Bach is the alpha and the omega – roughly from the time Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy discovered the Matthew Passion. Mendelssohn may have been among the first composers who marvelled at the ‘great’ Bach, although the musical world of the Romantic composer was also influenced by the First Viennese School as well as Baroque. Even though he composed numerous concertos, today the Violin Concerto in E minor is virtually the only work in existence as far as concert halls are concerned. The double piano work in the second half of the programme stands closer to the First Viennese School than to Romanticism; it was penned when he was 14 years old for himself and his sister Fanny. On the other hand, the piece in G minor dating from 1831, the time he was engaged with the Italian Symphony, is the work of a true Romantic composer. There could barely be better performers for the programme, which alternates between Bach and Mendelssohn, than the superb Hungarian pianist couple. As far as their superlative art is concerned, Izabella Simon and Dénes Várjon are two autonomous personalities, but their method of playing and their interpretation is based on compromise that brings harmony.

Organizer: Liszt Academy Concert Centre