Encounters Duo SeRa

• Máté Balogh (b. 1990): Kikaku & Basho (2015):
• 1 Máté Balogh: Kikaku & Basho (2015) 05:10
• John Dowland (1563 - 1626): Flow My Tears:
• 2 John Dowland: Flow My Tears 03:45
• Péter Tornyai (b. 1987): Narcissus (2015):
• 3 Péter Tornyai: Narcissus (2015) 08:57
• John Dowland: Time Stands Still:
• 4 John Dowland: Time Stands Still 02:27
• Márton Illés (b. 1975): Én-kör II. (2017):
• 5 Márton Illés: Én-kör II. (2017) 07:42
• Hildegard von Bingen (1089 - 1179): Caritas abundat in omnia:
• 6 Hildegard von Bingen: Caritas abundat in omnia 02:23
• Barnabás Dukay (1950): Clouds, Mists, Fogs Under The Waxing Moonlight (2024) contemplative winds and shining calms sound poem for harp:
• 7 Barnabás Dukay: Clouds, Mists, Fogs Under The Waxing Moonlight (2024) contemplative winds and shining calms sound poem for harp 06:49
• John Dowland: If My Complaints Could Passions Move:
• 8 John Dowland: If My Complaints Could Passions Move 02:00
• Bálint Bolcsó (b. 1979): Intersection Moment (2017):
• 9 Bálint Bolcsó: Intersection Moment (2017) 04:19
• John Dowland: Now, Oh Now I Needs Must Part:
• 10 John Dowland: Now, Oh Now I Needs Must Part 01:32
• András Gábor Virágh (b. 1984): Waves (2014):
• 11 András Gábor Virág: Waves (2014) 04:30
• John Dowland: Can She Excuse My Wrongs:
• 12 John Dowland: Can She Excuse My Wrongs 01:22
• Mátyás Wettl (b. 1982): My Favourite Instruments (2015):
• 13 Mátyás Wettl: My Favourite Instruments (2015) 04:54
• Total Runtime 55:50

Info for Encounters

Encounters captures more than a decade of Duo Sera’s artistic work, presents a unique segment of Hungarian contemporary music. Since its founding, the duo has been deeply committed to collaborating with Hungarian composers, premiering numerous works written specifically for them.

The concept of the newly released album was inspired by their early concert series titled Encounters, where Renaissance songs and contemporary works were performed side by side, creating exciting dialogues between past and present. During the concerts the short songs by John Dowland functioned as transitions – musical “neutral zones” that helped audiences engage more easily with the contemporary pieces. This principle has been preserved on the album as well: by placing the works side by side, the program offers contrasts in genre and mood, as well as reflections and multiple layers of interpretation.

The composers featured on the album – Máté Balogh, Bálint Bolcsó, Barnabás Dukay, Márton Illés, Péter Tornyai, András Gábor Virágh, and Mátyás Wettl – are among the most prominent and acclaimed figures of Hungarian contemporary music. Their compositions, shaped by markedly different musical approaches, act as doors and windows through which listeners can enter distinct artistic universes.

The selection of works on this recording reflects not only the duo’s artistic identity but also functions as a musical diary – an anthology of memories and experiences gathered from their performances across different countries and contexts. The aim of the album is to preserve these moments and to share them with those who are already familiar with Duo Sera’s work, as well as with new audiences.

In addition to the duo pieces, this album also includes two solo works: a hymn by Hildegard von Bingen, transcribed for saxophone, and a sound poem written for harp by Barnabás Dukay. This album is not merely a recording, but a kind of artistic synthesis that builds a bridge between tradition and innovation. Its uniquely structured program conveys a deeply personal yet universally resonant musical message. The diversity of the works featured, the duo’s mature interpretive style, and the thoughtfully curated structure together result in an album that faithfully represents the living and evolving reality of contemporary Hungarian music.

Duo Será:
Erzsébet Seleljo, saxophone
Anastasia Razvalyaeva, harp

Duo Será
was formed in 2012 by the saxophone-harp duo of Erzsébet Seleljo and Anastasia Razvaljajeva. The duo, with its unique instrumentation, launched its concert series entitled Encounters eight years ago, partly due to their interest in contemporary music and partly with the aim of building their own repertoire. Over the years, they have presented nearly 30 new works by Hungarian and foreign composers. The concert program on March 10 will feature works by composers with significantly different musical styles – László Sáry, Tibor Szemző, András Hamary, Miklós Maros and Yehuda Yannay – and will also feature six movements from Zoltán Kodály’s Seven Piano Pieces cycle, arranged for the duo by Marcell Dargay. Tibor Szemző's piece Izmaili's Rolls is an audiovisual work, the film material of which was shot by the author in the Danube Delta in the spring of 2019.

Booklet for Encounters