In the autumn of 1974 György Kurtág began to copy selected pieces from the series Games into a music notebook for Zoltán Kocsis who had been his student in earlier years and who, even today, is one of its most authentic performers. Kocsis played from this notebook in the first public performance of Games in 1974. The gradually expanding series of piano pieces also appeared in print in the course of later decades- however, since then he has used this collection - expanded over 32 years since by Kurtág - whenever he plays pieces from Games in concert. Since the time of this 1974 concert, as he writes: I didnt know that the spiral notebook I received at the premi re would later become, as it were, my permanent companion. That I would take it with me from Japan to Canada, from Australia to Iceland, travelling to the worlds most prominent concert halls, surviving fire damage, flood, transport catastrophes, theft attempts, forced landings and so on, and that - well beyond the intention of its being copied with love - it would include works and sketches for which this notebook would become the principal source. The manuscript gives a glimpse into Kurtágs workshop from the viewpoint of both performers and musicologists. The former can understand more from Kurtágs handwriting about the composers intentions than from the printed score. The musicologists, however, can study the historical origins of the works: some works can be found here in more than one version, others appear in a version different from the printed score. The publication is accompanied by a booklet and a CD supplement. The booklet contains Kocsiss own personal preface, as well as András Wilheims essay providing information about the collection and the pieces contained therein. On the CD we hear 11 works performed by Kocsis, from a recording made in 1982 which has not previously been commercially issued. This edition has been published for György Kurtágs 90th birthday. (Tünde Szitha) / Piano
