark 1996