Lang Lang © Stephan Polzer
Klavierabend Lang Lang
Wednesday
8
May
2024
19:30
Großer Saal
Performers
Lang Lang, Klavier
Programme
Gabriel Fauré
Pavane op. 50 (1887)
Robert Schumann
Kreisleriana. Acht Fantasiestücke für Klavier op. 16 (1838)
***
Frédéric Chopin
Mazurka f-moll op. 7/3 (1831)
Mazurka B-Dur op. 17/1 (1832–1833)
Mazurka e-moll op. 17/2 (1832–1833)
Mazurka a-moll op. 17/4 (1832–1833)
Mazurka C-Dur op. 24/2 (1834–1835)
Mazurka b-moll op. 24/4 (1834–1835)
Mazurka Des-Dur op. 30/3 (1836–1837)
Mazurka cis-moll op. 30/4 (1836–1837)
Mazurka C-Dur op. 33/3 (1837–1838)
Mazurka h-moll op. 33/4 (1837–1838)
Mazurka D-Dur op. 33/2 (1837–1838)
Mazurka fis-moll op. 59/3 (1845)
Polonaise fis-moll op. 44 (1840–1841)
Links
https://www.langlangofficial.com
Presented by
Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft
Quintessences of Romantic Piano Music
As a pianist, music educator and philanthropist, Lang Lang is one of the most important cultural ambassadors of our time. He performs enthusiastically in front of an audience of billions as well as in smaller circles, for example in schools. The New York Times described him as »the most sensational artist on the classical music scene«.
In this concert, Lang Lang juxtaposes Gabriel Fauré's »Pavane« and Robert Schumann's »Kreisleriana« with a selection of mazurkas by Frédéric Chopin, who devoted himself almost exclusively to the piano, not only as a performer but also as a composer, and embodies the Romantic piano tradition like no other.
Schumann himself named the »Kreisleriana« first among the »piano compositions that I consider to be my best«. He dedicated the piano cycle, inspired by E. T. A. Hoffmann's tales about the original Romantic figure of the whimsical bandmaster Kreisler, to Chopin, whom he greatly admired. The Polish composer of the same age wrote a total of 57 mazurkas for piano, which, although inspired by Polish folk music and in particular the folk dance of the same name, are of a very individual, more artistic character, and with them shaped a new musical genre.