We have a special guest: The grandmother of our guest conductor Lahav Shani, 89-year-old Edith Shalev with Hungarian roots, has recently come all the way from Israel to Budapest to see her grandson conduct at the Liszt Academy. Edith spent an important part of her childhood and youth between 1936 and 1948 in Budapest, and has also made regular trips here later in her life. We asked her to tell us a little about her memories and her close relationship with her grandson who grew up to be a world-famous conductor.
When was the last time you visited Budapest?
Edith Shalev: I last came here about ten or eleven years ago. Before that, especially when Lahav and my other grandkids were young, we spent at least two weeks every summer here. During these trips we checked out everything in Budapest—museums, statues, buildings, you name it. I remember making regular trips to the Great Market Hall with Lahav to buy avocados. I was very fond of these trips too, because they helped me get a feel for the city. I was born in Bratislava, and after the Nazis rose to power in Czechoslovakia, I ended up in Budapest, where I lived until the end of the war.
Did you go to concerts during these visits to Budapest? Do you have shared musical experiences?
E. S.: I remember getting great seats once at the Opera House to Puccini’s La bohème. After the performance, all Lahav said was that the conductor did a good job, but the lead performer was standing in the wrong spot on the stage and didn’t sing too well for that reason.
Now your grandson leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra at the Liszt Academy. Did you use to visit there too?
E. S.: We mostly listened in from the street, since we could often hear the students playing the piano. We didn’t particularly enjoy going inside, because it was like a museum—we were always told not to touch anything (laughs).
Is this the first time you follow Lahav abroad to see him at work?
E. S.: I always try to go and see his concerts in Israel. The last time I saw him conduct abroad was in Rotterdam. That time, the whole family took the trip to see him, because it was his first major performance as a conductor. This now is a rare occasion, because now most of the family are already here to see the concerts.
Is it rare for the whole family to come together for one of his performances?
E. S.: Back home it happens more often, but we don’t often follow him abroad.
You have a very close relationship with Lahav. I could see the harmony between you. When you’re not accompanying him on a performance, what do the two of you do together?
E. S.: When he returns home, I’m the first person he visits. We have dinner together, and then we play backgammon, drink whisky and talk late into the night. And I can see him even when we’re not together in one of his many concert videos on YouTube, or we call each other on Skype, but I also know his concert schedule by heart. In fact, I already knew I was coming to Budapest two years ago. I made up my mind when he called to tell me he was invited by the Budapest Festival Orchestra to conduct them.
Will you attend all three concerts?
E. S.: You bet! I am very fond of music and as long as I can, I want to go to as many concerts as I can. It’s one of the many things – such as playing bridge – that keep me mentally sharp.
