Kurtág: Játékok

A Half-Century of Games

“Játékok” is Hungarian for “games.”

But Kurtág’s Játékok is not ordinary children’s pieces. It is a collection of over a thousand piano pieces spanning half a century, hailed as “one of the most important piano collections of the half-century.”

Under the name of “games,” Kurtág experiments with the piano’s many possibilities—minimalist notes, huge leaps, contrasts of silence and sound.

Supervised by the Composer

What makes this album especially precious is that it is a recording personally supervised by Kurtág during his lifetime.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard is an authority on contemporary music; he has worked with Kurtág for years and understands every detail of this work.

Critics describe this album as “supervised by the composer, highly authoritative.”

Silence and Sound

Kurtág’s music often hovers between minimalism and silence. In Játékok, there are almost inaudible pianissimos, and sudden fortissimo explosions—like a game about “whether sound exists or not.”

With his matchless touch, Aimard draws enormous energy from these minimalist notes. You are drawn in by the quiet moments, and startled by the sudden bursts.

Why Listen

This album was named number two of 2025 by The Guardian.

It is a profound tribute to a master of contemporary music. If you’re interested in “modern piano music,” this is an authoritative recording not to be missed.

Further Listening

If you love this kind of minimalist, profound contemporary music, Pärt’s music holds a spiritual dialogue with Kurtág. And Mazzoli’s The Listeners represents another voice in contemporary opera.