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| Conductor and pianist David Greilsammer will perform with the Việt Nam National Symphony and Orchestra. Photo courtesy of the French Institute of Hà Nội |
HÀ NỘI — One of the most adventurous classical conductors and pianists in the modern music scene, David Greilsammer, will hold a performance tour with the Việt Nam National Symphony and Orchestra (VNSO) from July 5.
The artist will perform at VNSO’s Subscription Concert Vol. 174 playing piano and conducting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
“Audiences will have a rare chance to enjoy Greilsammer’s solo piano playing while also conducting the orchestra, just like Beethoven once did,” said musicologist Mai Đức Hạnh.
Beethoven began sketching out the concerto as early as 1797, but did most of the work in 1800. However, he did not add the finishing touches until he was preparing for a concert in April 1803 with himself as soloist. The piano part was not even completely written out for that performance. The composer improvised a cadenza that evening, but wrote one out later.
“The piece is a fresh and happy work, but perhaps the audience that day who attended the premiere of Concerto No. 3 did not expect that the composer and soloist playing on that stage had been fighting every day with hearing loss,” said Hạnh.
The concert also features Maurice Ravel’s Bolero and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3.
Born in Jerusalem, Greilsammer studied at Juilliard. After making his New York Lincoln Center debut, he went on to become ‘Young Musician of the Year’ at the 2008 French Music Awards.
In the same year, he performed in Paris all of Mozart’s piano Sonatas in a one-day marathon and in recent years, he has recorded various albums devoted to the composer, all of which were highly praised by the press.
The New York Times recently selected his recital Scarlatti: Cage: Sonatas as one of the ten most important musical events of the year. Previously, it had awarded two of his albums, Baroque Conversations and Mozart-In-Between, among the best recordings of the year.
Additionally, he plays and conducts all of Mozart’s twenty-seven Piano Concertos in nine consecutive concerts.
His most recent solo album Labyrinth, released by Naïve, has received numerous prizes and has been described by the press as “radical”, “courageous” and “astounding”.
His other recordings as conductor and pianist, released by Sony Classical, have been awarded many distinctions, including from The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Sunday Times.
After the Hà Nội concert, Greilsammer and VNSO will perform in Huế, Đà Nẵng, Đà Lạt and HCM City from July 7.
He will return to the capital city on July 12 to perform in a concert titled Fairy, Dream, and Dance at the Lycée Français Alexandre Yersin, 44 Gia Thượng Street, Long Biên.
The concert will transport audiences into a magical universe through masterpieces from various styles and eras, featuring composers such as Schumann, Ravel, Debussy, Gershwin and Purcell.
It opens and closes with the first and the second part of Davidsbündlertänze by Schumann, a suite of romantic, fantastical and deeply emotional dances which symbolise the composer’s passionate love for his fiancée.
This piece marks the beginning of an immersive exploration into the connection between dance, dream and the world of fantasy, while showcasing the virtuosic technique and the evocative beauty of the German Romantic tradition.
The artist will also unveil a world premiere by the brilliant British composer Georgie Ward with a piece specially written for him. — VNS
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