Salzburg Festival Features Intimate Piano Recitals by Sokolov and Aimard

The Salzburg Festival is set to feature intimate chamber music performances by renowned pianists, including Grigory Sokolov and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Sokolov, a perennial favorite known for drawing sold-out crowds, will perform on July 28 at the Großes Festspielhaus.

Sokolov's program includes a contrasting selection: Beethoven's Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 7, and Bagatelles, Op. 126, followed by Franz Schubert's final piano sonata in B-flat major, D. 960. The latter, composed a year after Beethoven's death, is noted for expanding the sonata form. As is his tradition, Sokolov is expected to deliver numerous encores, forming a third, surprise program.

Following Sokolov, Pierre-Laurent Aimard will present a program on July 31 at the Mozarteum that bridges classical and contemporary music. His performance will feature excerpts from György Kurtág's "Játékok" (Games), alongside Ländler and waltzes by Franz Schubert. These pieces, often small and seemingly improvisational, evoke memories of spontaneous musical moments.

Aimard's program also includes a Mozart Andante, originally commissioned for a mechanical organ, and Arnold Schoenberg's Piano Pieces, Op. 19. These short, atonal compositions from the early 20th century represent a critical point in the development of musical form, leading to Schoenberg's later twelve-tone method. Aimard's selection juxtaposes these works with pieces by Schoenberg's student, Anton Webern, further exploring the evolution of musical language.

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ein Kontrastprogramm sondergleichen