National Recital Hall

Dawn

The concert begins with Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata, which is often nicknamed L'Aurora (The Dawn) due to its opening, which evokes the image of the sun rising, and all of nature awakening. A faint beam of light breaks through the darkness, heralding the start of a new day.

Footprints

Schubert’s famous Wanderer Fantasy, aside from his well-known vocal works, also includes this piano fantasy, which has been called "a piece only a demon could play." The work is structured in a single-movement sonata form, with four continuous sections that portray a journey through nature.

Metamorphosis

Schumann’s Arabesque, widely regarded as one of the most technically challenging pieces for the piano, was originally composed as a study piece. In just seven minutes, this work serves as a warm-up before Brahms’ monumental piece, setting the stage for the final transcendence in the upcoming longer work.

Transcendence

Schumann once praised Brahms' Piano Sonata No.1, and Brahms included Schumann’s letter of recommendation as an attachment when sending the sonata to his publisher, reflecting the mutual admiration they had for each other's talents and works. The first movement of Brahms’ sonata shares a theme with the final fourth movement, while the second movement is a set of variations based on the theme Verstohlen geht der Mond auf ("The Moon is Stealthily Rising").

After this entire journey through C major, the journey culminates in this immense, thirty-minute work—a piece that challenges technique, features a complete structure, and interweaves thematic connections. It is like gathering, transforming, and concentrating all the pure sounds, ultimately blooming into a rich and profound conclusion.

Ticket
Program

Program
Ludwig van Beethoven: Waldstein Sonata in C Major, Op. 53
Franz Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy, Op. 15

Intermission

Robert Schumann: Arabesque, Op. 18
Johannes Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 1