EVGENY KISSIN
Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich
One of the Festival's most loyal performers, Evgeny Kissin offers a panoply of his favourite repertoires, from the architectural depth of Bach to the gritty complexity of Shostakovich. A special place is given to Chopin, from the sombre lyricism of the Nocturnes to the fireworks of Scherzo No. 4.
Programme
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Partita No. 2 In C Minor BWV 826
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op. 27 No. 1
Nocturne in A-flat major Op. 32 No. 2
Scherzo No. 4 in E major Op. 54
Interval
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor Op. 61
Prelude and Fugue in D-flat major Op. 87 No. 15
Prelude and Fugue in D minor Op. 87 No. 24
Distribution
- Evgeny Kissin piano
The Partitas for Clavier are one of those works of which we know with certainty that the composer was very proud. And with good reason: they are the only Partitas intentionally published by the composer, then at the height of his talent (Bach had just composed nothing less than the St Matthew Passion).
A Shakespearean shadow hangs over Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 15 No. 3; the composer’s first intention was to subtitle it “At the Cemetery” after seeing a performance of Hamlet. While the Nocturne Op. 55 No. 2 is in a more lyrical vein, with its swaying triplets, the Scherzo No. 4 unleashes a tumultuous energy, somewhere between storms and rainbows.
Like a mirror image of Bach, Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues sometimes explore dark melancholy, sometimes dreamy lightness, and often the implacable law of counterpoint, serving up tremendous emotional tension. The Second Sonata, dating from 1943, stands out for its density of sound, introspective in the slow movement and rhythmically taut in the Finale. There is no doubt that Evgeny Kissin’s fingers, distilling the emotion of each note to its rightful depth, will do justice to this programme, which is a reflection of the artist: dazzling, yet deeply interior.
