An Adult Is Born of a Child: The Evolution of André Hajdu's Conception of Childhood and Adulthood in Ludus Paschalis and the Concerto for Ten Little Pianists

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the tension between childhood and adulthood is articulated in the works of composer André Hajdu (1932–2016), through an analysis of two central compositions: Ludus Paschalis (Easter play, 1971) and Concerto for Ten Little Pianists and Orchestra (1978). Both works were written for ensembles comprising two distinct groups—children and adults—yet they propose markedly different modes of engaging with the tension that arises between them. Through musical analysis combined with psychoanalytic and biographical readings, the article argues that the differences between the two works reflect a shift in Hajdu’s conception of childhood as representing different psychic layers, as well as a change in his understanding of authority, community, and institutional frameworks. In Ludus Paschalis, a sharp confrontation is staged between a choir of Christian children and a choir of Jewish adults, culminating in the murder of a child and the silencing of the children’s choir. The work may be interpreted as a tragic expression of a failure in the psychic processing of the collision between an unregulated id and a rigid superego, in Freudian terms. Representations of the Holocaust and of antisemitism in the work underscore a rupture that remains unresolved and resistant to integration. By contrast, Concerto for Ten Little Pianists a complex musical dialogue between children and adults, grounded in listening, imitation, play, and mediation. This dialogue enables the coexistence of different psychic layers within a holding adult framework, in the Winnicottian sense, and leads to a form of multivocal cooperation. The work has been performed internationally and offers a cautiously hopeful model of dialogue between disparate groups. These findings are linked to Hajdu’s biography, including his childhood during the Holocaust, his relationships with his parents, and his gradual integration into the Israeli musical establishment.