Concertzender Live

After five episodes with an emphasis on Russian composers, today we listen to well known European composers from the 19th century. This isn’t completely out of the blue, since in previous episodes you already heard variations on a theme by Paganini. In this episode this theme is also used, but this time by Brahms. Therefore, Brahms is the prominent composer of this episode. This shows that European and Russian composers were inspired by the same things.

We will play three concerts from our archives today. You will only hear the first part of the first concert: Piano quintet opus 34 by Johannes Brahms.

The second concert with a varied piano programme was recorded on 23 February 1991. Robles de Medina kicks off with the relatively unknown composer Federico Mompou. Robles de Medina plays Mompou’s poetic and soothing short work Secreto, followed by sonata in A minor KV 310 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

Pianist Roderigo Robles de Medina continued his concert with the third Scherzo by Frédéric Chopin. This Scherzo is less known than the first two, but equally beautiful. Pay extra attention to the fast, breathtaking end of this piece. Subsequently you will hear the autumnal and melancholic Intermezzo opus 117 no. 2 by Johannes Brahms. Robles de Medina ends this concert with the first sonata by Alberto Ginastera. In this piece, Astor Piazzolla’s teacher resounds the Argentinian influences in classical music. 

Pianist Nicolas Angelich starts the last concert with Brahms: Paganini Variations Book 1. First he plays the theme, followed by 14 variations. These pieces are incredibly virtuosic and more complex than the Paganini Etudes by Franz Liszt, for example. We continue this concert with the two last parts of the regular programme, both by Maurice Ravel. First up is the masterly and aqueous Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit. It is based on a poem about a water nymph by Aloysius Bertrand. Second, you will hear La Valse, arranged for piano. The rise, the peak and the perishment of the waltz are the central theme. The encore, Nocturne opus 48 no. 1 by Chopin, is played by Nicolas Angelich. Listen to this piece if time allows.