Evgeny Kissin

Thursday 29 March 2018 7.30pm, Hall

Beethoven Piano Sonata in B flat major, Op 106, ‘Hammerklavier’ interval 20 minutes Rachmaninov Preludes: Op 23 Nos 1–7; Op 32 Nos 10, 12 & 13

Evgeny Kissin piano

Part of Barbican Presents 2017–18 Sheila Rock

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If anything limits your enjoyment please let us know The City of London during your visit. Additional feedback can be given Corporation is the founder and online, as well as via feedback forms or the pods principal funder of located around the foyers. the Barbican Centre 2 working onthegrandest of scales,aswell energy andacomplete confidence in life anditaboundswithanew-found creatively difficult periodinthecomposer’s ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata. Thiscameafter a to asinglemightywork: Beethoven’s The first halfof theconcert isdevoted effortlessly from prodigy to mature artist. in thelimelightsincehisteens, progressing surely needsnointroduction, having been Hall atitan amongpianists.Evgeny Kissin Tonight we welcome back to theBarbican Welcome

Available on iTunes, Soundcloud and the Barbican website Barbican the and Soundcloud iTunes, on Available Evgeny Kissin, andNicoMuhly. Iestyn Davies, Joyce DiDonato, SirHarrisonBirtwistle, Sir JamesMacMillan, George Benjamin,Andrew Norman, artists from around theworld. Recent artists include for exclusive interviews andcontent from thebestclassical Stream ordownload ourBarbican ClassicalMusicpodcasts Barbican Classical MusicPodcasts Huw Humphreys, Head of Music,Barbican I hopeyou enjoy theconcert. It promises to beathrillingevening. them inlengthandtechnical intricacy. Chopin’s Preludes leftoff, expanding Rachmaninov. Thesebeginwhere greatest of allcomposer-: Sergey a selectionof Preludes by oneof the Evgeny Kissinpairsthissonata with in terms of sheerdifficulty andstamina. as throwing down agauntletto pianists

dramatically demonstrated than in thissonata, symphonies andquartets. Nowhere isthatmore with ideasthatwould later find theirway into for his own instrumentallowed himto experiment record of hisdevelopment asacomposer. Writing whole hispianosonatas offer acomprehensive with hisvery first setof sonatas, Op 2andasa world of hispresence. Hediditto potent effect Beethoven had usedthepianoto remind the a musicalmanifesto. Itwas not thefirst time But more thanthat,the‘Hammerklavier’ was and Clara Schumannamongtheexceptions. to embrace it;initiallyitdaunted allbutafew, Liszt years of the19th centurythat pianistsreally began of anunderstatement anditwas onlyin thelatter 50 years hence’.Thatturnedoutto besomething pianists somethingto doandthatwillbeplayed standards, describingitas‘asonata thatwillgive knew thework was outof theordinary, even by his ‘Hammerklavier’ isutterly apposite. Beethoven Unlike somany of thesonata nicknames, Bagatelles, Opp 119 and126. Variations epic works suchasthissonata andthe even more startling in thelate period,with pieces andfrom oneto thenext. Thesebecome trajectory andtheextremes explored both within consider thesheerunpredictability of hismusical hardly made matters easy, especiallywhenyou commentators couldgetitwrong. ButBeethoven demonstrating thateven sympathetic Lenz in1855, of thefinale of the‘Hammerklavier’, and undigested mass.’Sowrote Wilhelmvon was never lesssothaninthisnightmare –araw ‘Beethoven was not amanof thefugue,andhe risoluto –Allegro 4 Largo sentimento molto econ –Appassionato sostenuto 3 Adagio vivace Assai 2 Scherzo: 1 Allegro ‘Hammerklavier’ major, 106, Bflat Op in Sonata Piano rubbingshoulderswiththeshard-like Diabelli Diabelli (1817–18) with its huge left-hand leaps, is aimed both at with itshugeleft-handleaps,isaimedboth at gauntlet thathehurlsdown atthevery outset, into somethingfar darker andangrier. Andthe transforms theheroism of the‘Eroica’ Symphony public arena, asymphony for thekeyboard that Opp 90 and101, thisisvery muchareturn to the After thefundamentally inward qualitiesof hour). dominating muchof thenext three quarters of an descending fanfare thatlaunchesthepieceand the interval of afalling third, heard initiallyinthe from themostbasicof musicalblocks (particularly obsessive qualityinbuildingthelargest edifices world anew-found vitality, astrength andan creative impasse,andwhichannouncedto the which occupiedhimfor over ayear following a the Scherzomaterial. Butthere’s onefurthershock passage of pianistic recitative thatleads back to staccato passage and thento afull-blown slung Bflat minorTrio gives way first to adogged composer subverts ourexpectations, for thewide- a third dominatingeverything) buteven here the opening ideaof thefirst movement (thatinterval of accentuation ordrivingenergy, parodies the in timescalebutnot inforce of personality, finally resolved inthefinale. TheScherzo,fleeting when Bminorfirst intrudesandwhichisonly up intherecapitulation of thefirst movement, a sketchbook asa‘black key’). It’satension set very distant Bminor(describedby Beethoven in It’s alsoabattleof two keys, Bflat majorandthe technical andinterpretative challenges. monumental undertaking, withitsunprecedented sufficiently brave (orfoolhardy) to attempt this audiences andatissuingacaveat to any

