David Fray News
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2024-04-25
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2024-03-28 07:26:00
Without a shadow of doubt, a brilliant programme all round: Sibelius, Prokofiev & Saariaho in Berlin with Jan Lisiecki, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin & Tarmo Peltokoski
Jan Lisiecki (Photo: Christoph Köstlin/Deutsche Grammophon)Kaija Saariaho: Ciel d’hiver (Winter sky), Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Sibelius: Lemminkäinen Suite; Jan Lisiecki, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, cond. Tarmo Peltokoski; Philharmonie, BerlinReviewed by Tony Cooper, 23 March 2024Helsinki-born composer, Kaija Anneli Saariaho’s Ciel d’hiver made a great contribution to Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester’s concert at the Philharmonie, BerlinWhilst taking a break from Dmitri Tcherniakov’s Ring cycle at Staatsoper Berlin [see Tony's review], I took in a concert by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, at the Philharmonie in a well-planned programme comprising Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor with soloist Jan Lisiecki, Sibelius’ Lemminkäinen Suite and a piece by the Helsinki-born composer, Kaija Saariaho, entitled Ciel d’hiver (Winter sky). In fact, the concert opened with Ciel d’hiver. And being not too familiar with Saariaho’s music, I soon discovered that she was a prolific and futuristic writer who penned a trio of […]
2024-01-27 09:59:00
A winter week focusing on the piano yet hosted by an orchestra: intendant Numa Bischof Ullmann introduces Lucerne's Le Piano Symphonique & looks forward to the 2025 festival
[…] that Bach's humanism is an inspiration for many people. And there is also the idea of simplicity of being more humble, that in a world where there is too much noise we can reduce things down to just one person at a piano. Reducing things down to their essence and emotion. In fact, the orchestral members have a busy life themselves and for many it means something to them to be part of the festival.David Fray, Elisabeth Leonskaja - Le Piano Symphonique, Lucerne 2024 (Photo: Philipp Schmidli)But in addition to great repertoire, the festival wants to support young or neglected artists; Numa points out that some artists may have strong careers in their home country yet not be well-known globally. There is also the way the festival gives mature (even vintage) artists a chance to be themselves. This years festival not only featured Martha Argerich but Elisabeth Leonskaja and Mikhail […]
2024-01-21 15:43:00
From large-scale Liszt and Wagner to intimate Schumann and Schubert at Lucerne's Le Piano Symphonique
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2 - Yoav Levanon, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra - Le Piano Symphonique, Lucerne (Photo: Philipp Schmidli)Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2, Wagner, arr. Michael Sanderling: Götterdämmerung Suite, Schumann: Symphonic Etudes, Op 13, Schubert: Allegro in A minor, D947; Yoav Levanon, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Sanderling, Elisabeth Leonskaja, David Fray; Le Piano Symphonique at KKL, LucerneReviewed 18 January 2024From Lisztian bombast to Wagnerian sorcery with the Lucerne orchestra in fine fettle, then the contrast of mesmerising solo Schumann from Elisabeth Leonskaja and ending with pure friendship as she and David Fray duettedThe history of Liszt's piano concertos is somewhat complex. He began sketching ideas for what would become his first piano concerto in 1830, but it did not come to completion until 1849. In the mean time, he began work on what would become his second piano concerto in 1839/40 but did not complete the final revisions to […]
2023-11-21 18:04:24
You can experience Alexander Shelley’s conducting (Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2) when he leads Pacific Symphony in a program that holds Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony, Gubaidulina’s "Fairytale Poem," and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with French pianist David Fray....
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