Tuesday, April 8th, 8:30 PM at Sala 500
Recognized as the greatest Chopin interpreter of his generation, 39-year-old Rafał Blechacz is the protagonist of the last concert of the Pianisti del Lingotto series, on Tuesday, April 8th, at 8:30 PM in Sala 500. Eleven years after his debut at Lingotto with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Polish pianist performs a recital featuring Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin.
Rafał Blechacz’s virtuosic flair closes the Pianisti del Lingotto series
Blechacz began piano lessons at the age of five and took his first prize at twenty at the 2005 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. In 2014 he was honored with the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award. He is consistently invited to perform in the world’s most esteemed concert halls, including the Philharmonie in Berlin, Wigmore Hall in London, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Konzerthaus in Vienna, and Bozar in Brussels. He signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and released his debut album in 2006, dedicated to Preludes Op. 28 by Chopin. His recording of the two Chopin’s Piano Concertos with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra won the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2010. In 2023 Blechacz released his latest album, Chopin, reaffirming his dedication to the composer who has significantly shaped his career.
The Polish pianist performs a recital featuring Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin.
The program opens with Schubert’s 4 Impromptus, Op. 90, composed with Johann Baptist Jenger in 1827. The cycle reveals a portrait of Schubert’s tormented soul and is followed by Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, one of his most celebrated compositions, known as the “Moonlight” thanks to the poet Ludwig Rellstab. This Piano sonata is dedicated to Giulietta Guicciardi (with whom Beethoven fell in love unrequitedly) and exhibits profound expressive tension and an unconventional movement structure. The evening closes with three short pieces by Chopin: Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60, written between 1845 and 1846, conveys an entirely Italian sensibility through its allusions to Venetian gondoliers’ songs, while Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47 is inspired by the romantic poem ‘Undine’ by his compatriot Adam Mickiewicz. The evening closes with Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39, a powerful piece dedicated to one of Chopin’s favorite students, Adolphe Gutmann, who gave its premiere performance in 1840.