Sunday, April 15, 2012, at 5 PM at Saint-Jacques le Majeur Church in Mougins
-Isabelle and Florence LAFITTE Piano Duo for four hands
For the first time, a piano duo is scheduled at “A Winter of Music.”
The presentation by Olivier Vernet, the artistic director of the festival: “This instrumental formation is rare because it is particularly demanding for pianists who dedicate themselves to it at a high level. The assembly of these giant instruments is always spectacular, and the connection with the audience is immediate.
The repertoire for two keyboards is extremely rich, with composers throughout the centuries vying with creativity to unveil and orchestrate its treasures. Four aspects will be represented during this concert.
First, an original piece with excerpts from the famous Planets by Gustav Holst, initially composed for two pianos. Then, a paraphrase by Australian composer Percy Grainger, a friend of Gershwin and an astounding piano virtuoso, revives through his Fantasy on Porgy and Bess, the unforgettable opera by the American composer. This will be followed by a stylistic figure, which is the Concerto in D for two pianos by Poulenc in his own version without orchestra.
Finally, a surprise and a world premiere featuring a multiplication of hands, in an incredible version of Brahms’ Concerto in D minor.”
