Power and grace

Two works from the Romantic era, two musical languages, and two composers who, although nearly half a century apart, faced the same form: the monumental, classical, and precision-demanding piano concerto and symphony.

Johannes Brahms was reluctant to write a second concerto for a long time. After the dramatic, youthful D minor Concerto from 1858, he avoided the form for over two decades. However, when he completed the Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major in 1881, he created a completely different work – four movements, extensive, with an equal role for the orchestra and an extraordinary cello solo in the Adagio. The Concerto not only pushes the boundaries of the genre – it is more a symphony with piano than a concerto in the traditional sense. Brahms ironically called it a small piece with a charming scherzo – yet it is one of the most powerful and demanding scores in the entire piano repertoire.

Excerpt from Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by Yefim Bronfman (piano) and the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle:

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Symphony in A major, Op. 90, known as the Italian, was composed after the composer's journey through the Apennine Peninsula. In letters, he described it as the happiest piece he had ever created – and indeed, it carries extraordinary lightness, dance-like qualities, and an almost sunny temperament. Already in the first movement, one can hear echoes of street rhythms and the Mediterranean pulse. At the same time, the final saltarello contrasts joyful motion with sharp articulation and rhythmic tension. The symphony premiered in London in 1833 and almost immediately entered the canon of European repertoire.

The soloist of the evening will be  Piotr Alexewicz, one of the most talented Polish pianists of the younger generation. Laureate of the 2nd prize at the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Beijing, winner of the Miłosz Magin International Competition in Paris, finalist of the Busoni Competition in Bolzano, and winner of the Estrada Młodych competition within the Chopin and His Europe festival. Alexewicz is known for mature, focused interpretations and an unusual balance between technical precision and deep form awareness.

Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony performed by the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Giordano Bellincampi: