Ildikó Rozsonits Piano Recital

Ildikó Rozsonits is one of the outstanding artists of the youngest generation of Hungarian pianists. She has been studying at the Liszt Academy since the age of ten and is currently a pupil of Gábor Farkas, the university’s rector. Liszt’s oeuvre is of great importance to her; indeed, she has compiled the programme for this matinee concert exclusively from his compositions. The virtuoso etude Chasse-neige (Snowstorm), the final of Liszt’s Transcendental Étude evokes the terrifying power of nature and man’s vulnerability in the relentless fury of a snowstorm. This is followed by two Petrarch Sonnets, portraying two contrasting aspects of love: passionate longing filled with inner conflict, and an idealised, uplifting vision of devotion. In contrast, the Tarantella celebrates the irresistible energy and exuberant spirit of southern Italy’s famous folk dance. The second half of the concert gradually takes on a more profound character. Liszt’s piano transcription of Wagner’s Isolde’s Liebestod depicts the ultimate fulfilment of love, where love and death become inseparable. Funérailles serves as a powerful musical memorial to the martyrs of the Hungarian War of Independence. The recital concludes with the monumental Dante Sonata, one of Liszt’s greatest masterpieces for piano. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, the work traces the journey of the human soul from suffering, through hope, to spiritual purification.