Reserve your seat today: https://gabriele-baldocci-piano-war-and-peace.eventbrite.ie

Dublin International Piano Festival 2017 is proud to present a magnificent afternoon of music with the one and only Gabriele Baldocci on July 28th. One of the highlights of this year’s program, the chosen pieces reflect the power, passion, and conflict of Tolstoy’s epic 1869 classic.

A renowned conductor, Baldocci has given concerts in a myriad of venues; from Zurich’s Tonhalle and the Parco Della Musica in Rome to the Teatro Fraschini in Pavia. As a pianist, he has been on the bill for festivals in Denmark, Argentina and many more. His performances are regularly broadcast on television and radio, with Italian network Classica producing a documentary about his storied career. His recordings are available on esteemed labels Stradivarius and Dynamic.

This is set to be an unmissable event in the company of the Italian, described by Gramophone Magazine as ‘a pianist of formidable capabilities’. Only a musician of his calibre would begin a recital with the technically demanding Lizst transcription of Beethoven’s 5th symphony. Composed as the Napoleonic Wars ravaged Europe, Beethoven himself was tormented by increasing deafness during its creation.

Following this tour de force is a piece from the iconic Frenchman, Maurice Ravel. La Valse (The Waltz), was his tribute to the elegance and suggestive sensuality of the Viennese ballroom dance. This hypnotic and thrilling work was also said to be an incisive comment on the chaos in Europe following the Great War.

The closing piece of this event is from Russian great Kabalevsky, who was one of the leading figures in Soviet era classical music. Piano Sonata no. 3 evokes the era of Tolstoy’s masterwork and is the perfect thematic closure to the recital. Piano Sonata no. 3 is one of the most complex of Kabalevsky’s works, and reflects the patriotism and conflict present during a trying period in the country’s history.

The beautiful Hugh Lane Gallery plays host to this unforgettable experience, where the audience will be immersed in a rousing and passionate performance of some outstanding works of art.

More information here: www.pianofestival.ie