The recital “The Devilish & the Divine” takes place on Tuesday in the Chamber Hall
Auditorio de Tenerife is hosting a concert next Tuesday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Chamber Hall. The performance will feature the Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin, who returns to the island with a recital titled “The Devilish & the Divine.” This concert will focus on two of Eastern Europe’s great composers: Franz Liszt and György Ligeti.
The first part of the programme is to include ‘La lugubre góndola’, ‘Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, S.208/R80‘, ‘Nuages gris‘ and ‘Am Grabe Richard Wagner, S.135‘, all of which are among Liszt’s final works composed for piano. Alfred Brendel described these later pieces as ‘not being about seducing listeners but convincing them’ with a language that is unfettered by tonal stability.
Ligeti’s ‘Étude No. 13: L’escalier du diable‘ features a startling rhythmic contrast that sets it apart from the religious inspiration of Liszt. Its propulsive toccata up and down the keyboard and ascending chromatic scale motif evoke in listeners the impression of ringing bells sounding in different registers and tempos.
From the darkest hell, we return to the clear and calm beauty of ‘Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude‘. In this piece, Liszt eschewed theatrics and eccentricities to create a work of intoxicating sonic beauty and long cantabile lines. The concert ends with another piece by Liszt, Sonata in B minor, one of the most important works in piano literature from the 19th century. According to the composer Richard Strauss, “If Liszt had only written this sonata, a gigantic work from a single cell, it would have been enough to show the strength of his spirit.”
During the last two seasons, Denis Kozhukhin has played with the Oslo Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony, the Washington National Symphony, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, the Düsseldorf Symphony and the Melbourne Symphony. He will give recitals and chamber concerts in Pierre Boulez Saal, Elbphilharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus and Zurich Tonhalle.
Since winning the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, he has performed with the London Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and the Staatskapelle Berlin. He is frequently invited to play at the festivals of Verbier, Grafenegg, and Lanaudiere, among others. As a Pentatone recording artist, his discography includes works by Franck, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Ravel, and Gershwin.
The tickets can be purchased at a single price of €15 and 5 for under 30s on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium’s box office, or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There are discounts for students, the unemployed and large families.