Charles Owen, Katya Apekisheva

Programme:
Brahms Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79
Schumann/Liszt Liebeslied Widmung, S566a
Liszt ‘Au bord d’une source’ from Années de Pèlerinage I
Wagner/Liszt Isolde’s Liebestod, S447
Charles Owen piano

Tchaikovsky ‘October’, ‘November’ & ‘December’ from The Seasons
Weinberg Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 8 (1942)
Katya Apekisheva piano

Interval (30 mins)

Rachmaninov Suite No. 2, Op. 17 for two pianos
Borodin (arr. Babin) Polovtsian Dances for two pianos
Charles Owen, Katya Apekisheva pianos
The opening concert of the London Piano Festival brings together its two Artistic Directors in an evening to showcase their special collaboration.

Charles Owen has always been fascinated by the musical friendship between Brahms and Schumann, especially when contrasted with that of Liszt and Wagner. His choice of beautiful solo music by all four composers reflects this passion.

Katya Apekisheva chooses a Polish/Russian theme to introduce one lesser known, but highly evocative, sonata by Weinberg, written in 1942 and inspired by Shostakovich. She precedes this with a group from Tchaikovsky’s Seasons.

After the interval Katya and Charles join forces on two pianos for an all-Russian immersion into the dazzling world of Rachmaninov’s Suite No. 2, culminating in the sheer exotic thrill of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.