The most prominent summer masterclass of Central-Eastern Europe re-opened!
Please follow the events on our blog!

 August 2 - 16, 2010    Sárospatak, Hungary 

August 15, 2010

And here we go…the last day of the Institute finally – and unfortunately – came. The excitement was tangible: the two final concerts, the Gala concert and the Final Concert of the Symphony Orchestra took place. At 2 pm the youth section presented the fruit of their work and at 4 pm we were given a rich presentation of the student’s two-week best production. We heard really outstanding piano, violin, clarinet, flute, cello and singing performances  (Puccini “Che gelida manina”). The price of the Zemplén Festival (and the Interkultur Hungaria Kht.) – that means the already mentioned invitation – own concert – at the next year’s festival – was shared between three participants : Lívia Duleba flautist, Ádám Szokolay phenomenal, 14 years old pianist and Máté Gál tenor. Máté also received an invitation to sing in a Puccini opera together with the Budafoki Dohnányi Ernő Symphony Orchestra in May next year at the Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája) in Budapest .
The concert atmosphere continued – as at 8 pm the very last concert with the orchestra started: we could here for the very first time Peter Bannister English composer‘s symphonic piece entitled “Hermosura de Dios”, featuring Andrea Meláth, the  excellent mezzo-soprano. Peter was inspired by five poems of a sixteenth-century Spanish poetess, Saint Teresa from Avila. The piece’s profoundness and melancholy is thought-provoking, its translated version into Hungarian – distributed as a handout – helped a lot to get the meaning, just as the expression of God’s  beauty (this is the title) by the means of rimes and poetic tropes full of emotions did.  Besides the premiere the orchestra played Mozart‘s Ave Verum Corpus (with a choir), a Kellog piece and Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony Op.2. – each gloriuously, grandiously, in perfect syntony, simply as these pieces deserve it.
Late in the night at the informal closing event – where among others we thanked all the participants, faculty and staff members – the music and celebration went on, what is more, we also had dance, this time all in folk style…and from time to time -  not forgetting what an Institute we are – some more or less spontaneous opera scenes.

Lets meet in an almost-a-year, in July, 2011, at the 8th Crescendo!

August 14, 2010

On this Saturday, we could look forward to really high quality programs. Besides the section concert we enjoyed the opera scenes performances of our young singers – namely those of Angela Ceban, Jeffrey Bell, Otilia Berbeci, Rab Gyula, Hisako Kishida, Tamás Tarjányi, Tim Gemesi, Vörös Szilvia, Alina Barlescu, Christine Houlette, Melinda Szente, Orsolya Ambrus and Máté Gál. The students gave evidence not only of their masterly singing knowledge, but also of their confidence on stage, versatility, acting skills, and even their obvious sense of humor – making the audience sometimes laugh, sometimes cry, just as it was necessary. Besides the Italian material – Ariodante, L’elisir d’amore, La sonnambula, Cosi’ fan tutte – they presented German as well– Humperdink‘s “Hansel und Gretel”, or the illustrious “Escape from the Serai”. The least‘s closing aria of four – „Ach, Belmonte“ – received a particularly big applause  - meritedly! – just as the aria of the two poor little siblings lost in the forest.
Soon after the uplifting concert those interested could participate in the lecture of the Dutch music historian Marcel S. Zwitzer on Johann Sebastian Bach’s life
and more. Zwitzer’s conception was unique and impressive: first the participants listened to one of Bach’s Chorales – the one in which Jesus‘ prayer he gave us, the Our Father comes to life –, then Marcel presented his perspicacious analysis. The historian spoke about each musical phrase with such circumstantiality and gave an in-depth explanation to each of them that the question occured: how did he get these extremely precise information? The answer is, however, rather simple: the great composer’s personal Bible was found and they also found his notes and comments in it! When after all this the participants listened to the piece for the second time, it gave a totally different impression. The best proof of this was the obviuously perplexed yet fully convinced nod of László Fassang organist as an answer to the question whether he was going to change anything in his play.

