Pianists pay homage to Mozart

Despite his tragically short life span of only 35 years, Mozart managed to create an astounding repertoire of over 600 musical works spanning various genres and forms. His unparalleled talent allowed him to masterfully craft compositions that showcased the essence of the Classical period. Alongside Haydn, he played a vital role in establishing and refining the Viennese Classical School, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Lin Musen

Conducted by young talent Lin Musen, three women pianists in their prime will perform two Mozart concertos as well as a piece by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla this Friday night, accompanied by Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra.

The program will include “Piano Concerto No. 10 in E-flat Major for Two Pianos and Orchestra, K. 365,” Mozart’s only concerto for two pianos. The three-movement piece, lasting 25 minutes, is challenging for both soloists. Passages intermingle, and the piece in general is a tour de force for performers and listeners alike. This lively piece, said to have been written for the composer himself and his sister Nannerl, overflows with the joy of a traveler returning to his homeland.

The “Piano Concerto No. 7 in F Major for Three Pianos and Orchestra, K. 242” is nicknamed “Lodron” because it was commissioned by Countess Antonia Lodron to be played with her two daughters Aloysia and Giuseppa.

First completing it in 1776, Mozart rearranged the piece for himself and another pianist for a 1780 performance in Salzburg. While this piece is most often performed on two pianos today, Friday’s concert will offer a rare opportunity to hear it in its original form.

Falla’s “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” is a set of three nocturnes for piano and orchestra. Almost but not quite a piano concerto, it treats the keyboard instrument as a member of the orchestra rather than as a solo instrument.

Imbued with Spanish rhythms and effects, the piece also shows the influence of Falla’s friend Maurice Ravel. The audience can hear a strong influence from the folk music of the composer’s native Andalusia region in southernmost Spain, which is at a crossroads of many cultures and hence yields a rich and exotic musical style.

Yin Zhi

Yin Zhi is a Steinway Artist, faculty member at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Society in the United States. Li Yuemeng graduated with a top degree from the Royal College of Music in London. Liu Liu, with a doctoral degree in piano performance from the Eastman School of Music, the United States, is a professor at Renmin University. Lin is the resident conductor of Chengdu Symphony Orchestra.

Liu Liu

Time: 8 p.m., Oct. 20

Tickets: 50-880 yuan

Booking: WeChat account “szyyt_piao”

Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, Futian District (深圳音乐厅)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D

Li Yuemeng