We launched our series, entitled “Quarantine Minutes,” so as not to lose touch with one another even during these difficult times. We spoke with our musicians to hear how they’re dealing with their new circumstances in light of the coronavirus epidemic. How have their lives changed? Are they able to find anything positive in their situation? What music do they recommend for you? How have they transformed their ways of making music? This time we heard from violist Cecília Bodolai’s. We hope you enjoy hearing her thoughts and experiences, too.
What music would you recommend for our audiences while they are isolated at home? What do you listen to and what do you like to play to improve your mood?
I very much enjoy listening to Bartók Radio, and I would recommend the station to all. They broadcast some beautiful concert and studio recordings, and interesting performances. They also tend to dwell less on the virus. If I want to relax for a bit, or if I am exercising at home, I tune in to Retro Radio.
What do you do in the time you otherwise would have spent with the orchestra? Who do you make music with at home, and how?
For the most part, I play music by myself, but my husband plays the bassoon, and I’ve managed to get him to play again. We are planning to play some duets soon. He leads a choir, and we recently produced some quarantine recordings. Everyone sang in their own home, and one of the choir members edited the videos together. We all found it a fun and joyful thing to do. It will also be a nice memory of this period to look back on.
Have you learned anything new during the quarantine? Have you perhaps picked up any new habits?
I have learned to sew masks: I have made enough for everyone in the family. I also bake a lot, based on my mother’s recipes and with her help over the telephone. I managed to bake some beautiful, traditional bejgli pastry rolls for Easter.
What do you miss the most right now?
I miss my family very much, and in particular I miss my grandson, Botond, who is turning one soon. He recently stood up for the first time and will soon learn to walk. It pains me to only see all of this through video phone calls. As soon as the crisis is over, I will get to see him and we will continue to deepen our relationship, which was off to such a good start.
What do you like about the quarantine?
One of the blessings of the quarantine is that the world has almost come to a standstill! I think this is terrific: it would be great if this lasted for a bit even after the pandemic. We have more time at home for each other with my husband. It takes us back a bit to our younger years, when it was just the two of us. We talk a lot, and we play games. There is also more time for exercise. I visit the nearby forest every other day; I walk, I run or I exercise at home.
Is there anything in your life you never had time for before, but always wanted to do - and now you’ve been able to try?
We have started watching some long-forgotten video recordings of our family and our profession. We decided to organize these and have them digitized, by topic. There is also time now to tidy up some things which one can otherwise not find time for, and just keeps putting off.
Tune in to our Quarantine Soirées each night! Visit our website and Facebook page every evening from 7:45 p.m. If you would like to support our series, we would appreciate it very much.
