Five chamber music works by Máté Bella have been published in recent months, which prove their author’s sensitivity to small forms and the diversity of his writing, which finds a free transition among different styles. One of these, Beneath the Starry Sky, was praised by John Corigliano: “It is heartwarming to hear such a full lyrical voice. You are always interesting, and very moving in your work.”
The Butterfly’s Dream
cello & piano
12’
This early composition, written in 2005, is based on Lőrinc Szabó’s poem, Dsuang Dsi’s Dream. The duet of cello and piano pendulates between dream and reality, formulating the same musical thoughts first in a slow march proceeding towards ecstasy, and then in a dizzying perpetuum mobile.
Phantasm
flute & piano
5’
The composition was written in 2013 at a commission of flutist Rebeka Kruchió. Máté Bella, as in many of his other works, examines here the possibilities of the transition between noises made by musical instruments and musical sounds. At the climax of the piece, the flutist blows the syllables of the name RE-BE-KA into the instrument.
Beneath the Starry Sky
bassoon, cello (or 2 cellos) & piano
7’
In 2020, a renowned architect approached the composer to create a work for his daughter’s wedding. The composition subtly alludes to the occasion: against the background of the piano, a duet of two instruments tells the story of a serene love in a way reminiscent of barcarolas sung by Venetian gondoliers.
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TITAN
bass tuba & piano
5’
Titan was written during the summer of 2021, at a commission of Roland Szentpáli. The piece aims to show the virtuoso side of the bass tuba, neither underestimating the possibilities of the instrument nor exaggerating the otherwise exciting effects the instrument is capable of.
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Aeolus
string quartet
9’
The composition was written in 2021 for a thematic program of Studio 5 that revolved around how contemporary composers relate to Hungarian folk music. The chosen folk song stems from Mezőség, a forestless hilly area bordered by rivers in the Transylvanian Basin. The arrangement for string quartet follows the interpretation of Ágnes Herczku, including the singer’s characteristic ornamentations. The piece is framed by fictitious scenario of lying in the field listening to the blowing of the wind, which “blows” the folk song into our ears by means of flageolet sounds. The title of the composition alludes to Aeolus, a Greek god of winds.
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