Beethoven Academie - Jan Caeyers

After an especially successful series of violin concertos by the Beethoven Academie in the past season, we are continuing with new concerts of our orchestra in residence. This time around, the guests are three exceptional pianists. During a visit in Detmold in 1857, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote a serenade for nine instruments - to 'prove' that he was capable of writing 'light music' such as by Haydn and Mozart that he often had to play at the court concerts. He later adapted the score to orchestra. In spite of the fact that this was his first purely instrumental composition, Brahms consummately succeeds to embody the formal aspects of eighteenth century classics. Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) returned to Warsaw in 1829, following his success in Vienna, and set down to write new work, designed to show off his technique. A piano concerto seemed the most suitable to him. The composing was beset with many difficulties, which did however result in advances both in piano technique, as well as the tone of the instrument. This creation was first presented to a full house at the National Theatre in Warsaw in 1830. Here Chopin's reputation as the 'Paganini of the piano' was settled for good. We asked one of the most original of contemporary piano virtuosos, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, to duly pay tribute to Chopin.