György Kurtág is one of today’s preeminent living composers. Born in Rumania and educated in Hungary, he is, along with Ligeti, the spiritual successor to Bartók. For the last four decades, Kurtág has also been committed to transcribing early music into arrangements for piano four hands and two pianos, especially the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The composer himself and his wife Marta often perform these inventive transcriptions. Both in their 80s, the couple recently gave their Carnegie hall debut performing Kurtág’s original piano music interspersed with Bach transcriptions. The selections on today’s program are originally chorale preludes for organ, O Lamb of God all holy, and In deep distress I cry to thee. Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia
Classical Music | Music for Duo
Johann Sebastian Bach
Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 687 Play
Recorded on 07/27/2012, uploaded on 02/09/2012
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
György Kurtág is one of today’s preeminent living composers. Born in Rumania and educated in Hungary, he is, along with Ligeti, the spiritual successor to Bartók. For the last four decades, Kurtág has also been committed to transcribing early music into arrangements for piano four hands and two pianos, especially the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The composer himself and his wife Marta often perform these inventive transcriptions. Both in their 80s, the couple recently gave their Carnegie hall debut performing Kurtág’s original piano music interspersed with Bach transcriptions. The selections on today’s program are originally chorale preludes for organ, O Lamb of God all holy, and In deep distress I cry to thee. Stephanie Ho and Saar Ahuvia
More music by Johann Sebastian Bach
English Suite No. 2 in a minor, BWV 807
French Suite No 6 in E major BWV 817
Prelude in b minor
Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 894
Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659
English Suite No. 2 in a minor, BWV 807
Well Tempered Clavier - Prelude 1
Italian concerto, BWV 971
Prelude and Fugue in E Major from Well-Tempered Clavier Book II
g-minor Violin Sonata - Presto
Performances by same musician(s)
Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 30, D617
The Shrovetide Fair from Petrouchka
Scherzo from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
"God's time is the best of times"
From A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Moravian Folk Dances
The Pursuite, from The Adventures of Korzinkina
Two Waltzes from Op. 39
Corrente III (arr. Kurtág)
Spanish Dance No. 2 from "La Vida breve"
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
Courtesy of International Music Foundation.