Schubert / Beethoven / Schmidt

Franz Schubert's opera “The Magic Harp” did not achieve widespread popularity on global stages, but its prelude continues to be performed even today. Even in what is known as his middle creative period, Ludwig van Beethoven addressed situations in an extraordinary and atypical manner. The Piano Concerto No. 4, a reform work by the Bonn native, serves as an illustration of his ambition to propel the course of events forward. From the initial bars, unexpectedly assigned to the piano without orchestral introduction, a captivating narrative unfolds in front of the listener. In the finale, an attentive ear hears sketches of the theme of the Finale of the Ninth Symphony. However, the middle part is a complete rarity: pleading sequences of the piano collide with the harsh sound of the orchestra, a harbinger of the expressive works of the authors of the 20th century. The legacy of late romanticism is combined with the new directions of the 20th century in the work of Bratislava native Franz Schmidt.

Croatian pianist Lovre Marušić won the 2021 Cleveland International Piano Competition, having previously won several other major competitions, so we can definitely look forward to the 31-year-old's Philharmonic debut.