August 13, 2010

Crescendo is an „Institute of the Arts“ – and not by chance not only a classical music one: besides Stefan Tramer visual artist (painter) and Tina Bailey dance choreographer/artist who came to teach for the whole length of the institute, at the morning chapel we had the chance to have a talk with two young yet experienced visual artists: Eszter Deli and Dóra Votin painters. They brought a taste of their works – that during the years changed and matured a lot: Eszter brought photos which got the title „sacral blog“: their conception is reflecting the simple street ambience while highlighting one detail and restructuring in this way the relationship between sacral and prophan. She brought us two of her paintings as well which fit perfectly with the photo series by their theme and atmosphere – she painted them after an uneasy period of her life which made her digging back to the foundations and changing at the same time the way she approached her artistic message.
Dóra started to deal with Hungarian folk motifs and their possible forms of representation a couple of years ago – we can admire them on her paintings she brought. These patterns, symbols – just as in the music thank to Bartók’s collections and pieces – express our Hungarian spirit, way of thinking and identity.
With this very day the chain of concerts concluding the two weeks and presenting the talent and growth of the aspiring students started. We had right away two of them – at the same time, 5 pm, so a decision was needed to be made. At the first concert twenty-two performers played and it lasted three hours – to not bring shame to its nature, it was simply entitled „Piano marathon“, – therefore those who also wanted to see the other one – the Organ and Chamber Music Concert – could enjoy that program without problems. We could muse on the play of the young flautist Eszter Erényi who played the Allegro maestoso from Mercadante Concerto in E minor technically really fine : despite her young age she pays  a lot of attention to the dynamics, but of course the way the piece corresponds to her character implicitly helped the performance. Georgios Zaimis – one of the two students from Greece – made the organ sound appropriately to its majesty and massiveness. Yes, certainly he played  Bach, two chorale preludes, one Frescobaldi and one Pachelbel. The clarinet quintet’s piece came to life through the instruments of Eva Janigova (first violin), Diana Marola (second violin), Tabea Kaempf (viola), Oana Postolache (cello) és Dmitry Romanov (clarinet), in a fully „Mozart“ style – sparkling, delicate, playful.
A novel could be written about the Piano marathon. Especially if we look at the technical side: the performers one and all – from the youngest to the oldest – demonstrated virtuosity and lifted up our spirit. While the Asian trio‘s – Rio Watanabe, Trang Mai Trinh and Atsuko Ota – play’s precision and nearly perfection is incontestable, Sámuel Tóth‘s, Silvie Náhlá’s or Polina Kulikova’s fragile art and their identification with the piece (Liszt’s Tarantella, Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau or Chopin’s Nocturne in B-flat minor) comes out with a gentle force that moves the audience. This gains particularly meaning if we meditate a bit on the words pronounced by Endre Hegedűs piano section leader that underline the common approach of all teachers: an approach that wanted rather than give a two-week hard training to show the students the possibilities and aspects of spirituality within the piano performance. And there is no doubt about the obtained result.

Beat’s “Music and Poetry” lecture that was the second part of the last week’s “Music and Text” lecture, started today at 17 pm. The participants after listening to Beat’s soul-revealing poems shared their related thoughts and ideas, while our Russian musicians – Ivan Duknych, Olga Ponomareva and Polina Kulikova – offered musical accompaniement making clear that these two branches of art are more closely connected than anybody has ever thought.
By nighttime, after 10 pm, we had the chance to worship in a candle- (or torch-)lit setting on the courtyard of the Collegium which compared to the other concerts or even rehearsals was a much more relaxed and less formal program – obviously, the professional level and musical profile was different, it was lighter and more spontaneous. Yet many people gathered and while standing or sitting, praised the Creator for all they received, understood or experienced here at the Institute or in general in their lives, encouraging those still doubtful or fearsome. Everybody could also ask for and get a prayer, a new impulse for the remaining few but still the most important days.

August 11, 2010.

