Orion Weiss and Festival Musicians Play Tchaikovsky and Dohnányi

Pre-Concert Chat at 5:45 PM
Lawn Paver Bar

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Theme and Variations in F Major, Op. 19, No. 6   

Ernst von Dohnányi 

Piano Quintet No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 1

Pianist Orion Weiss opens this chamber concert with Tchaikovsky’s brilliant, technically demanding, yet often overlooked Theme and Variations. Inspired by French tunes, it showcases Tchaikovsky’s skill in taking a charming, graceful theme and creating eleven inventive variations ranging from melancholic to playful, while ending in a powerful finale. Following, Weiss joins Festival musicians for Hungarian composer Ernö Dohnányi’s first Piano Quintet, a work that received perhaps the highest phrase Brahms ever offered to another composer: “I could not have written it better myself.” Brahms even played the piano part in the piece’s first performance.

Alasdair’s take on the program:

Like many of you, I suspect, I’ll be hearing all of the music on this concert live for the very first time.  But we’re in very good hands, and I know that my friends and colleagues on stage will create a magical evening of music for us all.