Presented by: Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft
PROGRAMME
I. STRAVINSKY Dumbarton Oaks
M. RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major
M. RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin
A. TSFASMAN Suite for Piano and Orchestra (Jazz Suite)
Yuja Wang piano & director
José Maria Blumenschein concertmaster & leader
ABOUT THIS CONCERT
The second collaboration with our Artistic Partner Yuja Wang, takes us through the heart of Europe. With her captivating stage presence, Yuja leads the MCO from the piano, creating a magical interplay bewteen all musicians on stage.
The programme blends classical with contemporary, embracing influences of jazz. Opening with Igor Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks, a neoclassical piece that was inspired by Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos and what became the composers final European composition.
Two pieces from Maurice Ravel's center the programe. On Piano Concerto in G major Ravel said: “My only wish … was to write a genuine concerto, that is, a brilliant work, clearly highlighting the soloist's virtuosity, without seeking to show profundity”. Influenced by the jazz he experienced during his short American tour, the piece brings out the concerto's playful and intricate character, echoing the spirit of Gershwin's rhythms and dreamy French impressionism. Le Tombeau de Couperin (The Grave of Couperin), a suite for solo piano transformed into an orchestral masterpiece was dedicated to friends of the composer who died fighting in World War I. A poignant remembrance, the piece draws structurally upon a Baroque dance suite.
Closing out the programme is Alexander Naumovich Tsfasman's Suite for Piano and Orchestra (Jazz Suite). Known as the "George Gershwin of Russia," Tsfasman's suite combines swinging rhythms, jazz harmonies, and piano passages. Capturing the spirit of Soviet Jazz, the piece interweaves romantic melodies in the style of Rachmaninov.
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