Score and parts in preparation

Növények (2020–22)
Seven Hungarian Poems for mezzo soprano and piano sextet

1. Kertész leszek (József)
2. Gyökér (Radnóti)
3. Százszorszépet ont a rét (Weöres)
4. Az ág (Weöres)
5. Galagonya (Weöres)
6. Hosszú a virágfüzér (Weöres)
7. Erdő sűrüjében (Orbán)

Növények are settings of seven poems by four great Hungarian poets: Attila József (1905-1937), Miklós Radnóti (1909-1944), Sándor Weöres (1913-1989) and Otto Orbán (1936-2002). The word Növények means plants, but with the sense of ‘things that grow’ rather than ‘things that are stuck in the ground’. All the poems use botanical images as metaphors for aspects of the human condition. The metaphor is particularly direct in the case of Radnóti, who was murdered by Hungarian troops loyal to the Nazis. His last poems, including ‘Gyökér’, were found in a notebook in his coat pocket when his body was exhumed over a year later.

Thomas Adès

The poems – four by Sándor Weöres, the others by Attila József, Miklós Radnóti and Ottó Orbán – all use botanical imagery to mirror aspects of human life, and Adès gives them fabulously varied musical frames, full of magical harmonic sleights of hand and glistening textural effects, for Károlyi’s impeccable, compelling delivery.

Guardian (Andrew Clements), 28 November 2022