Lucerne Festival Academy

»Timeless dialogues between dreamers and lovers, people suffering and people saying prayers« – thus Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s description of his work »Dialoge« of 1965. The use of musical quotations was always a trademark of the German composer’s, one of the most important of the post-war period: extracts from Mozart’s C major piano concerto and from Debussy’s »Jeux« are woven here together with jazz elements into a large-scale symphonic concerto for two pianos. In the pianists Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, the renowned Lucerne Festival Academy has found just the right interpreters for this composition. And the two soloists have something particular in common with composer and conductor Peter Eötvös, namely their constant support for contemporary music. Tonight they appear together in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall with classic modern works and music by contemporary composers. Among the latter is Peter Eötvös’s latest work »Reading Malevich«, which had its first performance only a few days ago.

Please note: Matthias Pintscher is unable to fulfil his obligations to the Lucerne Festival Academy for personal reasons. Peter Eötvös, who assumed a central role as composer and conductor with the Lucerne Festival Academy this summer, will conduct the orchestra of the Lucerne Festival Academy in this concert. Máté Bella’s »Lethe« for string orchestra replaces »Sudden Time« by George Benjamin on the programme. Tickets retain their validity.