Izabella Simon and Dénes Várjon are the artistic leaders of 'kamara.hu', an international chamber music festival held annually at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest since 2015.
Interpretation
The pianists chose to perform Beethoven's Great Fugue on one piano, despite its difficulty, to preserve the "constant struggle" that is essential to its psychological element.
Critical Reception
Beethoven's Great Fugue was controversial upon its release, with some critics labeling it a "confusion of Babel" or "indecipherable, uncorrected horror music."
Performer Biography
Pianists Izabella Simon and Dénes Várjon, a married couple, consider chamber music their "daily bread" and do not differentiate between solo and chamber music.
Performer Biography
Izabella Simon and Dénes Várjon were both students of György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados at the Liszt Academy of Music, who taught them at the highest international standards.
Composition History
Robert Schumann composed his Six Canonic Etudes, Op. 56, for pedal piano (Pedalflügel), a hybrid instrument combining a grand piano and a church organ.
Composition History
Beethoven's Great Fugue was originally intended as the finale for his String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130, but was later published separately as Opus 133.
