Nobuyuki Tsujii: Beethoven, Grieg & Tchaikovsky

Hear music crackling with energy, from Beethoven’s fiery Appassionata Sonata to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, played by one of today’s most dazzling pianists. Since his joint win at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, Nobuyuki Tsujii has quickly risen to international prominence. His playing combines precision, vivid colours and an instinctive sense of singing melody, revealing fresh depths in familiar music. He opens his exuberant recital with Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, a meditation on unrequited desire, and continues with the elemental power of Beethoven’s volcanic Appassionata Sonata. Grieg’s miniature Lyric Pieces are among the composer’s most quirky and charming creations. Tsujii performs a selection, ranging from the touching simplicity of the ‘Arietta’ to the sinister storytelling of ‘March of the Trolls’ and the joyful exuberance of ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’. To close, pianist/composer Mikhail Pletnev’s solo piano version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite transforms the beloved ballet music into a glittering keyboard showpiece. Familiar scenes sparkle anew with wonder and winter magic.