CONCERT PROGRAMME
W. A. Mozart. Piano Concerto No. 10 in E-flat major for two pianos and orchestra, K. 365
C. Saint-Saëns. Suite “Carnival of the Animals” for two pianos and chamber ensemble (arr. for symphony orchestra)
F. Poulenc. Concerto for two pianos and orchestra in D minor
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, led by artistic director and chief conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius, presents an exceptional evening for piano music lovers. Piano virtuosos Petras Geniušas and Alexander Paley will be together on one stage for the first time, featuring three piano conversations between pianists.
The evening will begin with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756–1791) Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra. Unlike his other concertos, in which the soloist creates a musical dialogue with the orchestra, in this opus W. A. Mozart brings the pianists’ dialogue to the forefront. The musical narrative in the work is revealed by virtuoso piano passages. Both solo parts in this concerto are equal, and the orchestra is given the role of an accompanist.
The second piece in the programme will be the famous suite “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921), which the composer wrote in 1886, after a very unsuccessful concert tour in Germany. “I know that I should be working on my Third Symphony, but writing this piece is such fun!”, – claimed the composer. However, until his death, C. Saint-Saëns did not allow “Carnival of the Animals” to be performed in public, fearing that the frivolity of the suite would damage his reputation as a serious composer. “Carnival of the Animals” was first performed in public in 1922 and... became one of C. Saint-Saëns’s most popular works.
The evening will conclude with the famous Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Francis Poulenc (1899–1963), which is still described as the peak of the composer's early creative period. The work is influenced by traditional Balinese ensemble music – the gamelan – and the jazz effects used are reminiscent of M. Ravel, while the opening theme is undoubtedly imbued with the work of W. A. Mozart.