At the beginning of the nineteen fifties, the bridge between Štúrovo (Slovakia) and Esztergom (Hungary) was in ruins. It was almost impossible for relatives and friends on each side of the Danube to get in touch or communicate. People would go down to the river, mostly on windless evenings, to talk to each other. The water carried the sound of short messages, often encoded, to the other bank half a kilometre away.
The AquaPhone performance refers to this phenomenon, honouring all the lives whose secrets had at one time been entrusted to the Danube, recalling this testimony of people's yearning to talk together, and of their inventive genius bridging borders and distances under difficult conditions.
Alfred Zimmerlin and Markus Eichenberger took up the idea of Hanneke Frühauf and created a musical improvisation on the text for four persons written by Ilma Rakusa. The text will be read by speakers on both sides of the Danube and crossing it in the original German language and in Slovak and Hungarian translation. It will be accompanied by improvisations on cello and clarinet by the Swiss musicians.
In the supporting programme is the XIIth Bridge Guard Book Festival with participation of publishers from Slovakia, Hungary, and Germany. The event starts the Transart Communication project with an international performance on the Maria Valeria Bridge and in the pedestrian street. In the Bridge Guard residence, the 43rd bridge guard Leah Lovett from London will provide an insight in the works produced in Štúrovo. Tomáš Baka will present his just published book Štúrovo – Párkány. Máté Méri will read his text that won the Creative Writing Workshop in 2017. Mila Haugová will moderate a discussion with Ilma Rakusa. Máté Szabó improvises with electronic music. After the AquaPhone performance a jazz concert with Trio Hodek will conclude the day.
Contributors
Ilma Rakusa
Writer, translator, literary scholar. Born 1946 in Rimavská Sobota (SK) into a Slovenian-Hungarian family. Since 1951 lives in Zürich (CH). Studied Slavonic studies and Romance philology in Zürich, Paris and Leningrad. Her stories, lyrics and essay have been published in French, Russian, Hungarian, Serbian-Croatian, Swedish and Japanese translations. Ilma Rakusa received numerous awards among them the Swiss Book Award 2009 for her autobiography.
László Márton
Writer, playwright, translator and essayist. Born 1959 in Budapest (HU). Studies German, Hungarian and Sociology at the University Eötvös Lóránd in Budapest. Publishes numerous novels, stories, essays, and translations.
Mila Haugová
Poet and translator. Born in 1942 in Budapest (HU), lives in Bratislava (SK). She was 1986-1996 editor of the literature magazine „Romboid“. Many of her nearly two dozen poetry volumes published in Slovakian language are translated in English, French, German, Russian and Polish.
Transart Communication is an international contemporary event that celebrates its 30th anniversary. On this occasion a Performance Boat will travel from Budapest to Bratislava and stop also in Szentendre and Štúrovo to show artistic performances, concerts and exhibitions.
Markus Eichenberger
Musician (clarinet, saxophone), music teacher, composer. Born 1957. Since 1977 improvised music with different groups and projects. Since 1982 solo projects. Concerts in Europe, radio and television broadcasts. Lives in Zürich and Menzberg (CH).
Alfred Zimmerlin
Composer, musician (cello) and music critic. Born 1955. Studied music science and music ethnology at the University of Zürich. Teaches improvisation on the Music Academy in Basel. Concerts and radio recordings in Europe and USA. Lives in Uster (CH).
Tomáš Baka
Grew up in Štúrovo. Studied history on the University in Nitra. Interested in history of the 20th century.
Mátyás Méri
Student of the High School in Štúrovo. Winner of the 2017 Creative Writing Workshop.
Máté Szabó
Musician. Born in 1989 in Galanta. Founding member of the Jóvilágvan ensemble.
Trio Hodek
Dávid Hodel (1997, percussions), Aron Hodek (2011, bass guitar), Eugen Vizváry (keyboard)
