Two renowned and extraordinarily demanding works: Beethoven's final piano sonata and Liszt's B minor sonata. To kick off the concert, we'll hear a Haydn sonata, and between the Beethoven and the Liszt we'll also get a Chopin ballade and two Schubert impromptus. It is a remarkable programme that presents an enormous burden on the performer and demands a great deal from the audience as well - as the latter likewise "has to work" for the experience. But that is natural when the occasion in question is the Cziffra Festival and the performer is one of the most exacting pianists of our era, Denis Matsuev, who always raises the bar to the highest possible level.
We first got to know the young man from Irkutsk decades ago as a gladiator of the piano. His exceptional endurance and extraordinary virtuosity enabled him to perform several concertos by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff or Liszt in a single evening - the kind of pieces of which one is already enough to play at a concert. As the years passed, we learned more and more about him. We found out how rich in colours his playing is, how poetic and sensitive to the great diversity of characters it is, no...t to mention what a splendid sense of humour he has. We also realised that Matsuev is not merely an extraordinary virtuoso, one who is often likened to Vladimir Horowitz: he is also a sensitive and versatile artist who is receptive to music carrying a deep message. On this evening, we will hear two such pieces, as Beethoven's final piano sonata is a monumental example of the philosophical later compositions, one that owes its unusual shape to - beyond its modern sound world - what Thomas Mann construed in Doktor Faustus as a farewell to the sonata form. Liszt's B-minor sonata, on the other hand, is a work of Faustian complexity due to its format consisting of a single movement segmented into several parts and style of composition that develops everything from a single theme. The former champion Matsuev will today take the stage as a profound thinker.
The government of Hungary has pronounced the hundredth anniversary of the birth of György Cziffra to be a memorial year, and UNESCO has added it to its list of jointly celebrated anniversaries.
The program is taking place as part of the György Cziffra anniversary year with the support of the Prime Minister's Office and the Bethlen Gábor Fund Management Ltd.
Presented by: Müpa Budapest, György Cziffra anniversary year
Parking information
The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
Refreshments – Without the Queue
Thanks to our new catering service at the Átrium Snack Bar, you can forget about waiting in line during intermissions for some refreshments and get your order prepped especially for you by the time the intermission actually starts. Find out more about pre-ordering here.
Safe ticket purchase
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