(1770–1827)

3 Programme notes 4 an Adagio sostenuto movingly describedby movement to befound anywhere inBeethoven, meant it,for whatisto follow isthelongestslow could beinterchanged. Surely hecouldn’thave pupil Ferdinand Riesthatthemiddlemovements ironic, then,thatthecomposerwrote to hisformer not force) after theepicopeningmovement. It’s we needsomethingsmall-scale(induration if Placing itsecondwas nocasualdecision,for unmissable. B minor excursion inthefirst movement, thisoneis in the‘wrong’ key. Ifwe’d failed to register the distorted version of theScherzo’sopeningmotif he thenlingersin,goingsofar asto present a hammered Bflats interrupted by Bnaturals, akey in store, for Beethoven suddenlybreaks off with interval would Busoni. have beennowhere withoutthispiece;nor climaxes inthewholeof music.Brucknerwould all initspathandbuildsto oneof thegreatest dissonance, themovement threatens to annihilate its subjectintentionally ruggedanddelightingin will ultimately beresolved. Hugeandferocious, the tension between Bflat majorandBminor that soperplexed Lenztakes over. Itishere that eerie improvisation before thatmightyfugue Beethoven leads into thefinale viaanextended than thedead. suffering isvery muchamongthelivingrather Appassionato econmolto sentimento thatthe though it’sclearfrom theadditional markingof Lenz as‘amausoleumof collective suffering’, 20 minutes

the set. the set. Evgeny Kissindemonstrates inthefirst seven of lusciously melodiousworld asthatconcerto, as Musically, thesepreludes occupy thesame surrounding thepremiere of hisFirstSymphony. some two years causedby thenow infamous farce had itselfbeenwritten after anartistichiatusof footsteps of theSecondPianoConcerto, which Op 23were written in1901–3 andfollow inthe before him. the total to 24,justasChopin andBach had done a setof 10 (Op 23)and13 more 32), bringing (Op reaction are understandable. Thiswas followed by he cameto loatheit;both itspopularityandhis C sharpminorPrelude, awork sopopularthat first made his markinthegenre withtheyouthful was working onanaltogether larger scale.He and Scriabinare relatively compact, Rachmaninov or asuite of dances.Butwhereas thoseof Chopin proudly independent,nolongeryoked to afugue and Alkan. Inthe19th centurytheprelude became encompassed jewels by Chopin,Scriabin,Busoni stretched back to Bach andearlier andwhichalso tradition whenhecomposedhisPreludes, onethat Sergey Rachmaninov was following inagrand (Grave) major Dflat in 13 No (Allegro) minor Gsharp in 12 No (Lento) Bminor in 10 No 32 Op Preludes, (Allegro) Cminor 7 in No. (Andante) major Eflat 6 in No marcia) (Alla Gminor 5 in No cantabile) (Andante Dmajor 4 in No minuetto) (Tempo di Dminor 3 in No (Maestoso) major Bflat 2 in No (Largo) minor Fsharp 1 in No 23 Op Preludes, Sergey Rachmaninov (1910) (1901–3) – a melancholymelodyissetagainst auneasy the slower-moving numbers,suchasNo 1, where artist of prodigious skills.Thatisevident even in attempting to play Rachmaninov’s needsto bean of arange of abilitiesto play them,anyone the accessible to thevirtuosic,allowing pianists Whereas Chopin’sOp 28Preludes range from markings are and richchordal textures. Mostof thedynamic adds anextrovert theme,fullof dotted rhythms arpeggios inthelefthand,to whichtherighthand with adefiant brilliance.Thisissetupby ringing major Prelude banishesthemoodof introspection centre, itendsasbegan, Though itrisesto animpassionedclimax atits semiquaver accompaniment inthelefthand. arpeggios, to whichthecomposerthenadds the arching melodysetagainst slowly swirling D major andaPrelude thatconsoles,itsglorious, a rare qualityinthiscomposer. From Dminorto is aPrelude thatsoundsattimesalmostplayful – exploitation of thelower endof thekeyboard. This minuetto’, thoughcoloured by Rachmaninov’s back to anearlierera of grace withits‘tempo di The Third offers contrast again, thistimeharking concludes withanoutpouringof doubleoctaves. – (1873–1943) forte orabove andthework pianissimo . The B flat . TheBflat

5 Programme notes 6 them (Nos 5,11 and 12) were written inasingle was composedinamere 19 days. Infact three of And thatwas certainly thecasewiththisset,which limited to shortburstswhenever timepermitted. practising musician socompositiontended to be Préludes in whichDebussy completed hisown first setof the genre of theprelude, asitwas alsotheone The year was somethingof an the heelsof another concerto, thistimetheThird. a performer, andthesePreludes follow hot on Rachmaninov was atthepeakof hispowers as By thetimeof Op 32,composedin1910, both handsasitemerges from themassof notes. brilliant andfervent, themelodyshared between of thekeyboard. No 7isan spending muchof itstimeintheupperregister accompaniment, andthepieceisstrikingfor Rachmaninov) against atrickling,far-reaching melody (instantly recognisable asbeingby The richlyRomantic SixthPrelude setsayearning Mendelssohnian. with aquicksilver gesture thatispositively a surpriseuphissleeve andthepieceends momentum andpower. Butthecomposerhas march rhythm steals back inandquicklygathers melody, whichisalltoo quicklybanishedasthe inner sectionby themostbeguilinglybeautiful rhythm, gruffly accented. Thisisalleviated inthe epic aboutit,setupby itspurposefulmarching lasting under4minutes, it has asenseof the set, was alsothefirst to becomposed.Despite The Fifth,arguably thebest-known of theOp 23 once more. briefly impassioned,butsoonsinks back to lyricism gentlest of countermelodies. Themoodbecomes . Rachmaninov was inhugedemandasa étude annus mirabilis -like number, for for recalls No 2,thoughnow strippedof itsunease), preludes (suchasthepuckishdotted figure which decades earlier. Thenthere are hintsof previous minor Prelude thathad begunitallnearlytwo several respects. For astart, itrecalls theCsharp rhetorical chordal writing,comesfullcircle in The final Prelude, whichopenswithlusciously more diaphanousasitdancesoff into theether. leaving theaccompaniment to becomeever becomes predominant before itsdiesaway, that isalmostpercussive, itsmore soulfulquality resignation. After thismelodyhasbuiltto aclimax Rachmaninovian initsmixof passionand for another left-handmelody–unmistakably wide-slung accompaniment settingthescene No 12 takes usto more fevered territory, a silence. curlicue of aphrase andthenadescentinto once more. There’s afinal, achingly poignant (the melodylineinthetenor) before subsiding repeated chords, creating agreat wall of sound itself into writinghewn from great slabsof siciliano almost withasenseof stasis. Gradually, alanguid is ararity amongtheOp 32Preludes inbeginning Evgeny Kissinperforms three from theset;No 10 minor/A major)and10 and11 (Bminor/Bmajor). respectively, 6and7(Fminor/Fmajor),89(A keys –Nos 3and4,inEmajorminor frequently pairspreludes inmajorandminor material usedbutalsoin the way Rachmaninov organic initsconception,not justinterms of explains why Op 32asawholeisparticularly day. Anditisperhapsthatspeedwhichpartially Programme notes ©HarrietSmith keyboard. proclaims thepianistasmaster of theentire in bell-like figuration, andacodathatboldly combined withedgyaccelerations culminating rhythm, luxuriantlyharmonised,rouses Felix Broede by hisfirst tour of Japan.In December 1988 he 1985 inEastern Europe, followed ayear later His first appearances outsideRussiawere in were recorded live. the next two