Probably many of you know that the Zemplén Festival (www.zemplenfestival.hu) gives every year the opportunity of an individual concert to a talented student chosen by the jury: it figures under the name „Festival prize“. Last year right two young students were granted this honour: Dalma Krajnyák opera-student and Oana Zamfir young pianist. Dalma (born in Miskolc, Hungary) is a mezzo-soprano who handles her voice skillfully, she is capable of captivating and enchanting her audience. Last year she studied at the staff pianist of the Venetian La Fenice Opera House with an Erasmus scholarship and from autumn she will pursue her studies at the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Her today’s repertoire was composed of English, Italian, German and French arias, recitatives and church pieces. Her rather deeper voice fit very well with Händel‘s “Lord, to Thee” from Theodora with the “Where shall I fly” from Hercules, or the “Di tanti palpiti” from Rossini’s Tancredi. We are talking about difficult voice pieces the fences of which she jumped easily: she regulates her voice well during the vibratos and despite not being a soprano, higher registers don‘t cause any problems for her.   It can’t surprise us if we take into consideration that what she fancies is – besides baroque music – the late romantic German Lied and the bel canto. Her interpretation of two short German pieces – one Mahler and one Brahms lied – was also smooth, and we cannot forget Thomas Mignon‘s „Connais-tu“ aria neither.  
Her co-performer and „co-winner“, Oana accompanied her on piano, but she also revealed her emotive, stirring play that could particularly show up in the 20 minutes long Brahms Piano Pieces op. 118. Playing Scriabin’s Etude (Op. 42 No. 5) she gave evidence of her masterful technique – and that it’s not by chance she received a scholarship of the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and performed – besides her country, Romania – in the United States, Italy, and Austria.
The play of our two artists stole everybody’s heart and the hardly forgettable evening was completed by the deep and meaningful conversation with a part of the Summer Institute’s faculty. Pointing to the fact that all fantastic performances are good for nothing if practiced for one’s own sake.

August 10, 2010

Once upon a time, there was a 18 years old enthusiastic opera singer. He was living his life in a far country (from the European point of view it is, definitely) and wanted to come to Europe, behind the iron curtain to serve the gospel, because he knew that in the countries which were ruled by communism it was more difficult for the people to listen freely to the Christian message and practice their faith without any fear.
That’s how „Timothy’s story“ and the story of the Summer Institute of the Arts starts.   I was really interested in how he finally got to come to Hungary, so I asked him to share the details with us.
„As a youngster I was thinking about becoming an opera singer and a spy at the same time. I dreamed about going to Russia and after the performance I would clandestinely give Bibles to my colleagues. That’s how I imagined to be on a mission“ says laughing.
For quite a long time nothing happened, but once the phone rang: he got an invitation for giving a performance in Russia! At the St. Petersburg concert he sang – among others – a spiritual that touched so much the people that he knew he had something to do in these countries. In the U.S. he never experienced such a feedback..
And how come that country happened to be right Hungary?
„It is easy“ he said, „I prayed and I simply felt I had to come here, so I bought the plane ticket. Of course, at the beginning it wasn’t easy at all. When I arrived I didn’t know anybody.“ Since then, years passed and not only Timothy got to know Hungary and the people living here much better, but Hungary and the people got to know Timothy.
Besides numerous concerts he had the chance to share his faith – sometimes simply during a chat with his colleagues, but from time to time he also organized a festival with the support of other artists. His desire was fulfilled: he became an opera singer who serves God through and at his job.
Not so much later, he got the idea of establishing a professional summer institute that would be more than a simple master course. Does it sound familiar? This idea is only at seven years distance from 2010, and plenty of excellent courses, programs, concerts we are experiencing at this year’s Institute as well.  

To speak also about today’s programs: we welcomed Máté Hollós composer who came to hold his one-day course, where the students – mainly the children – could meet him in person and play his pieces in his presence.   
Later in the evening we took part in a – both musically and spiritually – touching event: the Creative Church which started at 8 pm. Timothy shared God’s message with us and the music pieces were played by Sweetlana Meermann (piano), Jeffrey Powers (french horn), Eszter Dudás (viola), Attila Füzesséry (violin), Csilla Sallai Dominkó (cello), István Dominkó (piano), Beáta Trubin (voice) and Péter Bozi (voice).   
The service included various branches of art: music, visual art, literature-writing – and gave possibility to everyone to communicate with the Creator through all these ways, give expression to one‘s state of mind and react.
Besides classical pieces the small chamber orchestra played a couple of worship songs as well – and the gathered people joined gladly.

August 7, 2010.

Today we had a wonderful chamber music concert - performed by the children, who Csilla Dominko and Isvan and also Beáta Trubin practiced and worked with - along with a teacher/volunteer ’aperitivo’ in the garden. Besides, everybody had to continue practicing, of course. The young artists did a great job on the concert even though they were nervous, which is absolutly understandable because this was their first performance during the Institute. The garden-party at night created the mood for the next day which was going to be a very refreshing one, whether you choose to be an active or a passive participant.

