VILNIUS STRING QUARTET
Soloist ANDRIUS ŽLABYS (piano)
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH – Ouvertüre nach Französischer Art (Overture in the French style) in B minor, BWV 831
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN – Piano sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
ANDRIUS ŽLABYS – Movement for piano and strings; Work for piano and string quartet (premiere, title to be announced)
‘Every hall has subtle differences, which are determined by both the interior and the lighting. For example, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall is amazing. It resonates on its own, you don’t even need to play...’ said pianist Andrius Žlabys in an interview. But he will play! On the evening of June 7, at the Vilnius Festival, on the stage of the Philharmonic Concert Hall. The internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated pianist, who lives in the US, is known for his ‘mesmerizing interpretation’ (The Plain Dealer), ‘multilayered musical perception’ (The Greenville News), and ‘refined artistry’ (The New York Sun).
Žlabys performs with the world’s most renowned ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland, and Buenos Aires Philharmonic symphony orchestras, as well as distinguished soloists. He has appeared at Avery Fisher Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Wigmore Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
The first part of the concert is a piano recital featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven. Well known for his attachment to Bach’s music, tonight Žlabys will play a French-style suite called French overture in B minor, published in 1735. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30 in E major is one of his last three works of this genre (1820), essentially a lyrical work saturated with the intimate romanticism characteristic of his late period.
The second part will feature works by Žlabys himself, performed by the pianist together with the Vilnius String Quartet. Several generations of musicians have already played in this highly active ensemble. The audience will hear a new work for piano and string quartet and Movement for piano and strings, composed as a reaction to the events of 2014 in Ukraine. The piece grew from those feelings and thoughts and is dedicated to the victims of war. Žlabys said at the time: ‘I feel solidarity with Ukraine – after all, that threat also looms over Lithuania. There is a hidden sense of gloomy foreboding in this piece.’
