This is a very special recital. The Festival has been given access to Kasteel Amerongen, a magnificent period Big House surrounded by a moat near Utrecht. The House also has an Erard piano in mint condition, whose sound is ideal for the chosen repertoire. Schumann’s ‘Fantasiestücke’ was written to be played in domestic music-making settings that regularly took place in the Schumann household, Clara being an outstanding pianist and world-class musicians were regular visitors. Schubert’s ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata needs no introduction, an audience favourite with its big tunes and easy-going style. Maria Theresia von Paradis was a celebrated blind pianist for whom Mozart wrote a concerto and who inspired a school for blind children. Like all virtuoso pianists, she composed pieces to play on her concert tours but she published very little. Many works have been attributed to her that were in fact composed by someone else. Franck’s big-boned, hyper-Romantic Violin Sonata is such a magnificent work that it has been hijacked by cellists, violists and even flautists. The sheer beauty of the instrumental writing lends the work instant accessibility, and Franck’s perfectly judged control of instrumental balance and changing moods makes it equally rewarding for the players and the audience. It never descends to sentimentality or post-romantic indulgence, managing to combine rigorous development with inspirational freshness.

See link below for further details.