Paganini's Caprice No. 24 was an inspiration to two great 20th century Slavic composers. Rachmaninoff composed a series of bravura variations in a Swiss villa in the mid-1930s. Discussing the startlingly emotional 18th variation, the most famous of the variations, the pianist and composer later commented with a certain degree of irony that 'this one is for my agent.' Lutosławski reworked Paganini's theme in 1941 in far more trying circumstances, while working as a cabaret pianist in German-occupied Warsaw. The piece for two pianos is his only surviving work from the period, and he rewrote it as a piano and orchestral piece in the 1970s. The concert's soloist, the globetrotting virtuoso (and qualified lawyer) Andrei Korobeinikov, is not only a seasoned performer of Rachmaninov's music but also followed in the master's footsteps, graduating from the Moscow Conservatory at the age of 19, just like the composer himself.
With András Keller conducting, this Concerto Budapest concert will conclude with a classic work from the early 20th century, The Rite of Spring. With unfailing sincerity, even Herbert von Karajan has spoken of the unique challenges the piece poses for both conductor and orchestra.

Presented by: Concerto Budapest