Roland Szentpali

Illustrations

Roland Szentpali composed the three movements of Illustrations between October 7 and 10, 2017, while in Switzerland. The individual movements drew their inspiration from the poems of the Hungarian writer, Attila Jozsef (1905-1937), whose destiny was tragic. The horn and piano are treated as equal partners, and together they exude an extraordinary dramatic and emotional intensity through Szentpali's subtle and captivating use of style and language.
In the first two movements,1. Munkashalal (A Worker's Death), and 2. Kis Asszonyom (My Little Lady), the piano offers densely textured harmonic and melodic sequences over which the ample voice of the horn soars.
In the last movement, Perc (A Minute), the Hungarian soul emerges with an extremely dynamic virtuosity.
Roland Szentpali: ' My friendship with the horn player Andràs Kovalcsik dates back to tour student time at the Budapest Bartok Conservatory. I had composed a piece with the same title, and when he recently asked me to write the set piece for the 2018 Hungarian National Horn Competition, I took a look at the 'old' version and felt that I could now rewrite it quite differently inspired by the same poems.'