Polgar, Eva -& Sandor Valy-
Die Toteninsel
A noteworthy release of Sándor Vály's fictional reconstruction of the lost opera 'Die Toteninsel'. Collaborating with pianist and composer Eva Polgár, Vály explores the meanings embedded in the libretto published in the aftermath of World War I in 1919. The original score for Karl Georg Zwerenz's (1874-1933) libretto was composed by Jenö Zádor (1894-1977). The opera was performed just once. After its premiere at the Hungarian Royal Opera House in 1928, Zádor's score disappeared without a trace. In the hands of Vály and Polgár, the multifaceted libretto and the lost music lends itself to Dadaist interpretation. Their minimalist and avant-garde take on the text reflects the misunderstandings, mishearings, accents and lingual distortions that are characteristic of our day and age. Vály and Polgár add a new link to the continuum of interpretations that have stemmed from the painting that was admired by the likes of Freud, Lenin, Dalí and Hitler. The CD includes a 100-page booklet.