Vasily Petrenko, Conductor
Khatia Buniatishvili, Piano
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme:
Tchaikovsky – Concerto for piano and orchestra No 1 in B-flat minor, Op 23
Igor Stravinsky – »Petruschka« (1947)

Gasteig München Programme Note:
Khatia Buniatishvili’s performance of Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky’s Concert No 1 in December 2019 triggered veritable storms of enthusiasm among Munich audiences. The press was equally enthralled: the Abendzeitung praised the »hitherto unheard-of graceful turns«, »wonderfully calm passages« and the »exuberant mood of optimism in the finale«. The pianist’s intimate relationship with the work – the first piano concerto she performed in public as an 18-year-old – was palpable:

»I remember exactly how, for the first time, I was enveloped in the warm sound of the strings, how the wind instruments seemed to carry me – it was like a dream, a magical feeling that I will never forget!« (Khatia Buniatishvili)

Despite its difficult start, marked by a scathing review by the legendary piano virtuoso Nikolai Rubinstein, the work has undergone a remarkable transformation sinde its creation: today one of the world’s most popular piano concertos, it is also the most frequently recorded of its genre. Hardly a music enthusiast is not familiar with its majestic overture: the piano, with powerful, sweeping chords, accompanying the orchestra’s emotive theme to immediately captivate the listener. In May, Khatia Buniatishvili will perform this work in Munich once again, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of its newly appointed principal conductor Vasily Petrenko.

Vasily Petrenko, Conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Programme:
Leonard Bernstein, Overture »Candide«
André Previn, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor »Anne-Sophie«
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Symphonic Dances, Op 45

Gasteig München Programme Note:
At the start of this century, one couple caused a stir in the international stage: Anne-Sophie Mutter, the violinist known for her radiant tone, and the adept, idiosyncratic multi-talent Sir André Previn. In 2001, the conductor, composer, pianist, and jazz and film musician dedicated a violin concerto to his then future wife, which he said was »tailored to Anne-Sophie in every respect«.

Together with the renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Mutter will set about proving the veracity of this statement and demonstrating why the piece won a Grammy in 2005: Combinig a diverse palette of styles, forms and colours, the work gives the soloist every freedom to fully exploit her exceptional skills. The Royal Philharmonic’s new music director Vasily Petrenko extends this concept to the whole orchestra: With Bernstein’s grandiose, sweeping »Candide« Overture and Rachmaninoff’s witty, touching memoirs cast in dance, the much-travelled London ensemble will demonstrate its playful qualities this May.