LUCERNE FESTIVAL | Piano Festival 2019

16 – 24 November 2019

Program

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Mit dabei. Im Sommer wie am Piano.

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Dear Music Lovers,

W Michael Haefliger Executive and Artistic Director LUCERNE FESTIVAL

hat would piano music be without Ludwig van Beethoven? Hans von Bülow once described the composer’s 32 piano sonatas as the “New Testament” of the piano repertoire. Naturally, Beethoven could apply such genius to the keyboard because he commanded an astonishing dexterity to start with. He was only 25 years old when he made his way into the venerable Musical Yearbook of Vienna and Prague as a piano virtuoso, which described Beethoven as “generally admired for his extreme speed and for the extraordinary difficulties he so easily executes.”

The music world will celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020 – and on the eve of the anniversary, the 2019 Piano Festival likewise focuses its attention on the composer. Rudolf Buchbinder will perform all five piano concertos. Igor Levit will continue his ongoing cycle of the 32 sonatas in Lucerne over two recitals.

Evgeny Kissin will also perform an all-Beethoven program. And the Icelandic musician Víkingur Ólafsson, a new star on the piano scene, covers the beginning and the end with his performance of the first and last of the Beethoven sonatas.

As a counterpart to such an abundance of Beethoven, Dame Mitsuko Uchida offers a Franz Schubert recital, while Arcadi Volodos focuses on the Romantic composers Liszt and Schumann.

You can look forward to some new discoveries with our lineup of three first-class newcomers: Claire Huangci, Danae Dörken, and Alexander Ullman. Plus, the finest in jazz piano returns with Piano Off-Stage, our autumn celebration of jazz.

It all amounts to quite a celebration. At the same time, it marks a farewell, since this will be the final edition of the Piano Festival in this form. Starting in 2020, LUCERNE FESTIVAL will present a fresh look. But going forward, the piano will certainly continue to play a leading role with us. Because without these 88 white and black keys, music would not be what it is.

Best regards,

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Piano Festival | 16 – 24 November 2019 Sat

16.11.

Introduction 17.30 | A 18.30 | KS Beethoven

Piano Concertos 1

Sun

17.11.

Introduction 17.30 | A 18.30 | KS Beethoven

Piano Concertos 2

Mon

Tue

18.11.

19.11.

Wed

20.11.

2

Thu

21.11.

with Susanne Stähr (in German)

Festival Strings Lucerne | Rudolf Buchbinder

p. 9

Beethoven

with Susanne Stähr (in German)

Festival Strings Lucerne | Rudolf Buchbinder

p. 10

Beethoven

Piano Master Class 9.30/ 14.00 | SC

with Peter Hill

p. 11

19.30 | KS Recital 1

Dame Mitsuko Uchida

p. 12

Piano Master Class 9.30/ 14.00 | SC

with Peter Hill

p. 11

19.30 | LS

Emmet Cohen | Chris Conz | Luca Filastro | Walter Fischbacher | Béatrice Kahl | Bernd Lhotzky | Jan Luley | Lorenzo Vitolo

p. 13

Piano Master Class 9.30/ 14.00 | SC

with Peter Hill

p. 11

12.15 | LK

Claire Huangci

p. 14

18.30 | A Introduction 19.30 | KS Recital 2

with Susanne Stähr (in German)

p. 15

Piano Master Class 9.30/ 14.00 | SC

with Peter Hill

p. 11

12.15 | LK

Danae Dörken

p. 16

16.30 | SC Final Concert

Participants in the Master Class

p. 11

18.30 | A Introduction 19.30 | KS Recital 3

with Susanne Stähr (in German)

p. 17

Opening Night Piano Off-Stage

Debut 1

Debut 2

Piano Master Class

Schubert

Scarlatti, Schubert, Rachmaninoff

Evgeny Kissin Beethoven

Debussy, Bartók, Poulenc, de Falla, Chopin

Arcadi Volodos Liszt, Schumann

Fri

22.11.

Sat

23.11.

Sun

24.11.

Alexander Ullman

p. 18

19.30 | KS Recital 4

Igor Levit

p. 19

13.30 | S

Young 1

Workshop for children with

p. 20

14.00 | A

Piano Lecture 1 (in German)

Martin Meyer

p. 21

16.00 | A

Piano Lecture 2 (in German)

Martin Meyer

p. 21

18.30 | KS Recital 5

Víkingur Ólafsson

p. 22

11.00 | KS

Young 2

Workshop for children with

p. 20

13.00 | F

Young 3

Workshop for children with

p. 20

17.00 | KS

Recital 6

Igor Levit

p. 23

12.15 | LK

Debut 3

Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky Beethoven

Chris Conz

“Gegen den Strich: Revolutionäre und Störenfriede” (“Against the Grain: Revolutionaries and Troublemakers”)

“Für die Ewigkeit gespielt (oder fast)” (“Played for Eternity … or Almost”)

J.S. Bach, Beethoven

Igor Levit

Bernd Lhotzky

Beethoven

Venues: KKL Luzern: A Auditorium | F Foyer | KS Concert Hall | LS Lucerne Hall LK Lukaskirche | S Südpol | SC St. Charles Hall, Meggen

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Sit back and enjoy.

