Verbier Festival - TSOTNE ZEDGINIDZE

Gaspard de la Nuit was composed in 1909 for Ravel’s Spanish virtuoso pianist friend, Ricardo Viñes. One of the most technically challenging works in the piano repertoire – Ravel was deliberately trying to exceed the difficultly of Balakirev’s Islamey – it depicts three dark fairytale poems by Aloysius Bertrand, beginning with Ondine, a sophisticated evocation of a beautiful but deadly water nymph trying to lure the poet down to be king of the underwaters, and thus to his death. The danger is subtly hinted by harmony clashing with melody, and her theme being almost masked by its surrounding ripples. It ends with a splash as, angered by his refusal, she dives away. Le gibet meanwhile evokes a corpse hanging at sundown to the soft, incessant toll of a church bell. Scarbo then captures the quicksilver, malevolent dwarf via rapid repeated notes, trills, alternating chords and wide leaps, the musical direction constantly changing.

Brahms’s Piano Sonata N° 3 was his last and longest piano sonata but also a youthful work, penned aged twenty in 1853, just before the introduction to Robert Schumann that would lead to the older composer’s career-launching public endorsement of him. Its turbulent opening Allegro maestoso is classic Brahms in its blend of grandeur and tenderness, and rhythmic complexity. The Andante espressivo is a nocturnal love scene inspired by a Sternau poem. A proudly whirling Scherzo follows, punctuated by a calmer central section. Next comes an extra Intermezzo movement, reflecting broodingly over the Andante espressivo. The athletic rondo Finale then serves up a feast of invention before tipping into a brilliant contrapuntal coda.

Ticketing at Gotham Coworking : 09am - 05pm
Rue de Médran 12, 1936 Verbier

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