Certainly qualifies as a quintessential Wednesday Anti-Road Rage concert this week. The legendary Russian/Austrian pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, together with Christoph Eschenbach and the North German Radio Symphony in a concert of music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Johann Sebastian Bach.
Here’s what’s on the player:
Concert donné le 3 mai 2009 à la Laeiszhalle Musikhalle, Hamburg.
Jean-Sébastien Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto pour deux claviers, cordes et basse continue en do mineur Bwv.1060Félix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphonie N°5 en ré majeur Op.107, RéforméJean-Sébastien Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto pour deux claviers, cordes et basse continue en do majeur Bwv.1061Félix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Symphonie N°4 en la majeur Op.90, ItalienneElisabeth Leonskaja, Piano
Orchestre symphonique de la NDR
Christoph Eschenbach, Direction & piano
Elisabeth Leonskaja has appeared as a soloist with virtually all the leading orchestras in the world, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra London, the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the radio orchestras of Hamburg, Cologne and Munich, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and many others, under the baton of such leading conductors as: Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Kurt Sanderling, Maris Jansons, Yuri Temirkanov, Tugan Sokhiev, and many others.
Elisabeth Leonskaja is a frequent and welcomed guest at prestigious summer music festivals, such as the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna and Lucerne Festivals, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, the Schubertiade in Hohenems and Schwarzenberg, and she also gives recitals in the Piano Series in the world’s major musical centers, such as Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Edinburgh, Munich, and Vienna.
Despite her busy schedule as a soloist, chamber music has always played a prominent role in her creative work, and she frequently appears with the Emerson, Borodin and Artemis Quartets.
Numerous recordings bear testimony to the outstanding artistic achievements of this pianist and she has been awarded prizes such as the Caecilia Prize for her Brahms piano sonatas, or the Diapason d´Or for her recordings of works by Liszt. Other significant recordings include the Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Kurt Masur, the Chopin Piano Concertos with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy, and the Shostakovich Piano Concertos with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Her newest CD “PARIS” with works by Ravel, Debussy and Enescu was released by the Berlin-based Label eaSonus and was awarded Solo CD of the year 2014 at the ICMA prizes. A complete-recording of the Schubert Sonatas will follow, also due to be released on eaSonus.
In her adopted home, the Republic of Austria, Elisabeth Leonskaja’s outstanding achievements have also gained her great recognition. She has been made an Honorary Member of the Konzerthaus of Vienna. In 2006, she was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor, First Class, for her services to the cultural life of the country – the highest award of its kind in Austria. Today the “Lioness of the Keyboard” has matured into an exceptional pianist, one who is above emphasizing her virtuosity and who enjoys the warmest of receptions wherever she appears.
Okay – enough out of me – relax – get comfy – pull up a chair – and hit the play button. And be amazed.
