RNCM is delighted to feature a new work by student composer Emily Pederson before concerto competition winner Winnie Su takes to the stage to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 4 in G major. Gently spoken and remarkably poetic, the concerto’s intimate and unprecedented solo piano opening prepares the scene for one of Beethoven’s most profoundly introspective works. Winnie says, ‘The moment you hear the first chord of Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto, you know you are in for something sublime. …As a musician, embracing the multifaceted nature of this [work] is both a privilege and a challenge. We’re not just performers, we are also painters and actors. It’s a journey I eagerly anticipate sharing with my dearest friends playing in the orchestra and the audience at The Bridgewater Hall’.
The evening rounds off with Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 1 in D major ‘Titan’. Much to Mahler’s dismay, the symphony was not favourably received in most of its early performances —with some reviewers even referring to it as being ‘grotesque’. This set-off a complicated history for the piece, with multiple changes, additions of programme notes, re-writes, and removal of programme notes, until it finally reached the iteration we know today.
Like many of Mahler’s works, his obsession with existentialism permeates every corner of this symphony. Mahler himself wrote about the final movement, ‘The hero is exposed to the most fearful combats and to all the sorrows of the world. He and his triumphant motifs are hit on the head again and again by Destiny. …Only when he has triumphed over death, and when all the glorious memories of youth have returned with themes from the first movement, does he get the upper hand, and there is a great victorious chorale!’.
Musical mastery and emotional depth abound, be part of this unforgettable experience in a night that promises to leave you moved and inspired.
Emily Pederson New work *
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No 4 in G major Op 58
Gustav Mahler Symphony 1 in D major ‘Titan’
Gergely Madaras, Maria Barbosa * conductors
Winnie Su piano
