“Wang can do it all, her artistry is complete. She commands both the piano and the hall.” – Het Parool. Yuja Wang is a true phenomenon. She is praised for her virtuosity, artistic expression, and captivating stage presence, ranking among the best pianists in the world. She will now perform music by Hungarian composer György Ligeti. Written in 1988, his Piano Concerto offers an incredibly engaging listening experience. The successful Italian-British conductor Robin Ticciati will be on the podium. Those who were present on October 18, 2024, in Eindhoven, when he conducted Sibelius with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, know what he is capable of.
By the way, Ligeti isn’t quite as modern as one might think: “With my Piano Concerto, I present […] my independence from the traditional avant-garde…” Following Ligeti comes Gustav Mahler. His dramatic, tumultuous, deeply personal, and profoundly romantic Fifth Symphony begins with the characteristic trumpet call of the Austro-Hungarian army. A symphony that simply contains the most beautiful of Mahler: the fourth movement, Adagietto. It doesn’t get much more intimate than this. Nor more heartfelt. Is it because he wrote it for his great love, his young wife Alma? Or because he accompanied it with a small poem that begins with the words, “Wie ich dich Liebe, Du meine Sonne”?
