Hélène Grimaud and Clemens Hagen

"The concentration necessary to confront a wild animal is the same one needs to penetrate a piece of music. Neither can be encountered half-heartedly or half-way." The French artist Hélène Grimaud is among the most important pianists of our time. In this concert she meets the no less charismatic world-class cellist Clemens Hagen from Salzburg. Four masterpieces from the literature for "grown up violin" will be on the programme. Romantic sound worlds, harmonies resounding with poetry, but also the accomplished art in the category classical variation prevail in the pieces by Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Russian folk music, the magic of the Orient and an ironical appraisal of Socialist Realism will be encountered in the early sonata by Dmitri Shostakovich. With exquisite sound sensibility Claude Debussy points back to the Baroque era and forward to modernity. All four works are bewitching "fantasy pieces", music in which the listeners can discover their very own stories – their fantasies. And all share the enchantment of imperative melodies, the successful combination of intellect and emotion that characterises great music and makes it timeless.

Introductory talk with Gottfried Franz Kasparek, 18:30 h, Main Hall

Programme Works by Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, Dmitri Schostakowitsch and Claude Debussy

Cast Hélène Grimaud piano, Clemens Hagen violoncello

Festival Keyboard Music Festival