Štúrovo, June 10th, 2017 (Saturday), 13:30 – 22:00
At the beginning of the nineteen fifties, the bridge between Štúrovo (Slovakia) and Esztergom (Hungary) was in ruins. It was almost impossible for relatives and friends on each side of the Danube to get in touch or communicate. People would go down to the river, mostly on windless evenings, to talk to each other. The water carried the sound of short messages, often encoded, to the other bank half a kilometre away.
The AquaPhone performance refers to this phenomenon, honouring all the lives whose secrets had at one time been entrusted to the Danube, recalling this testimony of people's yearning to talk together, and of their inventive genius bridging borders and distances under difficult conditions.
The Swiss musicians Alfred Zimmerlin and Markus Eichenberger took up the idea of Hanneke Frühauf and created this performance, a musical improvisation on a text. The poem written by Dániel Varró will be read by speakers on both sides of the Danube and crossing it in the original Hungarian language and in Slovak and German translation. It will be accompanied by improvisations on cello and clarinet by the Swiss musicians.
In the supporting programme is the XIth Bridge Guard Book Festival with participation of publishers from Slovakia and Hungary. At the opening plays the Youth Brass Orchestra from Vác (HU) under the plane trees of the pedestrian street. In the Bridge Guard residence will be a talk with the author Dániel Varró and his recently published book in Slovak presented. Just before the 40th bridge guard Brandi Martin, a visual artist from Brooklyn, will provide an insight in the works produced in Štúrovo. After the AquaPhone performance the ensemble Jóvilágvan will present its newest record. Local food and drinks will be served.
Štúrovo, June 10th, 2017 (Saturday), 13:30 – 22:00
Dániel Varró | Writer and translator. Born 1977 in Budapest (HU). Studied Hungarian and English at the University Lóránd Eötvös in Budapest. His work made him one of the most popular authors of the contemporary Hungarian literature. He is the master of form and parody and he proved his talent in many genres: lyrics, poems for children, theatre pieces, translations. He is father of three children and lives in Pilisszentiván (HU). | |
Eva Andrejčáková | Journalist and translator. Born 1970 in Kolárovo (SK). She studied Slovak, literature and aesthetics at the Komenský Univerity in Bratislava (SK). She writes for the daily newspaper Sme and translates from Hungarian language in Slovak. She is mother of three children and lives in Bratislava. | |
Wilhelm Droste | Writer, journalist and translator. Born 1953 in Allendorf (DE). He studied German, history and political science in Marburg (DE). Teaches German at the University Lóránd Eötvös. Contributes to Neue Zürcher Zeitung (CH) and Neuer Pester Llyod (HU). Lives in Budapest (HU). | |
Markus Eichenberger | Musician (clarinet, saxophone), music teacher, composer. Born 1957. Since 1977 improvised music with different groups and projects. Since 1982 solo projects. Concerts in Europe, radio and television broadcasts. Lives in Zürich and Menzberg (CH). | |
Alfred Zimmerlin | Composer, musician (cello) and music critic. Born 1955. Studied music science and music ethnology at the University of Zürich. Teaches improvisation on the Music Academy in Basel. Concerts and radio recordings in Europe and USA. Lives in Uster (CH). | |
Jóvilágvan | Music ensemble founded ten years ago in Štúrovo. Published recently its third record. The ensemble has tight connections to the bridge guard residence. | |
Mila Haugová | Poet and translator. Born in 1942 in Budapest (HU), lives in Bratislava (SK). She was 1986- 1996 editor of the literature magazine „Romboid“. Many of the nearly two dozen poetry volumes published in Slovakian language are translated in English, French, German, Russian and Polish. | |
| Organisers: | Cultural association Štúrovo and Vicinity | |
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| Supporters: | Association of the Slovak-Hungarian Friendship Štúrovo Municipality of Štúrovo Municipal Cultural Centre Štúrov Štefan and Viera Frühauf Fund of the Corymbo Foundation, Zürich, Switzerland |
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| Patronage: |  SWISS EMBASSY BRATISLAVA |
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Štúrovo, June 10th, 2017 (Saturday), 13:30 – 22:00
Programme
13:30 – 14:30 | Opening and music under the plane trees | Pedestrian zone |
14:00 – 17:30 | XIth Bridge Guard Book Festival Presenters are: Albert Marenčin - PT Publishers (Bratislava) Ráday Könyvesház Bookshop and Publishing House | In the street Pri Colnici |
15:00 – 15:30 | Opening of the exhibition with the works of the 40th bridge guard Brandi Martin (Brooklyn, USA) | Bridge Guard residence |
15:30 – 17:00 | Talk with the author Dániel Varró Talk master: Zoltán Németh, literary critic Presentation of a book by Dániel Varró recently published in Slovak by the author and the translators Eva Andrejčáková and Vlado Janček Performing: Misi Varró and Jonatán (Jojo) Janček | |
18:00 – 19:00 | “Kinds of crossing” – AquaPhone Performance
| Near the Maria Valeria Bridge on both banks of the Danube. You can enjoy the performance also on the bridge. The text will be spoken in German, Slovak and Hungarian language. In all weather conditions. |
19:30 – 20:30 | Local food and drinks | Courtyard of the Bridge Guard residence |
20:30 – 21:30 | Jóvilágvan – concert and record presentation | |
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14:00 – 15:00 |
Music under the plane trees – music for brass instruments performed by the Hubay Jenő music school youth orchestra from Budapest: |
Pedestrian zone |
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14:00 – 17:30 |
XIth Bridge Guard Book FestivalPresenters are: Albert Marenčin - PT Publishers (Bratislava) Ráday Könyvesház Bookshop and Publishing House |
Bridge Guard residence |
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15:30 – 16:00 |
Insight in the works of the 37th bridge guard Renate Hahn |
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16:00 – 17:30 |
Panel discussion about Emigration: Participants: Irena Brežná (Basel, Switzerland) Mila Haugová (Bratislava) Karol Frühauf (Baden, Switzerland) |
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18:00 – 19:00 |
“Talk about emigration” – AquaPhone Performance Text: Irena Brežná Translation: Irena Brežná (Slovakian), Music: Markus Eichenberger, Clarinet, Speaker: Éva Uzsák, Karol Frühauf Sound: Roman Laščiak, Pavol Prockl Production: György Himmler |
Near the Maria Valeria Bridge on both banks of the Danube. You can enjoy the performance also on the bridge. The text will be spoken in German, Slovak and Hungarian language. Under all weather conditions. |
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19:00 – 20:00 |
Something warm from the kettle, drinks from the region |
Courtyard of the Bridge Guard residence |
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20:00 – 21:00 |
Gypsy love – concert of the music band Romane Jile |
Tune up on Friday, June 9th, 2017 (Friday
15:00 – 17:00 | „Creative writing“ for everybody | Municipal Library |
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Motivation
In the year 2001 the Mária Valéria bridge between Štúrovo (Slovakia) and Esztergom (Hungary) was reopened. During its history, this bridge was destroyed and unusable for a longer time than it was actually connecting the two towns. The bridge’s stubs kept the memory of the second World War alive for 57 years. This was the second destruction of the bridge built in 1895. Already between 1919 and 1926 it was out of service.
The rebuilt bridge deserves to be saved from further destruction by people. To this aim, mental protection is more important than physical protection. As long as the mental connection between people is intact, the bridge is not endangered.