Paralympic Games
Q: How did you get related to the Greek Olympic Games?
A: It is strange, isn’t it? Those who know me know that all competition is alien to me, alien from my very being. When I was young, I readily let anyone overtake me if they wished to do so, when I was sailing, for example. My hands loosened the ropes instinctively, “Go, fly in front of me!”
Q: But the world is not like that, is it?
A: No. There are competitions in music which provide standards for the artists. Who won what and when? My heart started to thump as I was reading Andreas Schiff’s new book: he writes that he is not a good competitor, and doesn’t usually win first prizes. He is fifty now, his concerts are a big event. We buy the tickets years in advance and his recordings are some of the most fabulous in the world.
Q: Do you pull for “non-competitors”?
A: From the bottom of my heart. The Olympic Games are, however, a different thing. I saw a film in Greece about sports races for the disabled. Basketball players throw the ball from wheelchairs, swimming champions are pulled out of the swimming pool by helpers, and the faces, the faces! The race itself is struggle for them and they are hungry for triumph.
Q: Have you had any connection with disabled people?
A: I have made very close acquaintance with disabled people in my life: Reed-Fairy in the wheelchair was a friend and supported me for long years. She has been my model ever since. She never competed, but lived a full creative life without that. Music made her live. My student were also enchanted and transformed by her radiant personality.
Q: So you support the Paralympic Games?
A: With all my heart, yes. I have a personal experience, too. Two years ago, during the treatment of my broken arm I had to do daily exercises in the company of people who had one or more of their body-members missing. The face of a boy in his twenties is a lifetime experience for me: he was throwing the heavy balls at the rib-stall. Both of his legs were missing. If the ball fell away, he crept after it on his stomach.
Q: Weren’t you troubled by the sight, the sight of the disabled body?
A: To the contrary! It gave me strength and filled me with courage. From then on I didn’t moan for my broken arm, which healed unexpectedly fast, it became an insignificant injury. From the boy’s example I learnt about the strength of the soul, as it triumphed over the weak body. He was preparing for a competition, and was strengthening his shoulders and arms, possibly his heart and lungs, too. The parts of his body that remained after his accident.
Q: In Hungary have you seen how disabled people prepare for the Paralympic Games?
A: No. Only in Athens did I meet those who dealt or used to deal with them. I was invited as speaker at the conference of their association which took place last November. It was a great honour, I prepared hard so that I could show something valuable from my experience.
Q: What was the conference like?
A: It was a high-quality symposium in an elegant hotel with excellent speakers. It was opened by the Greek Minister of Culture who was received enthusiastically; he clearly seemed to be a popular person. His speech was interesting, it was not just another protocol speech. I really appreciate when somebody can come up with something new for this type of formal occasion.
Q: Did you get to know other speakers, too?
A: All of them. I like making friends with great people. I go up without fears to a stranger who I think is important, I say my name and where I am from. I speak a couple of languages, and I am not disturbed by making mistakes – as I do in Greek, for example. They are always friendly and understanding with me.
Q: Did they like your presentation?
A: Yes, I showed some of my videos. The musical movement-compositions of my blind pupils, Reed Fairy’s dance in a wheelchair in Ravenna to the music of Bach and the 19-year-old Juan from Catalonia who was suffering from Down’ syndrome, but expressed his complete attention to Bartók’s Dance Suite wonderfully. He was dancing his metamorphosis.
Q: Did you speak in Greek?
A: Unfortunately, my Greek is not that good yet. I spoke in English, my speech was interpreted simultaneously in Greek. We could also listen to the Greek speakers’ speeches in English. This all was the result of excellent organization.
Q: Is it true that you received an award, too?
A: Yes, it’s true. The organization called KAPPA gave me the award for my life’s work with disabled people. The Minister of Culture presented me with the award before the evening concert on the stage of the great concert hall, the Megaro Musikis. Another award went to a Greek lady, who was also called to the stage. I had a Greek reporter convey my thanks and to my great surprise, he quoted from one of my books. It sounded really strange in Greek.
Q: Were you moved?
A: Yes, I was moved: I received a prestigious award in a foreign country. It was also very important, however, that I received it in Greece from where our culture springs. I hope I manage to get to some of the Paralympic programmes, the games will be held a month later than the Olympic Games in Athens. As I saw in a film that was made of one of their previous competitions, it is allowed to go to the competitors and hug them. I would really like to hug not the winner, but rather the losers or even the rooters. As we usually do in our classes where we find joy in music.