Igor Levit / Berliner Barock Solisten

Albrecht Mayer Berliner Barock Solisten

Three generations of the Bach family are featured in a concert with Albrecht Mayer and the Berliner Barock Solisten. Festive Baroque music in historically informed performance practice meets the warm sound of Mayer's oboe. The program spans from Johann Sebastian Bach's great-uncle, Johann Christoph, to his sons, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Wilhelm Friedemann, framed by works of Johann Sebastian himself.

Igor Levit

Igor Levit

Igor Levit is one of the most significant pianists of his generation (born in 1987) and regularly performs on all the major stages worldwide. He has appeared at Konserthuset Stockholm on several occasions, including during the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, when he performed all of Beethoven's piano sonatas in a series of live-streamed concerts (due to the pandemic).Beethoven is also featured on the program for this concert: the third symphony – Eroica – in Franz Liszt's famous arrangement. The program as a whole consists of what is often referred to as the three great Bs of classical music history: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and begins with Bach's chromatic fantasy and fugue. It was acclaimed and regarded as a masterpiece even during Bach's lifetime, filled with advanced voice leading and lightning-fast runs.Between Bach and Beethoven, Levit has placed Brahms' atmospheric and youthfully explosive ballades; he was only 21 years old when he wrote them. They are designed as short musical narratives. We know that the first one is based on an old Scottish ballad about Edward, who returns home with blood on his sword. The atmosphere is dark and ominous. However, no source material for the other three has been preserved.

Igor Levit

Every pianist and soloist takes a risk with Franz Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. Few have dared to tackle this pianistic chunk, which demands everything at once: power, virtuosity, a sense of the piece's architecture, and a keen ear for detail. Igor Levit takes on this task. Liszt has long been a favorite in his repertoire. For a TV documentary, he already traced the composer's footsteps around 15 years ago. Levit's program for the Essen Philharmonic is brilliant: First, he takes us back to the starting point of all romantic piano virtuosity, Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue".

Igor Levit

In the 19th century, piano arrangements played a crucial role in disseminating symphonic works, with Franz Liszt's arrangements of Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonies considered the pinnacle. Igor Levit takes on this challenge. He performs Liszt's piano version, a feat that demands everything from a pianist. Levit also presents music by Johann Sebastian Bach and late piano pieces by Johannes Brahms.

Renaud Capuçon / Igor Levit

A long-awaited collaboration between celebrated French violinist Renaud Capuçon and the always-ambitious piano virtuoso Igor Levit. Together, they tackle Brahms’ three Sonatas for Violin and Piano—a concentration of poetry, brilliance and heroism.

Riccardo Minasi | Igor Levit

Over the last few weeks Igor Levit, one of the great Beethoven pianists of our era, explained and played all 32 Beethoven sonatas on BR-KLASSIK. Now he’s the BRSO’s artist-in-residence for the 2020–21 season! Levit has already thrilled audiences by playing four Beethoven piano concertos with the same orchestra, most recently the Second, with his idiosyncratic blend of stylistic fidelity and spirit of adventure. All that’s missing is the First, op. 15, which now stands on the programme to complete the cycle. At the head of the orchestra is Riccardo Minasi, the principal conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra and a champion of period performance practice. He’s giving his début with “Viennese classics”: Beethoven will be followed by Haydn’s Symphony no. 88, a French-inspired work that enchants us with its expressive Largo and its lilting dance movements, whether gruff in the Minuet or elegant in the Finale.

Riccardo Minasi | Igor Levit

Over the last few weeks Igor Levit, one of the great Beethoven pianists of our era, explained and played all 32 Beethoven sonatas on BR-KLASSIK. Now he’s the BRSO’s artist-in-residence for the 2020–21 season! Levit has already thrilled audiences by playing four Beethoven piano concertos with the same orchestra, most recently the Second, with his idiosyncratic blend of stylistic fidelity and spirit of adventure. All that’s missing is the First, op. 15, which now stands on the programme to complete the cycle. At the head of the orchestra is Riccardo Minasi, the principal conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra and a champion of period performance practice. He’s giving his début with “Viennese classics”: Beethoven will be followed by Haydn’s Symphony no. 88, a French-inspired work that enchants us with its expressive Largo and its lilting dance movements, whether gruff in the Minuet or elegant in the Finale.

Riccardo Minasi | Igor Levit

Over the last few weeks Igor Levit, one of the great Beethoven pianists of our era, explained and played all 32 Beethoven sonatas on BR-KLASSIK. Now he’s the BRSO’s artist-in-residence for the 2020–21 season! Levit has already thrilled audiences by playing four Beethoven piano concertos with the same orchestra, most recently the Second, with his idiosyncratic blend of stylistic fidelity and spirit of adventure. All that’s missing is the First, op. 15, which now stands on the programme to complete the cycle. At the head of the orchestra is Riccardo Minasi, the principal conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra and a champion of period performance practice. He’s giving his début with “Viennese classics”: Beethoven will be followed by Haydn’s Symphony no. 88, a French-inspired work that enchants us with its expressive Largo and its lilting dance movements, whether gruff in the Minuet or elegant in the Finale.

Riccardo Minasi | Igor Levit

Over the last few weeks Igor Levit, one of the great Beethoven pianists of our era, explained and played all 32 Beethoven sonatas on BR-KLASSIK. Now he’s the BRSO’s artist-in-residence for the 2020–21 season! Levit has already thrilled audiences by playing four Beethoven piano concertos with the same orchestra, most recently the Second, with his idiosyncratic blend of stylistic fidelity and spirit of adventure. All that’s missing is the First, op. 15, which now stands on the programme to complete the cycle. At the head of the orchestra is Riccardo Minasi, the principal conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra and a champion of period performance practice. He’s giving his début with “Viennese classics”: Beethoven will be followed by Haydn’s Symphony no. 88, a French-inspired work that enchants us with its expressive Largo and its lilting dance movements, whether gruff in the Minuet or elegant in the Finale.