#musical-interpretation

#musical-interpretation

In the sonata's opening Allegro vivace, he's far less headstrong than, for example, Alfred Brendel or Radu Lupu, but notably more flexible—daringly so at times. Measured phrases are shaded with supple rubato, the line enlivened with tiny dynamic emphases. The expressive slow movement, laced with musical question marks, exudes a calm benevolence.

I was immediately struck by his magnetic intensity, his fierce passion for music and his unique way of speaking English—punctuated by frequent utterances of er-er-er. Many years later, Kurtag was to tell me: 'Stuttering is my natural mode of expression.' He and Marta simply embodied—he still embodies—music. I had never met anyone to whom each note mattered so much.