Antonello Manacorda & Kirill Gerstein
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Ravel’s two piano concertos are rarely juxtaposed in one concert. However, it was the wish of Artist- in-Residence Kirill Gerstein to present precisely such a juxtaposition: “I have often thought about this combination. The G major Concerto has a wonderful sonic identity and is an optimistic work with no dark undertones. The D major Concerto, on the other hand, despite being in a major tonality, is dark and tragic: this is because the pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who commissioned Ravel to write the Concerto for the Left Hand, had lost his right arm in World War I. The Concerto is thus a work about the tragedy of World War I. It is fascinating that Ravel wrote both piano concertos at almost the same time. By playing them both in one concert, a well-rounded portrait of Ravel the composer emerges. That was my conception.” The conductor Antonello Manacorda complements Ravel’s portrait with Franz Schubert’s Third and Sixth Symphonies.
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Online until June 6, 2023
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