Is an etude a variation? Is a variation an etude? There are few more useful compositional exercises than composing various variations on a given theme; and, since Chopin, etudes can ultimately be regarded as different variations on the same theme – the demonstration of piano technique. The three concerts in the 2026–2027 season of the Gábor Csalog Sundays series will explore and showcase the connections and differences between these two genres. Alongside Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli Variations, the concerts will feature variations by composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Schubert and Anton Webern, whilst the etudes will be represented not only by Debussy and Rachmaninoff but also by Gábor Csalog, who is active as a composer as well and will present a selection from his latest pieces. In keeping with the tradition of recent years, during the first half of these two-part evenings, the pianist-composer will be in conversation with music historian Gergely Fazekas about the works to be performed in concert form in the second half. The language of these conversations is Hungarian.

“Sweeping accounts of experiences, poignant portrayals of the soul, rather than mere exercises.” Zoltán Kocsis described Sergei Rachmaninoff’s etude-tableaux in these terms, and the composer himself believed that his pieces were not abstract music, but rather spoke very much about something – though he did not reveal much about their precise meaning. “Let the listener create for themselves what the tableau most strongly suggests,” he said. The greatest etudes, of course, are never mere exercises, but first and foremost pieces of music; just as variations are not merely demonstrations of the composer’s imagination, but convey a variety of characters and emotions. At Gábor Csalog’s concert, Mozart’s rarely heard set in F major will be paired with Anton Webern’s Piano Variations, Op. 27, written in 1937. Although this is perhaps the most rigorously structured dodecaphonic music of all time, according to the recollections of Peter Stadlen, the pianist who played the world premiere, what mattered to Webern was not structure but expression – the emotional content of musical gestures. Alongside Rachmaninoff’s etude-tableaux, Gábor Csalog’s own piano etudes, composed in 2026, will also be performed, so the pre-concert talk will provide an opportunity for music historian Gergely Fazekas not only to discuss the music-historical background of the works, but also to ask the pianist about the nature of the creative process.

Further concerts in the series:
29 November 2026: Gábor Csalog Sundays – Dialogues with (the) Music | Etudes and Variations 3/1.
25 April 2027: Gábor Csalog Sundays – Dialogues with (the) Music | Etudes and Variations 3/3.