The concert featured three Sonatas by the German Romantic composer Johannes Brahms. The first, known as the Regensonate draws on material from a Lied of the same name: the Regenlied, “Rain Song”. The second, the Thuner-Sonate, depicts the serenity of the mountains and Swiss lake of Thun, and contrasts greatly with the third and final Sonata’s powerful and fiery themes.
Acclaimed for his virtuosity, musicality, and honest playing, in this Verbier Festival concert Leonidas Kavakos allied himself with the young pianist Yuja Wang, who, at 27 years old, is already an accomplished artist. Their duo concert seen here was followed by a Brahms album released by Decca, and then a tour of Europe and North America. In November 2014, Leonidas Kavakos and Yuja Wang were invited to New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall, where they performed a concert live on medici.tv.