Liszt / Beethoven / Tchaikovsky // Lewis / Keller

The concert program, conducted by András Keller, features two emblematic compositions by Beethoven and two from the genre of the Romantic symphonic poem. Notably, the Bonn-born Viennese master wrote both of the works of his on the programme in a key often used for heroic and dramatic themes, and one of particular importance and significance to him: C minor. As for the two Romantic concert numbers performed alongside the “Fate” Symphony and the Third Piano Concerto, which features the charismatic Paul Lewis at the keyboard, Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini was based on relevant passages from The Divine Comedy, while the situation is a bit more complicated in the case of Liszt’s most popular symphonic poem. The literary basis and inspiration for Les Préludes can be traced back not only to a book of poetry by Alphonse de Lamartine, who also served as French foreign minister, but also to the verses of the great French poet’s loyal and enthusiastic, but much more modestly endowed with talent, disciple Joseph Autran.