Master and Apprentice

Concert by Liszt Prize–winning violinist Ferenc Szecsődi and the Benedekfi brothers.

Even after nearly 100 performances on their highly successful nationwide tour, the performers remain committed to the same goal: introducing audiences to the joyful and humorous side of classical music. Alongside the violin and piano, the concert features instruments rarely heard in a symphony orchestra, such as bird whistles, sleigh bells, whips, ratchets, wooden drums, maracas, crystal glasses, and even a woodpecker effect — all presented in a playful and entertaining spirit.

The carefully structured performance is made truly engaging by the outstanding artistic quality of the interpretations. The musicians perform every piece from memory and provide brief introductions to the works. As Frigyes Karinthy famously wrote in his autobiography: “When it comes to humor, I know no joking.” But how does humor find its way into music? To quote Leonard Bernstein: “…the simplest way music entertains is by imitating nature. It is the oldest way of making people laugh — through the imitation of things and people.”

The most important principle of the performance is that, despite the jokes and comic elements, the integrity of the music must never be compromised — otherwise it would become mere clowning. Popular musicians often call us classical performers “sad musicians.” This concert is the perfect opportunity to prove the opposite and invite the audience to laugh wholeheartedly throughout the evening.

Organizer: Hungarian Academy of Arts, Section of Music
Photo: Dóra Fenyvesi