This evening will feature two large-scale symphonic works played side by side: the first is a deservedly popular work from the symphonic repertoire, while the other is a true delicacy that is only rarely heard at concerts anywhere in the world. The chief reason for this is because, as the longest piano concerto ever written, and the largest in scale, it demands enormous stamina on the part of the soloist. This creation of Ferruccio Busoni's is in truth a a monumental five-movement symphony..., with a male chorus in its finale there to sing the closing scene from the drama in verse Aladdin by the Danish Romantic poet Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger. This thrilling composition will be heard in a performance by South Korea's Kun Woo Paik, who turns 70 this year and is at least as much of an eccentric among pianists as Busoni himself, born exactly 150 years ago, was. Owing to his extremely colourful and wide-ranging repertoire, he is considered a unique figure in the international music scene, one who amazes audiences with his mature and unusual productions, as well as with his astonishing musicality and virtuosity.
The work by Brahms being played in the second half of the evening is one of the most melodic pieces in the music literature and is sometimes dubbed the "Viennese” symphony. Its catchy melodies, lightness, variety in character, generally cheerful atmosphere and the explosive force of its finale have been giving its listeners a pleasant and liberating experience since its 1877 world première.