By Damián Autorino
Editor at Moto Perpetuo
LINES OF LIFE, SCHUBERT & KURTAG l BENJAMIN APPL
György Kurtág l Pierre Laurent Aimard l James Baillieu
Alpha (Released February 14, 2025)
To listen, click here
This album is many things at once. First and foremost, it is an artistic and philosophical dialogue between two musicians from vastly different generations. Benjamin Appl has been working closely with György Kurtág since 2018, when the composer selected him to perform his “Hölderlin-Gesänge,” a song cycle for baritone. This marked the beginning of an intense and demanding artistic collaboration, in which Kurtág’s wife, Marta (who passed away in 2019), was also deeply involved. In the booklet accompanying the album, Appl describes meeting “Uncle Yuri” — as Kurtág is affectionately known in Hungary — as one of the greatest gifts of his life.
He also recounts the rigorous and meticulous working process that Kurtág demands for the performance of his music: “We often work on one bar for hours, and he interrupts me as I take a breath before I have even started to sing,” Appl recalls.
The result of these years of collaboration is this album, with its central focus on the “Hölderlin-Gesänge,” a collection of brief yet intricate pieces set to the poetry of Friedrich Hölderlin (with the final song based on a text by Paul Celan that references Hölderlin). These miniatures are written for unaccompanied voice, except for one, where a tuba and a trombone make a sudden and striking appearance.
The “Hölderlin-Gesänge” are technically demanding, full of subtle nuances. Their brevity belies an extraordinary density, where every note, every inflection, every gesture is essential. Appl not only showcases his impressive baritone range but also demonstrates a profound understanding of the music and its meaning. The meticulous preparation he describes in his text is evident throughout.
Interwoven with these miniatures are Schubert songs, handpicked by Kurtág to create a dialogue with his own compositions. The result is both a contrast and a natural flow between two musical worlds. James Baillieu accompanies Appl on piano for the Schubert selections.
The album opens with another a cappella work by Kurtág, “Circumdederunt,” based on two psalms. Originally composed for cello, Kurtág later arranged it for solo voice, revealing the deep connection between his music and Gregorian chant.
Following the alternation between “Hölderlin-Gesänge” and Schubert’s songs, the album continues with four pieces for voice and piano, set to poems by Ulrike Schuster. Here, Appl is accompanied by Pierre-Laurent Aimard, a longtime friend and artistic collaborator of Kurtág.
The album concludes with Schubert’s “Der Jüngling an der Quelle” and Brahms’s “Sonntag,” with none other than Kurtág himself at the piano. As a special addition, the album includes an interview in German, conducted by Appl with Kurtág, with an English translation provided in the exceptionally detailed and thoughtfully crafted booklet.
At the beginning of this review, I mentioned that this album is many things. Among them, it is a tribute from Appl to this remarkable 99-year-old artist, perhaps the most important living composer today. A man who, at his advanced age, remains as active as ever, premiering operas and composing new pieces from the sanctuary of his home studio in Budapest.
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