Zoltán Kodály Piano Works

Profil Hänssler &Naxos

Release Date-September 2011

I was introduced to the music of Kodaly by my late teacher György Sebök. During my studies with him for 4 and a half years, I had the privilage to hear and play the music of Zoltan Kodaly. Although I was not as familiar with Kodaly's music as I was Bartok's, I did have some education in Kodaly’s music method growing up in the UK. The name was not unfamiliar and I was intrigued by his music. The piano works are less often played compared with the orchestral and choral works, and the sonata for solo cello. I took the time to look through various works and it took several years to come up with the works on the CD.

About György Sebök (from the CD notes)

I met Mr Sebök when I was 18. For the next 4 years he was my teacher, life and inspiration. I moved to Bloomington Indiana from London to study with him at Indiana University. The change of environment was rather extreme after growing up in a busy European city. Very quickly Mr Sebök’s teaching studio became the place where I felt at home. It was a piece of Europe in a big American university with a small dark lamp and the room was always filled with the smell of cigarette smoke. I was his youngest student at the time and he often told me about the tough education he received at my age at the Liszt Academy with his teachers Kodaly and Weiner. During my studies he frequently described the Hungarian music as being a language, and introduced me to a stratosphere of understanding for music of Bartok and Kodaly. He said I cannot ‚learn’ or ‚try to understand’ their music but instead, I have to “become” their music. He often spoke to me in Hungarian, although I did not understand a word, and played me simple folk music from various regions. He also described the Hungarian landscapes, the people, the food, and the weather. The images were beautiful, I finally visited Hungary in 2010 for the first time.

One day he told me a story about Bartok. 42 years after his death his ashes were returned to Hungary and were taken on a train traveling across Hungary. At every village there was a choir singing the traditional song of its village. Some ashes would be shed at each of these stops until the train completed its journey across the country.

Mr Sebok added that at the age of 77 he has done everything he dreamed of but that he missed was his homeland. He was happy for Bartok that his ashes were returned home after so many years. A few weeks later on November 14thh 1999 Mr Sebök passed way. He was on tour in Europe and made an early return to Bloomington due to illlness. It all happened suddenly and nobody was ready for his departure. It felt like music had stopped in Bloomington. After a very long time, the sadness turned into gratefulness and happiness that my life was touched by such a musician.

On his 75th birthday, he gave a speech. In this speech he said that his job as a teacher is to light the candles and whether or not the candles stay lit or not he cannot know or decide. Recording this CD of Kodaly’s piano works filled my heart with so many of the special memories, thoughts and times I shared over the years with Mr Sebök. I am most grateful to the Hänssler Label and RBB for making this production possible.