years, several of hisperformances in album was released thefollowing year. During was recorded live by Melodiya, andatwo-LP Philharmonic underDmitriKitaienko. Thisconcert withtheMoscow State two pianoconcertos intheGreat Hall of the when, attheage of 12, heperformed Chopin’s came to international attention inMarch 1984 his first solorecital inMoscow oneyear later. He Mozart’s PianoConcerto, K466andhegave age of 10, hemade hisconcerto debutplaying Kantor, whohasremained hisonlyteacher. Atthe Music, where hewas astudentof AnnaPavlovna for gifted children, theMoscow GnessinSchoolof at theage of 2.At6,heentered aspecialschool began to play by earandimprovise onthepiano Evgeny Kissinwas borninMoscow in1971 and great orchestras of theworld. Riccardo MutiandSeiji Ozawa, aswell asallthe Dohnányi, CarloMariaGiulini,LorinMaazel, Ashkenazy, DanielBarenboim, Christoph von conductors, includingClaudioAbbado, Vladimir has appeared withmany of theworld’s leading veneration. Heisindemandtheworld over, and virtuosity have earnedhimconsiderable quality of hisinterpretations, andhisextraordinary Evgeny Kissin’smusicality, thedepthandpoetic Evgeny Kissin Evgeny Kissin About the performer piano guest atthe1992 Grammy Awards Ceremony, Academy of MusicinSiena.Hewas special the Musicianof theYear Prizefrom theChigiana year 1986 (hisfirst inJapan).In1991 hereceived Symphony Hallfor thebestperformance of the 1987 hereceived theCrystal Prizeof theOsaka world have beenshowered uponthepianist.In Musical awards andtributes from around the Hall. Amsterdam, Chicago, Boston andatCarnegie Baden-Baden, Paris, Munich,Essen,Vienna, Quartet for thefirst time,withperformances in Europe andNorthAmericawiththeEmerson and orchestral appearances. Healsotours in addition to numerous European recitals York, Chicago, Washington, DCandToronto, This seasonhegives solorecitals inNew live by BMGClassics. centennial seasonwithadebutrecital, recorded The following week heopenedCarnegieHall’s York Philharmonic,conducted by ZubinMehta. both Chopinpianoconcertos withtheNew year, made hisNorth Americandebut,performing appearance attheBBC Proms and,inthesame broadcast internationally. In1990 hemade hisfirst Berlin PhilharmonicinaNew Year’s concert performed withHerbertvon Karajan andthe in France. Grand Prixof LaNouvelle Académie duDisque Grammy awards, andtheDiapasond’Or included theEdisonKlassiekinThe Netherlands, awards andaccolades. Past awards have His recordings have alsoreceived numerous Kong University. an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from theHong of MusicinLondon.Mostrecently hewas given an honorary membershipof theRoyal Academy musical honours.InJune2005hewas awarded the Shostakovich Award, oneof ’shighest prize. InDecember2003inMoscow, hereceived making himtheyoungest-ever recipient of that for hisoutstanding contributionto Russia’sculture, 1997 hereceived theprestigious Triumph Award youngest Instrumentalist of theYear in1995. In one billion,andbecame broadcast live to anaudienceestimated atover MusicalAmerica ’s ’s

7 About the performer Wed 11 Apr Piotr Anderszewski in recital The stylish pianist performs Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli Variations and selected Bach Preludes and Fugues Book now at barbican.org.uk/classical

Piotr Anderszewski A5 mono programme ad.indd 1 07/03/2018 16:04