Related News

Home » Feature » Art and Culture

Pollini scales the heights of music in Shanghai

THE acclaimed Italian classical pianist Maurizio Pollini will play at the Shanghai Concert Hall in mid-April. Regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the day, Pollini made his debut in China in October 2006, presenting a splendid recital at the 9th Beijing International Music Festival.

His brilliant performance won endless applause and encores at the time. Now audience in Shanghai has a chance to welcome this world-famous musician.

In his recital, Pollini will play Schumann's "Concerto without Orchestra" and "Fantasy in C Major Op. 17," Schoenberg's "Sechs Kleine Klavierstucke Op. 19," Webern's "Variationen fur Klavier Op. 27" and Debussy's "6 Etudes II Livre."

Making this concert very special is that 10 members of the audience will be sitting on stage with Pollini, enjoying the performance extra close up. This has never been done before in the history of the Shanghai Concert Hall.

"Of course, I hope the audience will be able to?concentrate on the performance and enjoy it," says Pollini.

Pollini was born in Milan in 1942 and studied with Carlo Lonati and Carlo Vidusso. He was awarded first prize at the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw at the age of 18.

Pollini is especially noted for his performances of Chopin and modern composers such as Pierre Boulez. His repertoire ranges from Bach to the most daring contemporary music and includes the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas.

In 1987, he was presented with the Vienna Philharmonic's Honorary Ring for his performances of all the Beethoven piano concertos. Pollini has conducted both opera and orchestral music, sometimes leading orchestras from the keyboard.

A paragon of virtuosity and musical excellence, Pollini has been a regular guest artist at all of the major music centers of Europe, America and Japan, where he has performed with orchestras under the direction of conductors like Karl Bohm, Sergiu Celibidache, Herbert von Karajan, Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Riccardo Muti.

He has received awards in France, Germany, Belgium, England and the United States for his many recordings, including the Edison Prize, the Grand Prix International du Disque, Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, Prix Caecilia Bruxelles, the Grammy Award for Best Soloist with an Orchestra and the Gramophone Award for Best Instrumental Recording.

Awarded the 1996 International Music Prize of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Maurizio Pollini was praised by the Foundation as an "ingenious interpreter and inquisitive explorer" of classic and contemporary music and a "no compromise music intellectual."

In 2002, Pollini celebrated his 60th birthday and a 30-year artistic collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon with the release of a 13-CD Maurizio Pollini Edition.

Like many musicians who demand high standard for their musical instruments, Pollini travels with his own piano on concert tours.

"The musical instrument is so important to a musician. To me, each musical instrument has its own personality, and the cooperation over years also achieves a tacit agreement. This agreement can guarantee the quality of the performance," says Pollini.

Date: April 19, 7:30pm

Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall, 523 Yan'an Rd E.

Tickets: 180-1,580 yuan




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend