In a rare U.S. appearance by one of Europe’s leading writers, Peter Esterházy read from Celestial Harmonies, a work that Mario Vargas Llosa described as an “ambitious magnum opus, a masterwork,” at the 92nd Street Y on Monday. Esterházy’s reading that evening also included musical interludes (not shown in the video) by his dear friend András Schiff.

In the clip above, Esterházy reads from his novel and is interviewed by Peter Sherwood, with André Balog interpreting. Sherwood asked Esterházy what it was like to be a member of a distinguished aristocratic family in post-war state socialist Hungary. “I had a short answer,” Esterházy. “It was suboptimal.” With humor and perspective, he went on to offer a fuller picture of his life during this time. 

Upcoming Readings at 92Y: