Felix Broede/Sony Classical Part of Barbican Presents 2019–20 Part of Levit Igor Featured Artist Hall Barbican Sun 26 Jan 7.30pm Shostakovich Levit plays Igor

1 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 2 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall Important information allowed in the hall. the in allowed are not Drinks queues. the to beat drinks interval -1, Gand 1. Pre-order Levels on are located Bars refreshment? for Looking 20-minute interval. 20-minute 10.20pm,about a with 7.30pm at and finishes at begins concert The and finish? start concert the does When for the curtain call. curtain the for –save it performance the recordings during Take or photos Please don’t…

performance. break insuitable the a there if is admitted be will Latecomers I’m late! running on Levelon G. toilet accessible a further Levels -1 and 1. There is on aretoilets, located accessible including toilets, nearest The the toilets? for Looking hall. the entering on aid to Tsetting hearing your switch –just loop our use induction Please Use a hearing aid?

the performance. the to during silent phones andalarms mobile Switch any watch Please… during the interval. the during or performance, in the break asuitable there is if readmitted and be time You any at can leave abreak? Need cloakroom on Level on -1.cloakroom our free at off Drop them coats? and bags Carrying

Advertising by Cabbell (tel 020 3603 7930) 3603 (tel 020 by Cabbell Advertising All information at time correct of printing Smith by Harriet produced Programme tonight’s performance of Busoni andof Ronald Busoni Stevenson. by likes the pieces of lesser-known champion and afirm rangeby of repertoire, awide of sonatas), the he’s but cycle fascinated acomplete (and autumn released pianist last aBeethoven as his name made first He importantly, alive it his for audiences. bring and, most of repertoire demanding most the allows him that piano to the tackle at an ease with intellect afearsome combines He acclaimed. hugely already is Levit Igor thirties, in his early only still Though Levit. Igor of pianist musicianship the extraordinary celebrating series Artist Featured our in first the A warm to welcome tonight’s concert, to Welcome

Head of Music Head HumphreysHuw you enjoy Ihope it. occasion. wonderful Tonight’s a to promises be concert 19 on by Beethoven, Brahms and Bartók music and aprogramme for of chamber 13 on Hinterhäuser February Markus pianist fellow with and Messiaen Shostakovich of aconcert for returns Levit Igor in between. shade emotional troubled, every with to darkly playful own, in and they mood, from range wide Clavier inspired by Bach’sbeen Well-Tempered Fugues and programme, 24 the Preludes featuring Today’s demanding atypically is concert February. February. but the language is all Russian’s is the language the but of Shostakovich. They may have have They may of Shostakovich.

3 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 4 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall Part of Barbican Presents 2019–20 Presents Barbican of Part Part of IgorLevit Featured Artist Igor Levit Nos Shostakovich interval 20minutes Nos Shostakovich Hall Barbican Sun 26 Jan 7.30pm Shostakovich Levit plays Igor 13–24 1–12

piano 24 Preludes and Fugues: Fugues: and 24 Preludes Fugues: and 24 Preludes

Well-Tempered Clavier ofThe Fugues and Preludes 48 complete the her with brought had who and Conservatoire Moscow the from graduated recently had who pianist and composer Tatiana Nikolayeva, 26-year-old the was entrants the Among jury. ofthe amember was and delegation cultural Soviet the headed Shostakovich Dmitry in Leipzig. year that July in held competition, Bach was international the first bicentenary Bach’s of 1950 the in celebrations events ofOne the significant most 87Op (1950–1) Fugues, and 24 Preludes ShostakovichDmitry (1906–75) the works he was able to get performed – – performed to get able was he works the of nature The unperformed. remained had Poetry Folk Jewish From the song-cycle Violin Concerto, the First as such years, difficult these from works serious most his and campaign, ofthe victims main ofthe one was Shostakovich waryears. of the freedom relative the after line into back arts the to bring initiative Stalinist ofageneral part were Zhdanov. by Andrey These spearheaded campaigns ‘anti-formalist’ ofthe fallout the from suffering 1948 been had Shostakovich early since that given remarkable more the all Fugues and Preludes ofthe appearance The months. ahalf and offour over aperiod appeared 24 and own Preludes Fugues his compose to Moscow, in out set he Back Serebryakov. Pavel and Nikolayeva alongside case) this in (pianos harpsichords three for Concerto D minor ofBach’s Yudina aperformance Maria for for in filled he where in continued immersion Bach Shostakovich’s contestants. Soviet female other by two shared being second the prize, first the to win on went She request. on them

and the Fourth String Quartet, Quartet, String Fourth the and , ready to play any of any of to play , ready , which is is simply to label them as abstract works that that works abstract as them to label simply reductive Yet equally be would it precarious. extremely character musical their down to pin the of elusiveness Shostakovichian typically The 11th (1957). Symphony his in by Shostakovich such as exploited music, motifs of Russian revolutionary song and art characteristic around built ofthemes prevalence Fugue Prelude and minor Fsharp ofthe inflexions Jewish the in instance –for resonance cultural contemporary ofmore hints ofBach, reminders numerous the alongside to find, hard not is It dramaturgical interpretation. or anarrative for also but decoding speculative for only not material rich provided language, musical ofhis ambivalence innate the with combined campaign, anti-Semitic) for effect in War Stalin’s and (a ‘anti-cosmopolitan’ cover Cold the as such factors, contextual other with project ofthe incongruity that, the Beyond general. in standards artistic ofSoviet also but colleagues composer ofhis only not levels tolerance the testing certainly was Shostakovich 1951 March in Union Composers’ by the review Fugue and Preludes the submitting for tuneful and programmatic music, when Given the still-prevailing demand official integrity. and ofself-esteem measure a to salvage attempt an and wellsprings artistic Fugues Preludes and ofthe appearance the context, this In persona. musical public his down to dumb obliged was he to which extent to the testament Belinsky Forests of Song the The oratorio Stalinist the including makes any attempt any attempt makes andPreludes Fugues 8, and more generally in the the in generally more and 8, , No The Fall of Berlin of Fall The scores film the and represents both a return to untainted to untainted areturn both represents The Unforgettable Year Unforgettable The and 1919 –is

s for peer peer s for ,

5 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 6 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 34. of24, 34. set Op his himself, with Shostakovich and Alkan – to Scriabin, sense of excitement or tension. or ofexcitement sense to an create increasing succession theme reappears in and closer closer the whereby fugues writing when Stretto composer. the for tricky it makes which ofwriting, form strict it’savery and fugue turn. The dominates ‘subject’ the entire in part other by each pitch adifferent at taken up then is and fugues) instrumental a‘voice’ as (known in even part one in heard first is which short, often ‘subject’), Fugue Glossary 12 of books two Debussy’s of24 via set the list much gets longer, from Chopin’s the only prelude, and consider equation the from fugue you remove the Once ways. creative highly in challenge tothe responded all have Kapustin Hindemith, Diamond David and Nikolai as diverseComposers as Mendelssohn, by JSB. inspired to be one only the Fugues and Preludes of24 set own his wrote Shostakovich death, Bach’s Two after years hundred musica of1702). Ariadne his and to Johann Ferdinand Caspar Fischer goes honour –that first the wasn’t he key fact in (though minor and major Tempered Clavier ‘48’ Well- –the so-called his produced he when fugues and preludes for atrend started famously J SBach history potted a Fugues: and Preludes Préludes

A fugue takes a theme (the (the atheme takes A fugue An effect used by composers used by composers An effect – tone-poems in miniature miniature in –tone-poems , with pieces in every every in pieces , with but he wasn’t wasn’t he but The The 3 (G major): No Fugue Cminor to Bach’s references three-voice Prelude ofthe figuration running neo-Bachian, the from introduced: is ofplay principle The minor): 2 (A No harmony is left strikingly unresolved at the end. end. the at unresolved strikingly left is harmony the while bass, the into declamation the and treble the into moving chords the unfolds, piece the as round are swapped these treble; the in rich chords outbursts set against declamatory and octaves striding majestic with textures, its note Preludeof the rhythm sarabande-like gentle The music. simple (1938), rather than this is music simplicity about Quartet String First Shostakovich’s with as Just one. making by not effect, in make astatement, –to interference by official untainted thought, musical ofpure arealm to enter like attempt an feels air C-major clean, The 1 (CNo major): awhole. as experienced is cycle the when journey ofpsychological sense to acompelling contributing ofinter-relations, aweb create that links over-arching are numerous there set the Chopin’s from 28 Preludes derives Op of24 Preludes series his in used already had he (C–G–D–A) succession scale, Shostakovich follows the circle-of-fifths Fugues and major/minor ofPreludes pair successive each Well-Tempered Bach’s Whereas Clavier Prelude G major the in evident (most grandeur and, overlapping, Fugues and Preludes minor-key slow (as ofthe several in balance of by way A minor, meditation 2), sober No Fugue and Prelude C major (the opening are renewal these cycle: ofthe pieces four first the in out are set ofwhich all groups, character distinct four into speaking, fall, broadly they composer. fact In the of persona private the than more no manifest Fugue ), playfulness (as in the mischievous mischievous (as the in playfulness ), . according to a rising chromatic Fugue is followed by a hushed, all-white- by ahushed, followed is 3). 3). ofNo filled with mischievous mischievous with filled 4), 4), No with , beginning Prelude to the near-grotesque to near-grotesque the (1932–3), turn in which is organ-like in in organ-like is (Book 1). (Book . Within . Within places places A fast gigue- A fast rise and fall. and rise meditative slow, to another leads chords low-register with interspersed figuration running with prelude 10 ANo quasi-chorale- minor): (C sharp ofplay. element the back bringing cycle, Fugue two-voice only the for prepares Prelude the in of register A extremes dialogue major): 9 (E between No Fugue prolonged the in states Prelude the in at hints Shostakovich that idiom Jewish to the due resonances, political socio- strong carries set, this ofthe moving most ofthe One minor): sharp 8 (F No on broken chords. three-voice sparkling The middle. the in passage chromatic ashort for except diatonic, purely is music The Prelude morning-dew restrained, the dominates beginnings ofnew Asense major): 7 (A No Fugue meditative the for way the paves ending hushed style French ouverture- returns in the double-dotted, 4 ofNo mood sober The minor): 6 (B No end. the near entries overlapping ingenious some make for notes that repeated four staccato featuring Fugue by ahumoresque followed is It minuet. ofafast character the at hinting bass and treble and singing accompaniment like arpeggiated harpsichord- its antiquity, and ofrestraint air The major): 5 (D No and passion. meditative The four-voice bass. the majestic against set quavers accompanying drooping by continuous reinforced undertones, tragic has style prelude Prelude stately This minor): 4 (E No the end. ( overlapping and section middle the in modulations wide-ranging set, with the in fugues ofthe majority ofthe pattern to the Prelude , in four voices and with a two-part subject. subject. atwo-part with and voices four , in Fugue Fugue Fugue . After an emotional outburst, a a outburst, emotional an . After Fugue Fugue with an overall arch-shaped overall an arch-shaped with power accumulates gradually has a subject ingeniously built built ingeniously asubject has follows, laid out according according out laid follows, Prelude , often in unison, unison, in , often stretto . has an ambiguous ambiguous an has ) entries towards towards ) entries then overtly overtly then in chorale- in in the the in , . of repose for the listener and performer. performer. and listener the for of repose island another for allowing flavours, dance rustic Prelude faux-naïf ofthe asense and character to pastoral Areturn 17No major): flat (A constant Fugue even improvisatory-sounding and ornate searching, and long extremely by an followed is It figuration. accumulating rhythmically with design, aquasi-passacaglia in Prelude translucent and expressive profoundly 16 The No minor): flat (B whirlwind. anear-atonal from order tonal wrests latter the while tonal, mainly but quizzical and and Prelude its between interrelation to the thanks intriguing, most ofthe one and set ofthe known best- of the one is This 15No major): flat (D tonality. by the coloured darkly motion aflowing has musical motif. Fugue swaying The three-voice Mussorgskian Mussorgskian atmosphere dominates the declamatory A 14 darkNo and minor): menacing flat (E oftonalities. canvas acomplex and like style achorale- with voices, five in set ofthe one only Fugue 7. 1 and Nos long-drawn-out The air, offresh to breath comparable another is 6/8 Prelude lilting The 13No major): sharp (F interval 20minutes a grandstand conclusion. have been page deliberately withdraws from what might a convoluted fast Fugue fast a convoluted Prelude the for passacaglia grave a set, with ofthe half first to the conclusion agrand 12 is No This minor): (G sharp Shostakovich’s early theatre scores. Fugue the of mischief 11No gavotte-like The major): (B Prelude Fugue which recalls the headstrong energy of of energy headstrong the recalls which is followed by a gaily tripping Fugue tripping by agaily followed is pianissimo . The former is alternately sarcastic sarcastic alternately is former . The gives way to a strongly accented accented to astrongly way gives Prelude . , with tremolos as its main main its as tremolos , with in 5/4 time, whose last 5/4 in last whose time, , followed by by , followed l2, l2, like is, No , held at a a at , held in the the in is the the is with with

7 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 8 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall The The 21No major): flat (B Cmajor. in coda aserene with ending tableau, thoughtful expansive, an into Prelude ofthe bar first the Symphony. Fugue The the in recitatives bleak The (C minor): 20 No metre and modal language. Fugue contorted chromatically register.in Another descend gradually interjections the while spaced alternations becoming gradually more closely the interjections, spiky with chorales brassy The 19No major): flat (E major resolution. Prelude the in as comes, end it, the and The Prelude the opens aria instrumental melancholic and expressive 18No An minor): (F Programme note by Michelle Assay by Michelle note Programme ofdefiance. note unmistakable an on cycle the Dmajor,to atriumphant concluding way gives ofoctaves towards acascade tension Prelude final ofthis course the During minor): (D 24 No before the experience final piece. consolatory Fugue curvaceous by aflowing, followed is serene, manner, Romantically yet also chorale-prelude Prelude A beatific major): (F 23 No Fugue meditative and to afloating leads aria, ofaBach ritornello the from though as harmonies, over grave figuration The (G minor): 22 No conclusion. Fugue a skipping étude The cycle. ofthe element playful ofthe example prime accelerating double Fugue ofalong, culmination towards the form higher Prelude ofthe grandeur the peroration, (1953) amonumental In born. being composer’s 10th ofthe Symphony movement first Prelude Fugue ; the two add up to an elevated, elevated, toan up add two ; the follows, teasing the listener with its 5/4 its with listener the teasing follows, and Fugue and ’s subject also has a singing quality to to quality asinging has also ’s subject pre-echo the opening of the 11th ofthe opening the pre-echo -like -like which reaches a strenuous astrenuous reaches which we can virtually hear the epic epic the hear virtually we can Prelude with a song-like subject. subject. a song-like with ’s subject is derived from from derived is ’s subject Prelude and is then worked worked then is and . The ever-increasing . ever-increasing The re-emerges in in re-emerges Prelude Prelude is followed by by followed is ’s Baroque-style ’s Baroque-style alternates alternates is another another is in Bach- in , with an F F an , with . ‘On his return home to The The 24 masterpieces, each vast overallvast concept.’ world. They can and with own its internal At a performance of of performance a At TatianaNikolayeva Preludes and Fugues and Preludes Bach’s They cycle. are a Shostakovich immediately Shostakovich immediately the whole cycle it is the whole it cycle is to listen to him play the Moscow from Leipzig, new word in polyphony. to compared be must him day every and he telephoned I his request of unsurpassed mastery mastery unsurpassed of possible to follow its piece he had just written. began to compose his his to compose began is awork of great depth, and greatness. It contains contains It greatness. and asked me to come to him Preludes and Fugues and Preludes . At At .

(1906–75) ShostakovichDmitry his Fifth Symphonyhis Fifth (1937), more superficially wrote he response In peril. in life, his possibly career, his found and suddenly Shostakovich Pravda newspaper state the in followed and almost immediately a vicious attack Macbeth Lady saw Stalin dictator Soviet Two life. later, years however,artistic the ofSoviet forefront the at him putting success, 1934, in stunning another premiered was District of the Mtsensk Macbeth Lady The opera part-tragic part-satirical, his But others. experimental, delighting some but enraging grew wildly style Shostakovich’s republic Communist ofthe years heady early the In international success. 19. at piece graduation an was it ayear Within a as Symphony First his wrote He Conservatory. city’s to the 13 just at admitted was and he recognised, soon was talent developing rapidly of the Revolution the Victims for March Funeral composition, first his in it marked he of1917 Revolution October the broke out, and 11 was He uprising. when popular a massed of repression brutal the 1906, after year the in Petersburg St in born was He Shostakovich. ofDmitry that than tellingly more times its of imprint the composers’sFew bears music . His . His . , , Profile by Stephen Johnson secure. now is composers important most 20th-century’s ofthe one as status His same. the felt have world the across numbers increasing 1975 in death his since and it in encouragement and comfort found Russians fellow many ofhis music, finest ofhis ofmuch character dark the Yet despite mortality. on to brood tendency there’s works later his a in drastically, and seemed unassailable, but his health failed life cultural Soviet in position Shostakovich’s years ofmyself’. later In memory ‘in composed autobiographical Eighth (1960) Quartet as patently his described composer the that said according to some he considered suicide. It is far, too and acapitulation was this felt he seems it but debated, still is ofcoercion result the was this To Party. extent what Communist 1960,in ofmany, the surprise joined he tothe Shostakovich found himself rehabilitated. Then 1950s, later ofthe ‘thaw’ political the During Symphony hidden. closely 10th the and Concerto Violin First the as such dangerousserious, potentially compositions writing propaganda pieces, while keeping more by 1953, in survived ofStalin death Shostakovich the after until years, few next Zhdanov. the For Andrey secretary Committee Central Soviet the 1948 in denunciation by official his in culminated that aprocess attack, under himself found again warShostakovich the after But itself. Petersburg) (St Leningrad remarkably, besieged in including, world, over the all performed was It city. native ofhis siege devastating the during written partly 7), (No Symphony ‘Leningrad’ his with status hero achieved again World War, Second the During Shostakovich music. the in dissent impassioned of anote detected also time the at some approvalconclusion. Official followed, yet optimistic outwardly an with furnished and than previous majorworks, conservative

9 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 10 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall moved to Germany withhisfamily attheage Born inNizhny Novgorod in1987, IgorLevit Orchestra. Orchestra andtheViennaPhilharmonic international tours withtheZurichTonhalle Concertgebouw Orchestra, aswell as Chicago Symphony Orchestra andRoyal with theBerlinPhilharmonicOrchestra, Highlights of pastseasonsincludehisdebuts London PhilharmonicOrchestra. Orchestra, LeipzigGewandhausorchester and and returns amongothers to theCleveland Orchestra, conducted by Manfred Honeck, tour inEurope withthePittsburgh Symphony Orchestral engagements willseehimon Beethoven to Messiaen. concerts, withrepertoire ranging from tonight’s solorecital plustwo chamber at theBarbican.Theresidency comprises This seasonheisalsotheFeatured Artisthere Symphony Hall. Washington DCandSanFrancisco’s Davies Princeton University, theKennedy Center in at, amongothers, New York’s CarnegieHall, all-Beethoven sonata programme –appearing season willseehimontour intheUSA withan Stockholm’s Konserthuset. Theendof the Festival, ElbphilharmonieHamburg and three Beethoven sonata-cycles attheLucerne season alsomarks thestart of aseriesof of thecomplete Beethoven sonatas. This Igor Levit’s highlyanticipated first recording In September 2019 Sony Classicalreleased . the University of Music,Drama andMediain was appointed professor athisalmamater, the Heidelberg SpringFestival andlastyear Academy andtheStandpunkte Festival at the ArtisticDirector of theChamberMusic Society’s Instrumentalist of theYear. Heis that sameyear won theRoyal Philharmonic Levit was namedthe2018 Gilmore Artistand the essentialartistsof hisgeneration’, Igor Hailed by theNew York Timesas‘oneof piano LevitIgor

at Sadler’s Wells. to himby theTrustees of IndependentOpera plays aSteinway DGrand Piano,kindlygiven In Berlin,where hemakes hishome,IgorLevit Award andRecord of theYear in2016. Rzewski, won Gramophone ’s Instrumental featuring works by Bach, Beethoven and the complete Bach Partitas , whilehisthird, (both 2014). Hissecond recording featured Philharmonic Society’sYoung ArtistAward Newcomer of theYear Award andtheRoyal last five sonatas won theBBC MusicMagazine Classical andhisdebutdiscof Beethoven’s He hasanexclusive contract withSony the institute. and performance scores inthehistory of Media in2009withthehighestacademic Hanover University of Music,Drama and of 8.Hecompleted hispianostudiesatthe

Felix Broede/Sony Classical about Igor Levit need to know Five things you Will Never Defeated! Be Rzewski’s Diabellis Goldbergs of the repertoire: Bach’s recording was of three giants variation form, and his third He’s aman with obsessed pro-European statement. which many saw asa Night of the 2017 Proms, as an encore atthe First Beethoven’s rumpus when he performed of something a caused And political aswell asmusical. speaking out on matters that bears outHe by Pianist. European. Citizen. Human being. His handle reads: just 25 when he made it. by any standards. was He sonatas, adaring debut was of Beethoven’s five last recording first-ever His and Frederic Frederic and The People United United People The , Beethoven’s

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11 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Hall 12 Igor Levit plays Shostakovich Sun 26 Jan, Barbican Hall

Peter Meisel of Shostakovich’s haunting 15th haunting Symphony.of Shostakovich’s version l’Amen de Visions pared-down a and Messiaen’s ecstatic perform friends and Levit Igor concert, thought-provoking atypically In Thu 13 Feb 7.30pm, Milton Court Shostakovich and Levit plays Messiaen Igor we can recommend the following concerts: following the recommend we can youIf enjoyed today’s performances, soon yousee again to We hope whatever time you choose to visit. to visit. you choose time whatever free, always and open always It’s events. and commissions youwhere can installations, see G, space Level avibrant visit also You can architecture. Brutalist iconic ofour history to the introduction are agreat tours towers, Barbican ofthe heights soaring to the theatre ofthe depths sunken the From Barbican the Discover

Robbie Lawrence anarchic pianos Sonata for and two percussion. Haydn Brahms’s version, atwo-piano in Fuge Grosse Beethoven’s iconic perform friends and Levit Igor Wed 19 Feb 7.30pm, Hall Bartók and Brahms Levit plays Beethoven,Igor Variations gleefully and Bartók’s