"The fate of Radnóti weighs like an oppressive shadow on the country, from which it cannot free itself: knowingly or unknowingly, it recognizes itself in his fate. Everything connected to it arouses heightened interest. The ever-deepening course of his life and ever more sharply curving parabola of his achievements as a poet convey things of elemental importance about this country. The 150 years that have passed in Hungary since 1867 are condensed in his fate. The poems heard in this programme show how Radnóti created poetry of unparalleled unity from the conflicting extremes of his personality and time,” writes the outstanding poet Győző Ferencz, the compiler of this programme and regarded as the most authentic expert on Radnóti's oeuvre and legacy, in his introduction to the evening. His selection permits a glimpse into the profound layers of a fate and life's work that at the same time illuminates the enduring topicality and validity of Radnóti's lyricism today. As interpreted by Pál Mácsai, recognised as the most authentic interpreter of Radnóti's verse, together with young actors of the Örkény Theatre, the programme features both classic, widely known works from the oeuvre and prose excerpts that offer nuances regarding the poet's temperament and personality - these doubtless also including passages from the diaries of Fanni Gyarmati, edited and published by Győző Ferencz, which proved an exceptional success in 2014.

The production's cooperating partner is the Örkény Theatre.


Presented by: Müpa Budapest