Zsigmond Szathmáry

Mosaic Pictures

The powerful intensity of colour and expressiveness of the mosaic images in the apse and altar area of the late antique church of San Vitale (from the 6th century) in Ravenna made a lasting impression on Zsigmond Szathmáry. The fascination of how imposing images emerge from tiny, luminous mosaic cubes and vividly tell the biblical stories inspired the composer to write his piano piece: "In my composition, I tried to follow this path: to organise the smallest coloured and angular glass cubes – that is, the smallest coloured and angular musical miniature events – in such a way that they constantly grow and finally culminate in a tangible musical statement." Despite this seemingly archaic procedure, the composer wants his piece to be understood as a continuation of the virtuoso piano music tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. The "Mosaikbilder “ (Mosaic Pictures) are dedicated to the great Hungarian pianist Zsoltán Kocsis, for whom they were written in 2012.