Leonidas Kavakos e Francesco Piemontesi

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Sonata per violino e pianoforte n.2 la maggiore, op.100

Robert Schumann (1810–1856)

Sonata per violino e pianoforte n.2 in re minore, op.121

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Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Sonata per violino e pianoforte n.3 in re minore, op.108

A concert for violin and piano duo can showcase a remarkable exchange of musical ideas, rhythms and colours in the great German Romantic tradition. This is certainly true of the mix of passion, inner turmoil and melancholy that underpins Brahms’ and Schumann’s chamber music masterpieces, replete with tender expression, soft accents and cantabile harmonies. And when the playbill features a violinist of the calibre of Leonidas Kavakos, accompanied at the piano by Francesco Piemontesi, you know you it is bound to be a special occasion. The Greek musician, who has played a 1692 Stradivari Falmouth for many years, is an emblematic figure in the pantheon of virtuoso violinists: his impressive fluency with the bow has seen him triumph at both the Jean Sibelius and Niccolò Paganini competitions, the two most prestigious violin contests in the world.