MIKHAÏL PLETNEV

piano recital

ALEXANDER SCRIABINE
24 Preludes

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN
24 Preludes

ABOUT THE SHOW

For this new Recital on the stage of the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Mikhail Pletnev offers an immersion into the heart of the prelude, exploring the works of two major figures in the piano repertoire: Frédéric Chopin and Alexandre Scriabine. This exceptional program brings together two emblematic cycles of the genre, creating a subtle dialogue between Romanticism and modernity.

Pianist Mikhail Pletnev is not only one of the leading exponents of the RUSSIA keyboard school, but also an outstanding interpreter of international standards. Winner of the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition, he is today a leading figure in classical music. A virtuoso pianist, conductor and composer, he has won acclaim on the world’s greatest stages for his interpretation of rare intensity. Today, he pursues a rich and committed career in the service of music and artistic freedom. With a running time of around 40 minutes, Chopin’s 24 Preludes offer a subtle and unique alchemy for the organization of musical time. This series of musical snapshots, alternating major and minor keys, progresses in a spellbinding blend of melancholy and joy. Trained in Mozart and Bach – here we find memories of the Well-Tempered Clavier – many musicologists see in Chopin “a classical spirit in a romantic soul”. His 24 Preludes are a luminous illustration of this. Scriabin occupies a special place among Russian composers for piano at the turn of the 20th century. From his earliest compositions, his writing transcended the traditions of his contemporaries Glazunov and Rachmaninov. This is particularly true of his countless Preludes, 24 of which are included in his Opus 11, in which he also explores major and minor keys in succession. Despite strict adherence to the order of the cycle of fifths, as in Chopin’s cycle, he insisted that “each prelude can exist as a small, autonomous and independent composition”. The mirror program of this concert will allow us to hear both sides of the same intention. An exciting musical experience not to be missed!