Repertoire

Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor (1868) 28′
Alexander von Zemlinsky: Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) (1902-1903) 40′

ARTISTS

Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Jan Lisiecki, piano
Barcelona Symphony Orchestra (OBC)

Programme

The timpani roll announces the initial burst of sound and the almost immediate entrance of the piano. Edvard Grieg composed his only piano concerto at the age of 24, while living in Denmark. First performed in 1869 in Copenhagen, it is a masterpiece of the genre and contains all the elements of the Romantic work of art: originality, pathos and creative virtuosity, and the development of melodies evocative of Nordic nature.

Inspired by the story written by one of Denmark’s most famous sons, Hans Christian Andersen, Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid) by Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky is a dreamy fantasy for orchestra, premiered in 1905 at the Musikverein in Vienna. For a time this evocative work, in three movements, was believed to have been lost or destroyed, although in fact parts of it had been separated.