Sunwook Kim plays Brahms

Programme

Sunwook Kim joins the Philharmonia for one of the all-time greats of the piano repertoire.

Brahms teasingly described his concerto in a letter to Clara Schumann as ‘a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo.’ In fact, it’s a 50-minute masterclass in how to compose for piano and orchestra. Its four movements explore every facet of the piano’s expressive potential, by turns graceful and dramatic, stormy and tender.

Thirty years before Brahms premiered his concerto, Robert and Clara Schumann enjoyed a trip from their new home in Düsseldorf, along the Rhine to Cologne. It was the inspiration for the ‘Rhenish’ symphony, the last Robert Schumann wrote. The second movement evokes the broad, peacefully flowing river, the fourth, with its sombre brass chorales, tells of a ceremony the couple witnessed in Cologne Cathedral, and the work ends in celebratory mood.

There’s musical treasure from the Rhine in the opening piece, too. Between brass fanfares evoking the grandeur and power of the Norse gods, singing woodwinds and rippling harp play the ‘Rhinegold’ theme that runs like a golden thread through Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle.

This concert was originally advertised with pianist Daniil Trifonov and conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Daniil Trifonov is unable to perform with us due to continuing visa issues, and Santtu-Matias Rouvali is unwell. We are very grateful to Sunwook Kim and Alexandre Bloch for stepping in. The programme remains unchanged.