Friendship—the sharing, the opening of one's innermost self; the give-and-take of ideas, experiences, and help; the courage to express criticism and the courage to accept it—is a gift. It is one that has enriched György Kurtág's life and, through his decades-long friendship with György Ligeti, become part of music history.

Debussy and Ravel, Britten and Tippett, Stravinsky and Schoenberg, Shostakovich and Prokofiev: history has witnessed several pairs and peers among great composers working alongside one another without becoming friends— indeed, in some cases, with rivalry and animosity rendering any close contact impossible. Bartók and Kodály offer a counterexample: different as they were in personality and musical idiom, they were bound by genuine friendship and worked together as comrades-in-arms in their mission (and missionary zeal) to explore genuine Hungarian folk music, save it for the future, and incorporate its lessons in art music of the highest level. It was also their shared goal to create art music of a new, pioneering kind in their native country.

I believe that the friendship between Kurtág and Ligeti has something in common with that of their immediate predecessors—not least in matters of mutual respect, one tending to assume the role of disciple without losing any of his individuality. (In the case of Bartók and Kodály, it was the former who would turn to his friend, a year younger, for advice).

This chapter consists of two speeches by Kurtág, and it was his wish that they be included in this book. They are historical (and historic) documents of unique significance. Apart from his short preface to the piano series Játékok, I know of no other writings by Kurtág.

The first speech was read by Kurtág, in the presence of György Ligeti, at a ceremony in the Cuvilliés-Theater in Munich in May 1993 at which Ligeti was being presented with the Siemens Prize. On this festive occasion, Kurtág overcame (must have forced himself to overcome) his inhibition to speak in public. Writing this piece, putting the first words on paper, may well have been a daunting task for Kurtág. His solution was to cast the myriad memories surging in his mind as scenes in a kind of theater on various “stages.”