Jan Lisiecki, a prominent Canadian pianist with Polish roots (and a connection with Poznan) will be the main performer of the next Poznan Philharmonic’s Internet Concert held as part of the Stars of World Stages cycle on the 14th of May at 7 pm. The event was entitled “Mozart Our Contemporary”, as in the course of the concert we will listen to one of Mozart’s works, as well as a contemporary piece written… in Mozart style.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major KV 482 in Vienna, which he called, in a letter to his father, the land of the piano. In that city he thrived as a pianist-composer and created piano concertos for him as the soloist. He wrote to his sister in 1781: “If all goes well, I will be as cherished here as a composer, as I am now as a pianist”.

He began to compose the Concerto in E-flat major in November 1785, while simultaneously working on “The Marriage of Figaro”. He completed it on the 16th of December and the same evening he performed it… between the acts of the “Ester” Oratorio by Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf! This used to be the reality. The work was presented autonomously on the 23rd of December 1785 and was very well received. It has been found in the notes of Leopold Mozart, father of Amadeus, that the listeners back then were particularly captivated by the second movement of the Concerto and that they regularly called for an encore.

After Mozart – “Symphony in Mozart Style” by Krzysztof Meyer – a unique example of a pastiche of Mozart style revealing how well the composer is able to handle various styles and techniques. The audience truly has an impression of listening to a work from the 18th century and no wonder. Poznan music lovers who sat in the audience of the AMU Concert Hall on the 1st of April 1977 were entirely sure that the piece was written by Mozart. Only the conductor Renard Czajkowski was aware of that April Fools’ Day joke (the concert even had a subheading: “April Fools’ Day”). Everybody else (even the musicians!) didn’t know the truth until it was revealed after the premiere performance. Could they fall for it? Listen and assess yourself… And if a housemate, intrigued by the music, asks: ‘It’s Mozart, isn’t it?” – confirm…

PERFORMERS:

Jan LISIECKI – piano
Łukasz BOROWICZ – conductor
Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra

PROGRAM:

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, KV 482
  Allegro
  Andante
  Allegro
• Krzysztof Meyer, “Symphony in Mozart Style”
  Adagio – Allegro
  Andante con moto
  Tempo di minuetto
  Allegro

Partner: