Great Pianists: Igor Levit plays sonatas by Beethoven
About the event
Beethoven: fiery, idiosyncratic, and uncompromising. The same qualities characterize Igor Levit, a pianist you don't just hear, but truly experience. Levit plays not for, but with the audience, taking you into his world of thought. Tonight, we hear pure Beethoven, whose sonatas belong to the Himalayas of the piano repertoire. Igor Levit
Igor Levit is a pianist you don't just hear, but truly experience. Whether he whispers or thunders, every note counts. A recital by him feels like a personal invitation: Levit plays not for the audience, but with the listener, taking you into his world of thought. Bach, Beethoven, and Schubert: he plays the music uncompromisingly. Levit's social commitment is remarkable. He views music as something alive, something at the center of the world, and he speaks out openly about freedom, humanity, and responsibility.
Beethoven Piano Sonatas
Beethoven's piano sonatas belong to the Himalayas of the piano repertoire. Precisely a recital in which late masterpieces such as the Hammerklavier Sonata are absent offers insight into the grandeur of Beethoven's more traditional style. Here we hear a Beethoven who effortlessly combines virtuosity and depth, in a free and playful approach to form. In the First Piano Sonata, we hear the music of a young rebel, full of sharp contrasts and drama; Sonata No. 25 sparkles with humor and clarity, while visionary vitality can be heard in the Waldstein Sonata. In every work, you perceive the same Beethoven: fiery, idiosyncratic, and uncompromising – his music brings tradition and innovation together in a grandiose manner.
