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Piano Greats – Elisabeth Leonskaja plays Beethoven

February 2 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Mysterious. Transcendent. Songfully, with utmost feeling.

Who’s on stage

Legendary pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja. She wowed us with Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ piano concerto alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia in September 2023. We’re ecstatic she’s back.

What they’re playing

Beethoven’s final three sonatas for piano. An unmissable trio.

What you’ll hear

Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 30 (21′)
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 31 (20′)
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 (27′)

Who’s playing it

Elisabeth Leonskaja piano

What’s happening in the music?

These pieces were written in a frenzy of creativity, each an experiment. ranging from the tender and transcendent to the enigmatic and quirky. On the surface No.30 is calm, but peek beyond that surface and it’s dark and brooding. No.31 is tender and transcendent, while Beethoven’s very last Sonata, No.32, is something of an enigma. Turning convention on its head, it only has 2 movements, and contains music that’s serene, angst-ridden and quirky, with a lopsided rhythm in one spot that almost sounds like jazz

A legend

Here’s Elisabeth Leonskaja in action, playing exactly the same line up you’ll enjoy in Gateshead. YouTubers are definitely fans, describing her performance as ‘Spellbinding’, ‘Sublime’ and describing her as ‘a Legend!!!!’, though we don’t escape one of the staples of grumpy audience members, with one person describing someone coughing as ‘a crime against humanity and music’. Bit over the top maybe?

 

Details

Date:
February 2
Time:
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Event Categories:
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Website:
https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/piano-greats-elisabeth-leonskaja/