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 dialogue. Zoltán Csehy's text will cross the Danube in the original Hungarian and in Slovak and German translation. It will be accompanied by improvisations on cello and clarinet by the Swiss musicians.

The performance follows the VIIth Bridge Guard Book Festival in Štúrovo with participation of publishers from Slovakia and Hungary. A theatre for children, a discussion of about bridges and music productions enriches the programme. The sound performance in the bridge guard house by Esther Ainsworth (London) will present sounds she collected during her term as 26th bridge guard. After the AquaPhone performance local food and drinks will be served under the old chestnut tree.

Štúrovo, June 8th, 2013 (Saturday), 10:30 – 22:00

Štúrovo, June 8th, 2013 (Saturday), 10:30 – 22:00

10:30 – 11:00

Unveiling of the memorial plaque for Ernő Zahovay

Born 1913 in former Parkan, died 1998 in today's Štúrovo. The composer of the town, its uncle Erci.		 Pedestrian zone
Gyula Bartha gallery
11:00 – 14:00

VIIth Bridge Guard Book Festival

Presenters are:
Albert Marenčin - PT Publishers (Bratislava)
Bookshop and Publishing House of György Orbán (Budapest)
Pedestrian zone
(in case of bad weather in the Gyula Bartha gallery)
11:00 – 12:00 For children: Theatre Csavar with Tamás Gál
Sándor Petőfi: Hammer of the Hamlet – interactive commedia dell´arte (Hungarian)
15:00 – 15:30 Sound performance by Esther Ainsworth (London) with sounds she collected during her term as 26th bridge guard Dom strážcu mosta,
Pri colnici 2
15:30 – 16:00 Local specialities from the cuisine of the Chef László Bencze.
16:00 – 17:00 Bridging: Discussion about the role and life of physical and mental bridges
Participants: Zoltán Csehy (Poet), Péter Gyukics (Photographer), Gyula Kolozsi (Civil Engineer)
18:00 – 19:00

No Singing Possible Under Water

AquaPhone Performance

Text:              Zoltán Csehy
Translation:    Mila Haugová (Slovak),
                      Zsuzsanna Gahse (German)
Music:            Markus Eichenberger (klarinet),
                      Alfred Zimmerlin (čelo)
Speaker:	      Eva Uzsáková,
                      Karol Frühauf
Sound:	      Roman Laščiak,
                      Pavol Prock
Production:    Juraj 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.
19:00 – 22:00 Fresh titbits made by chef László Bencze with drinks from the area will be served under the old chestnut tree. Courtyard of the Bridge Guard residence
19:30 – 20:30 Concert of the Zsolt Csókás Jr. band Purple Steps

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