Beethoven-Liszt / Ravel / Schumann

The modern piano and orchestral tutti are very close to each other; the so-called piano lifts of symphonic works are the basis for the study of the opuses in question. However, Franz Liszt was not content with the standard “piano lift” in the case of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The breaker of hearts and pianos offered a supremely virtuosic paraphrase of the well-known title, in which the whole orchestra really finds itself in terms of sonority. Virtuosity has been one of the central sources of inspiration for centuries; however, in the case of Maurice Ravel's terrifying cycle Gaspar of the Night_, based on a poem by Aloysius Bertrand, the composer has gone beyond the boundaries and created an almost unplayable work. Robert Schumann also relied on virtuosity; his approach, however, is considerably more poetic and understated. In the case of the Sonata in F minor he contemplated a piano imitation of orchestral sound.

Hinrich Alpers is the winner of the International L. van Beethoven Competition in Bonn. He has given concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic and at the Beethovenfest in Bonn. Apart from music, he enjoys natural sciences and culinary arts.