Cantus Figuratus for Poetry Day

“I pray with the spirit, but I pray with the mind also; I sing with the spirit, but I sing with the mind also,” the creators profess together with the Apostle Paul.

The Cantus figuratus is a performance evening by actor Róbert Laczkó Vass and pianist Norbert Székely, composed of a selection and musical adaptations of God-themed poems from 20th–21st century Hungarian poetry. It brings to life, in a kind of “lyrical polyphony” and “poetic paraliturgy,” the nuances of a soul trembling before God.

“He who sings prays twice” (Saint Augustine). At the same time, opinions strongly differ regarding what kind of music can be accepted in our churches. Songs built on religious elements, however, do not stop at the church doors, and their message remains vertical even in a profane environment: they express the relationship of the creative human being to their Creator. It is a historical fact that late medieval Benedictine monasteries, in the spirit of refined hospitality, sometimes provided a secular musical setting as well; thus, alongside improvisational Gregorian melodies, structured, “measurable music” also appeared in sacred contexts.

A sample from the program, their title song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=BzYTuMiY1EI
Admission is free.