The work of the French composer and pianist Erik Satie will be performed by 36 musicians on 13 different instruments, 840 times in total, from Saturday evening 29 June to the afternoon of the following day at 13 Horánszky utca. 

“In order to play the motif 840 times in succession, it would be advisable to prepare oneself beforehand, and in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities.” These lines were written by composer Erik Satie in 1893 for Vexations. The work was never published in Satie’s lifetime, and it is unknown whether he has ever performed it. From the 1960s onwards, the text was mostly interpreted as an instruction to play the page 840 times, and every few years since then enthusiastic musicians have gathered to perform Satie’s work.

It is rarely played in Hungary, in 2019 it was performed by pianists in Fuga, and before that in 1989 Szemző Tibor and his friends played it on piano in Almássy tér Leisure Centre.

In 2024, another twist will be added to the experimental performance in Józsefváros: mainly local musicians will perform the mantra-like piece on different instruments and in different musical styles – from jazz to classical, from rock to folk music – in about 19 hours.

The special concert starts at 6pm on 29 June 2024 and runs all night until 1pm the next day at H13 Kultpont.

The meditative concert offers a unique opportunity to slow down and relax. During the free event, listeners are free to move around and wander in and out.

The concert in Józsefváros is based on the idea of photographer and musician Déri Miklós and is organised by Rendezvény8 with the support of the Municipality of Józsefváros. The artistic director is jazz pianist Cseke Gábor.

Detailed programme:

June 29, Saturday

⚬ 18:00: Balázs Elemér (piano)

⚬ 18:30: Radics József (double bass) – Horváth Milán (guitar)

⚬ 19:00: Farkas Mira (harp) – Seres Barbara (flute)

⚬ 19:30: Balázs Elemér (piano) – Ruzics Csilla (sitar)

⚬ 20:00: Radics József (double bass) – Horváth Milán (guitar)

⚬ 20:30: Farkas Mira (harp) – Seres Barbara (flute) – Oláh Vilmos (guitar)

⚬ 21:00: Szakcsi Béci (piano) – Melis Márta (violin-viola)

⚬ 21:30: Oláh Vilmos (guitar) – Ruzics Csilla (sitar)

⚬ 22:00: Rinkó Gábor (double bass) – Jónás Géza (viola) – Váradi Kálmán (violin)

⚬ 22:30: Szakcsi Béci (piano) – Melis Márta (violin-viola)

⚬ 23:00: Rinkó Gábor (double bass) – Jónás Géza (viola) – Váradi Kálmán (violin)

⚬ 23:30: Balázs József (piano)

június 30. vasárnap

⚬ 0:00: Csík Sándor (double bass) – Mátyás László (violin) – Mátyás Tibor (violin) – Nyári Károly (cello)

⚬ 0:30: Balázs József (piano) – Hamar Dávid (cello)

⚬ 1:00: sík Sándor (double bass) – Mátyás László (violin) – Mátyás Tibor (violin) – Nyári Károly (cello)

⚬ 1:30: Ökrös Károly (piano) – Hamar Dávid (cello)

⚬ 2:00: Ökrös Károly (piano)

⚬ 2:30: Komjáti Áron (guitar)

⚬ 3:00: Balázs Elemér (piano)

⚬ 3:30: Komjáti Áron (guitar)

⚬ 4:00: Balázs Elemér (piano)

⚬ 4:30: Komjáti Áron (guitar)

⚬ 5:00: Cseke Gábor (piano)

⚬ 5:30: Cseke Jácint (piano)

⚬ 6:00: Cseke Gábor (piano)

⚬ 6:30: Cseke Jácint (piano)

⚬ 7:00: Horváth Balázs (piano)

⚬ 7:30: Horváth Balázs (piano)

⚬ 8:00: Farkas Mira (harp) – Seres Barbara (flute)

⚬ 8:30: Horváth József (double bass) – Horváth Milán (guitar) – Ökrös Károly (accordion)

⚬ 9:00: Farkas Mira (harp) – Seres Barbara (flute)

⚬ 9:30: Horváth József (double bass) – Horváth Milán (guitar) – Ökrös Károly (accordion)

⚬ 10:00: Lisztes Jenő (cimbalom) – Orbán Gyuri (double bass) – Vázsonyi János (saxophone)

⚬ 10:30: Oláh Kálmán (sop.sax) – Molnár Sándor (tenorsax) – Magda Zsolt (baritonsax)

⚬ 11:00: Lisztes Jenő (cimbalom) –  Orbán Gyuri (double bass) – Vázsonyi János (saxophone)

⚬ 11:30: Oláh Kálmán (sop.sax) – Molnár Sándor (tenorsax) – Magda Zsolt (baritonsax)

⚬ 12:00: Oláh Krisztián (piano) – Kertész Endre (cello) – Szomora Zsolt (violin)

⚬ 12:30: Oláh Krisztián (piano) – Kertész Endre (cello) – Szomora Zsolt (violin)

We retain the right to change the programme.

The event is free of charge and everyone is welcome!

The event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/841262607876863

The event is open to the public and can be filmed and recorded. Our privacy notice is available here: https://jozsefvaros.hu/adatvedelem/