Pearls of the Season by Igor Levit — piano recital

In the spring of 2027, the musical world will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven. In NOSPR, one of the central moments of celebrating the composer's work will be the piano recital by Igor Levit. The German pianist of Russian origin became famous for his widely commented recording of a set of 32 Beethoven sonatas, on which he worked for more than 15 years. During his visit to Katowice, he will perform four of them.

The first part of the recital will include two sonatas in C minor — early, op. 10 no. 1, and a slightly more mature one from op. 13, which is traditionally known under the nickname Pathetic.

In the second part we will hear two sonatas from the mature period of Beethoven's work, both from the F key circle: F major and F minor. Number 22 is the Sonata in F major, Op. 54 — one of the lesser-known, though unusual, two-part structure contains a fascinating study of Beethoven's form-planning. When the composer was asked how to interpret his Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, he replied: “Just read Shakespeare's Storm.” Indeed, in the Appassionata, Beethoven creates a truly Shakespearean image of the powerful, almost magical forces in which man tries to find the meaning of his existence.

Szymon Maliszewski

Performers: Igor Levit — piano; Róża Światczyńska (Program 2 of Polish Radio) — conducting

Program: Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor Op. 10 No. 1; Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor Op. 13 Pathetic; Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major op. 54; Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57 Appassionata