Snétberger:Hallgató,CD

On Hallgató, recorded live in the Great Hall of the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Ferenc Snétberger and the Keller Quartet, Hungary's outstanding guitarist and renowned string quartet, can be heard both together and separately in a diverse yet organically unfolding program featuring compositions by Snétberger, Shostakovich, John Dowland, and Samuel Barber. Snétberger's guitar concerto 'In Memory of My People', dedicated to his Sinti and Roma ancestors, is a powerful and spirited piece that serves both as a lament and a tribute. Shostakovich's 8th String Quartet, also dedicated to the victims of war, is performed by the Keller Quartet with impressive sensitivity. Subtle arrangements of John Dowland bring Snétberger together with the Keller Quartet in 'I saw my lady weep' and in 'Flow, my tears' with cellist László Fenyö. The Keller Quartet interprets the yearning Molto adagio from Samuel Barber's String Quartet op. 11, while Snétberger offers a glimmer of hope with the delicate solo guitar piece 'Your Smile'. The concluding 'Rhapsody 1', featuring Snétberger and a string quintet, is a new arrangement of a work that Ferenc originally wrote for a film project about the Roma. This is a multifaceted album connected by thematic threads. It was recorded in December 2018 and produced by Manfred Eicher.