Sándor Vály, Éva Polgár

A noteworthy release of S�ndor V�ly's fictional reconstruction of the lost opera 'Die Toteninsel'. Collaborating with pianist and composer Eva Polg�r, V�ly explores the meanings embedded in the libretto published in the aftermath of World War I in 1919. The original score for Karl Georg Zwerenz's (1874-1933) libretto was composed by Jen� Z�dor (1894-1977). The opera was performed just once. After its premiere at the Hungarian Royal Opera House in 1928, Z�dor's score disappeared without a trace. In the hands of V�ly and Polg�r, the multifaceted libretto and the lost music lends itself to Dadaist interpretation. Their minimalist and avant-garde take on the text reflects the misunderstandings, mishearings, accents and lingual distortions that are characteristic of our day and age. V�ly and Polg�r add a new link to the continuum of interpretations that have stemmed from the painting that was admired by the likes of Freud, Lenin, Dal� and Hitler. The CD includes a 100-page booklet.