Csalog Gábor

“…I’ve always wanted to write various stolen, overlapping pieces of music. Is it possible to write new music? We often have the feeling that it isn’t. There’s no language – not only are we unable to create anything new, there isn’t even any shared language of the current-day music. We’re left stuttering the forgotten languages of the elder ages. However, everything we write down has already been written down in one form or another... The seemingly most original, freshest music inevitably relies on second-hand phrases. On the other hand, however: does a composer have the right to steal? It seems like modern composers are still in the grip of the rigid interpretation of the Ten Commandments. Bach could’ve freely stolen from Vivaldi. Neither of them would’ve been lesser for it. Nowadays, we don’t even have the nerve to steal things from each other – well, at least not music. My work solely relies on the notes, motifs and phrases of two Mozart pieces. Two musical compositions that are rather distanced from each other, yet still react oddly to one another. These strange encounters create the language of my piece.” (Gábor Csalog)