Péter Esterházy and Péter Nádas: Two Hungarian Symphonies
Péter Esterházy's 'Pas question d’art' and Péter Nádas's 'Histoires parallèles' are reviewed as musical compositions in literary form. Esterházy, born 1950 in Budapest, is compared to Joseph Haydn for his use of counterpoint and dynamic structure. His work 'Harmonia Caelestis' is described as a river of notes, while 'Revu et corrigé' reveals the betrayal of his father Mátyás, an heir to the Esterházy dynasty who became a communist informant. The book features red-inked lines exposing the father's denunciations. Esterházy's mother, Lilike, is portrayed as a passionate football supporter who mocked maternal stereotypes. Nádas, born 1942 in Budapest, spent eighteen years writing 'Histoires parallèles', a novel that weaves together the Holocaust, sexual obsession, and 20th-century chaos. The review highlights the orchestration of chaos and the connection to Haydn's slow movements. The article by Jean-Philippe Rossignol appears in artpress.
Key facts
- Péter Esterházy's 'Pas question d’art' is published by Gallimard in the 'Du monde entier' collection.
- Péter Nádas's 'Histoires parallèles' is published by Plon in the 'Feux croisés' collection.
- Esterházy was born in 1950 in Budapest.
- Nádas was born in 1942 in Budapest.
- Esterházy's father Mátyás was an heir to the Esterházy dynasty and a communist informant.
- Esterházy's book 'Revu et corrigé' contains red-inked lines about his father's betrayals.
- Esterházy's mother Lilike is described as a football supporter who mocked maternal stereotypes.
- Nádas's 'Histoires parallèles' took eighteen years to write.
Entities
Artists
- Péter Esterházy
- Péter Nádas
- Joseph Haydn
- Mátyás Esterházy
- Lilike Esterházy
- Rudolf Buchbinder
- Jean-Philippe Rossignol
Institutions
- Gallimard
- Plon
- artpress
Locations
- Budapest
- Hungary
Sources
- artpress —