Classical coup as top pianist set for Perth
‘Honour’seestalentednorwegianboundforfaircity
Renowned musician Leif Ove Andsnes is heading to Perth for what will be his only UK appearance as part of a nine-city European tour.
The talented pianist will enjoy a spell in the spotlight at Perth Concert Hall on Monday, March 11, as part of the Fair City venue’s ‘Classical Stars’ series.
The Norwegian’s songbook is set to include Schubert’s ‘Piano Sonata in A Minor’ and ‘Impromptu No 1 in F minor,’ Brahms’ ‘Sieben Fantasien, Op 116’ as well as a rarely performed work by his compatriot Geirr Tveitt.
Pianist-composer Tveitt (1908-81) was said to be something of a cultural recluse, living most of his life on a farm in Hardanger collecting and arranging folk tunes.
Most of his music was never published and around 80 per cent of his output was irretrievably lost when his studio burned to the ground in 1970.
Andsnes, who first championed Tveitt’s music on his 2007 EMI recording ‘Long, Long, Winter Night’, said he felt the time was right to bring his compatriot’s music to a wider audience – with ‘Sonata Etere’ being one of the few large-scale pieces in the remaining repertoire.
He said: “Tveitt studied both as pianist and composer in Leipzig, Paris and Vienna, and one can hear these traces in his piano writing, may be most clearly the influence from French piano music.
“The Sonata is very colourful and he uses the instrument in the most imaginative ways. It’s an epic piece, but the simplicity of folk music runs through it. Tveitt wanted to get to the roots of the folk music, and he was quite obsessed with using different modal scales, which one often finds in folk music from different countries.”
Andsnes continued: “Invariably, when I’m making a recital programme now, I try to bring something that I’ve never played before.
“I’m getting to an age where I’ve played quite a bit in the past, and it’s exciting to bring things back that I haven’t played in a long time.
“I want to keep some of the repertoire that I have known for a while and also bring new things in.
“This programme is a typical combination, the Schubert sonata I played when I was 19 and, until last year, I hadn’t played it for 25 years.”
Andsnes’ tour runs from March 3-20 and his upcoming appearance in the Fair City has been described as an “honour” by those behind the venue.
James Waters, creative director for classical music for Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, said: “Leif Ove Andsnes is quite simply one of today’s very greatest pianists.
“His performances in the world’s most prestigious concert halls are justly famed for both his pianistic brilliance and his musical thoughtfulness.
“We have worked for years to bring him to Perth, and it is absolute honour to be able to present him.”
Tickets are available from the website www.perththeatreandconcerthall.com, by calling 01738 621031 or visiting the box office at Perth Theatre.