Pierre-Laurent Aimard Plays Debussy, Kurtág, Liszt, and Schumann on Four-City U.S. Recital Tour

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“Aimard has an ingenious knack for juxtaposing old and new works to tease out fascinating resonances.” – Anthony Tomassini, New York Times

After making “riveting” (New York Times) appearances with the Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra, French pianist and musical luminary Pierre-Laurent Aimard returns to the U.S. for a four-city recital tour in late March. This sees the pianist’s debuts in Denver, Co (March 22) and Santa Barbara, CA (March 26), as well as performances in Detroit, MI (March 24) and San Francisco, CA (March 27). One of the most celebrated interpreters of contemporary music, Aimard has been called “the composers’ favorite pianist” (Economist); his tour program features works by one of his frequent collaborators, György Kurtág, alongside Debussy’s complete Préludes, Book II, and music by Schumann and Liszt. Following the tour, Aimard presents a pair of recitals at New York’s Lincoln Center (April 21 & 22), with repertoire from his recent Deutsche Grammophon double album, The Liszt Project. The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and the UK’s Independent were among those that cited The Liszt Project as one of 2011’s best recordings.

On tour, Aimard performs selections from three collections of miniatures: Schumann’s evocative Bunte Blätter (“Colored Leaves”), juxtaposed with Játékok (“Games”) and Szálkák (“Splinters”), both by Hungarian composer György Kurtág, “perhaps the most widely revered figure in contemporary European music” (Alex Ross, New Yorker). The pianist, whose way with Debussy has been described as “revelatory” (NPR), follows these selections with a complete traversal of the French composer’s second book of Préludes, and two late pieces by Lizst: Jeux d’eau de la Villa d’Este (“The Fountain of the Villa d’Este”) and the dark and forward-looking Unstern! Sinistre, disastro (“Dark Star! Sinister, Disastrous”).

Liszt is the primary focus of the pianist’s two recitals at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Aimard marked last year’s bicentennial of the great composer-pianist’s birth with The Liszt Project, which offers more than two hours of music, not only by Liszt but by those who influenced and were influenced by him. Aimard’s New York programs showcase this repertoire, presenting music by Liszt alongside that of Wagner, Scriabin, Ravel, Berg, Bartók, Messiaen, and Marco Stroppa.



Pierre-Laurent Aimard, upcoming engagements

March 22–27
U.S. recital tour

Program:
Kurtág (b. 1926): selections from Játékok and Szálkák
Schumann: selections from Bunte Blätter
Lizst: Unstern! Sinistre, disastro; Jeux d’eau de la Villa d’Este
Debussy: Préludes, Book II (complete)

March 22: Gates Concert Hall, Denver, CO (debut)
March 24: Seligman Performing Arts Center, Detroit, MI
March 26: Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA (debut)
March 27: Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA

April 21 & 22
New York, NY
Recital: Lizst, Wagner, Scriabin, Ravel, Berg, Bartók, Messiaen, and Stroppa
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

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