6 August 2010
 
Today we hosted Zemplén TV! They visited several lessons to record some snapshots. First of all we went to see the orchestra rehearsal conducted by Delta David Gier. They were right in the middle of Beethoven’s /IV. (B major) symphony, op. 60/: that is the piece they are performing – with two others – on the 15th of August at the final concert. Delta David obviously knows how – in all senses – to syntonize a group of musicians the members of which only a couple of days ago were totally unknown to each other.Then we popped into the lesson of Ellen Rose for five minutes where we could see a Polish violin student learning a new piece. Gergely Kaposi we „caught” leading his conducting course in the Summer Institute, he also gave us a brief interview. Kaposi is the conductor of the Hungarian National State Opera, from 1997 also the chief of the Music Academy’s Orchestra. After that we crossed the street to enter the Refomed Chuch to enjoy the organ lesson given by László Fasang who – beside of his excellent knowledge of the classical repertoire – is not afraid of the world of improvisation and jazz. Meanwhile, in the prayer room nearby, we managed to immortalize  Erika Dallos staff pianist’s work with three – Hungarian, Romanian and American girl opera students. One of the singers from Romania sang so impressively that we had to urge the cameraman to stop recording, as we had to rush to the next venue, where we were invited to observe the lesson of Timothy Bench. Timothy is exigent and perfectionist, but at the same time cares about each student with unique attention, which helps creating a special interpersonal bond, reaching beyond the simple teacher-student relationship.
Before the five o’clock concert we had the opportunity to record a quick talk with Tamás Tarjányi actor and opera student, who studies in Vienna, and who has visited the Crescendo Summer Institute several times so far. This year, moreover, he is also leading a small group. He himself performed at the concert, along with a couple of other musicians. The greatest sensation at the concert was Ádám Szokolay, a very young (only 14!) pianist, who played two Chopin pieces with such outstanding talent that someone simply called him „young Mozart” after the performance.
If this all was not yet sufficient for someone, there was a candle-lit worship in the schoolyard, where the TV did not participate any more. Timothy gave a spontaneous concert here. This was, of course, not preorganized, so only those socializing after the small group meetings could see him under the arches. The audience was probably a lot bigger though, considering his voice flying far away.

August 5, 2010

Today's highlight - because of the "concert-off day" - was Beat Rink's and Martin Helmchen's lecture held in the Chapel entitled "Music and Text". Many of you might know that Beat  - besides being the founder of Crescendo - is also a writer, and Martin is a pianist. They organized a common afternoon program: Beat read aloud from his own writings and Martin accompanied him on piano. The whole lecture was held in German since it would have been impossible to translate all the linguistic jokes that Beat used in his aforisms (e.g.:"Je älter das Ego, desto jünger das alter Ego."). This was the reason why only those participated who speak or at least understand German. Our translaters could enjoy a bit of rest or they could work elsewhere. The Institute participants come from numerous countries so translation is needed very often - not only during the "plenaries", but also for individual classes. The common language is usually English, but what happens if somebody doesn't speak it well or all the translators are busy? I asked, for instance, Koji Okazaki, Japanese bassoon teacher's students how  they manage to communicate since I didn't see anybody helping him. The answer I received was the following: "Well, Benedek - one of the students - can speak German and he translates for us."
It seems when it comes to playing music, everybody unites. Well, as it can also be seen from this situation, Crescendo is definitely more than music.

“Music is for glorifying God and for refreshing the soul” – were Bach’s words. In the first two weeks of August the town of Sarospatak will yet again have the opportunity to have such an experience. Crescendo Summer Institute, which is taking place for the seventh time in the historical town,  officially started yesterday evening with its Opening Ceremony.

 
By teaching almost 200 young artists coming from 25 different countries to participate in the course, excellent artists contribute to the event with their fine personalities as well as their exceptional professional knowledge. Amond many Tünde Szabóki, Andrea Meláth and Timothy Bentch opera singers or László Fassang organist can be found among the teachers of the Institute as well as Julian Poore trumpetist, Delta David Gier, one of the conductors of the New York Philharmonic and Martin Helmchen pianist.
 
Crescendo Summer Intitute of the Arts is aiming at discovering exceptional talents and helping them to become real artists, meaning thereby professional excellence as well as real art which creates such things that have a positive effect on society.  

In the next two weeks the sounds of violin, flute, piano, several other instruments and singing will be heard among the walls of the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church. Those who visit Sarospatak can attend a number of free concerts between the 9th and 15th of August. After the course not only the participants, but all the passers-by can find out whether Bach was right or not…  

                          Download                                                              Download