Elisabeth Leonskaja and the Concerto Budapest 2.

Photo: Marco Borggreve

In the spring of 2024, Elisabeth Leonskaja, who has a close artistic relationship with András Keller and his ensemble, Concerto Budapest, will play Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano in C minor in his second concert in Budapest. Premiered in 1803, this Concerto is closely related to Beethoven’s Symphonies 3 and 5: its key links it to the Fate Symphony and to the Funeral March of Eroica. Furthermore, the latter is also similar to the Piano Concerto in that both are dedicated to the Prussian Prince, Louis Ferdinand. Before the Concerto, the Overture from Tannhäuser will be heard: the two intertwining and opposing main musical motives of Wagner’s opera refer to the attraction the protagonist feels towards the two women in the opera. Following the intermission, Symphony No. 10 by Shostakovich will be performed, which premiered in December 1953. It seems to be even richer in motives with meanings attributed to them, than the Tannhäuser Overture mentioned previously. Shostakovich not only hid the letters of his own name, and a scale that can be considered his hallmark, but also concealed a reference to a beautiful lady dear to his heart in the music. Moreover, based on the confession of the author, to which people often refer despite its
dubious credibility, even Stalin’s demonic portrait can be recognised in the second movement of the piece.