Piano Works Presented by Liszt Academy

The “Written One Hundred Years Ago” series at the Liszt Academy evokes both the past and the future. This series commemorates the institution’s 150th anniversary in 2025 by featuring performances from emerging artists, highlighting works created during the 1924-1925 period. The first concert of the series, comprised of solo piano pieces, focuses on composers from Eastern and Central Europe. In the first half of the concert, we will delve into the world of Czech and Russian tales through the music of Bohuslav Martinů and Nikolai Medtner, from which Stravinsky’s piece brings us back to reality: the length of the movements in his Serenade was specifically tailored to the technical capabilities of the gramophone. After the intermission, Bartók’s Dance Suite from 1925 will be performed. Originally composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unification of Pest, Buda, and Óbuda in 1923, this piece blends the musical characteristics of various peoples, primarily from the Danube region, encapsulating the entire concert’s ethos and leading into the closing piece. Enescu began working on his Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor in 1912. He completely rewrote the first movement in 1924 and completed the sonata later that same year. The work premiered in 1925, with the composer himself performing.