Sonus Cordis Quartet - Chess Pieces
10 October 2026, 07:00 p.m.
Liszt Academy - Solti Hall
1061 Budapest, Liszt Ferenc tér 8.
Chess is far more than a mere game; it is a universal, timeless symbol of logic, strategy, and the shifting tides of social order. In this concert, the various layers of the game’s meaning are brought to life through the lens of the string quartet – both as an ensemble and a genre.
The evening opens with a collective work conceived by composer Máté Balogh. He invited a group of fellow composers to translate the character, movement, or form of a specific chess piece into music; the figures were assigned by mutual agreement based on each composer’s personal affinity.
The second half of the programme features a curated historical cross-section designed by Balogh and violinist Eszter Krulik, leader of the Sonus Cordis Quartet. They have selected movements from the classical quartet repertoire that evoke strong associations with particular chess pieces. The programme is rounded off by the intricately woven, concise Bagatelles for string quartet by Anton Webern.
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1. Chess Pieces I.
New quartet pieces by Máté Balogh, Máté Bella, Balázs D. Kecskés, Bázsa Rubin Szabó, Péter Tornyai & Anna Virág Virág
2. Chess Pieces II.
3. Anton Webern: Six Bagatelles, Op. 9
4. Chess Pieces III. (Medley)
5. Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 4, BB 95 - 4. Allegretto pizzicato [Pawn]
6. Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 62 in C major, Hob. IIII:77, Op. 76/3 (ʻEmperorʼ) - 2. Poco adagio, cantabile [King]
7. Leoš Janáček: String Quartet No. 1 (ʻThe Kreutzer Sonataʼ) - 1. Adagio – Con moto [Queen]
8. Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 59 in G minor, Hob. III:74, Op. 74/3 (ʻThe Riderʼ) - 4. Finale. Allegro con brio [Knight]
9. Igor Stravinsky: Three Pieces for String Quartet [Rook]
10. Joseph Haydn: The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross, Hob. XX:1B - Il terremoto [Bishop]
Sonus Cordis Quartet:
Eszter Krulik, Róza Lachegyi - violin
Boglárka Szűcs - viola
Flóra Matuska - cello
HUF 3 500