Artists
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Nikolai Lugansky – piano
Programme
Ravel Alborada del gracioso
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3
— Interval —
Ravel La valse
Respighi Pines of Rome
World-renowned pianist Nikolai Lugansky joins our Principal Conductor for a concert in the beautiful setting of Lugano, Switzerland.
The virtuosic technique required of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto is an accomplishment for any pianist. One of the all-time great interpreters of Rachmaninov, renowned for his ‘quintessentially Russian sound’ (Independent), Lugansky understands this most challenging and rewarding of concertos inside out. All Rachmaninov’s trademarks are there: bittersweet melodies, pianistic fireworks, and lush orchestral writing.
Alborada del gracioso roughly translates as Dawn Song of the Jester. It’s a beguiling short piece with a Spanish flavour, complete with castanets, and a harp imitating the strumming of a guitar. La Valse is an altogether darker affair – Ravel’s deconstruction of a Viennese waltz is said to represent the cataclysmic impact of the First World War.
In Pines of Rome, Respighi uses a huge orchestra to paint four pictures of Rome in thrilling detail: the innocence of children playing, gloomy catacombs, a gentle nocturne, and finally a victorious Roman legion returning home, acclaimed by jubilant brass.
Need to know
Prices & Discounts
70 – 100 CHF
Running time
2 hrs, including an interval
Box office