On the ground and in the air.

swiss.com

Made of Switzerland.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL thanks its Partners for their valued commitment to the 2019 Piano Festival.

Concert Sponsor

Julius Baer

Foundation Walter B. Kielholz Foundation Grants and Subsidies Kanton Luzern | Stadt Luzern

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A very special thanks is owed as well to the Foundation Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL, which is an indispensable partner in implementing our program.

Organization Honorary Board

Ueli Maurer, President of the Swiss Confederation | Dr. Othmar Frei, Provost | Robert Küng, President of the Government of the Canton of Lucerne | Beat Züsli, Mayor of the City of Lucerne

Board of Trustees of LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Dr. Hubert Achermann, Chairman | Otto Wyss, Treasurer✣ | Peter Eckert✣ | Markus Hongler✣ | Isabelle Welton✣ | Christian Casal | Dr. Rolf Dörig✣ | Dr. Christoph Franz | Mario Greco | Alexandre Jetzer | Dr. Ursula Jones-Strebi | Walter B. Kielholz✣ | Prof. Dr. Alois Koch | Dr. Hariolf Kottmann | Urs Rohner | Prof. Klaus Schwab | Reto Wyss | Beat Züsli ✣ committee member

Honorary Chairman Jürg R. Reinshagen

Foundation Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Board of Trustees Dr. Hubert Achermann, Chairman | Otto Wyss, Treasurer | Elisabeth Oltramare | Dr. Michel Stadlin | Corinna von Schönau-Riedweg 6

Team Valentina Rota, Executive Director | Sarah Amstad, Associate Manager Marketing & Communication and Director of Young Friends | Claudia Cavallari Hemmeter, Administration and Individual Support | International Advisory Committee of the Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL Albert Behler (Switzerland/USA) | Mag. Klaus Buchleitner (Austria) | Alan W. Fang (China) | Peter Greither (Germany) | David Kershaw (Great Britain) | Dr. Christoph M. Müller (Switzerland) | Makoto Nakao (Japan) | Paloma O’Shea (Spain) | Lutz Peters (Germany) | Sara Sela (Israel) | Kazuko Shiomi (Japan) | Alan B. Vickery (USA) American Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL Alan B. Vickery, Chairman | Richard Matlaga, Treasurer & Secretary | Dr. Hubert Achermann | Stanley M. Bergman | Yefim Bronfman | Michael Haefliger Valentina Rota, Director of Development

Executive and Artistic Director

Michael Haefliger*, Executive and Artistic Director/CEO | Alexandra Lankes, Assistant to the Executive and Artistic Director and to the Commercial Director Public Relations, Social Media Nina Steinhart, Director | Jacqueline Saner | Katharina Schillen Sponsorship Marianna Rossi, Director | Daniela Amrein | Cynthia Coletto

Artistic Office

Christiane Weber*, Director, Management of the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA and LUCERNE FESTIVAL YOUNG | Katharina Christen | Silvia Rösselet | Monika Widler LUCERNE FESTIVAL ACADEMY Dominik Deuber, Director | Lea Hinden Modern Music & Dramaturgy Mark Sattler, Director and Dramaturge Editorial & Dramaturgy Susanne Stähr, Director and Dramaturge | Denise Fankhauser | Malte Lohmann

Services

Danièle Gross*, Commercial Director Finance Marcel Kaufmann IT Kilian Bürli, Director | Silvio Frei | Gisela Sigrist Salzmann Marketing, Brand & Publications Bettina Jaggi, Director | Isabelle Gargiulo | Jason Planzer | Patricia Thérisod Concierge Services Christina Bucher, Director Ticketing & Visitor Services Simone Primavesi, Director | Claudia Cavallari Hemmeter | Birgit Hackbarth | Hana Javorska | Brigitte Keller | Katharina Stadlin * Member of the Board

C O N C E R T S & E V E N T S

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“This man has always fascinated me” Rudolf Buchbinder on Beethoven

Saturday, 16 November Beethoven Piano Concertos 1 18.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall Ticket prices CHF 170/130/90/60/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19501

Festival Strings Lucerne Rudolf Buchbinder pianist and conductor Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19 ca. 29’

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

ca. 34’

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

ca. 36’

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Rudolf Buchbinder

The Beethoven year 2020 gets off to a head start in Lucerne – by six weeks. More exactly: at the opening of the 2019 Piano Festival, when Rudolf Buchbinder and the Festival Strings Lucerne will perform the complete cycle of five piano concertos over two evenings. This makes for an ideal introduction to the inexhaustible musical cosmos of this composer, who began his career as an acclaimed piano virtuoso and initially wrote these works for his own performance. Put simply, Beethoven’s rapid artistic development can be traced in the piano concertos, from his beginnings as a student of Joseph Haydn to the development of the heroic style. The Austrian Rudolf Buchbinder is a storied Beethoven performer. Throughout the six decades of his pianistic life, he has worked tirelessly with the music of this “classical” icon, whom he prefers to describe as “the most romantic composer ever.” That fits with another point Buchbinder makes: “The older you get, the freer you become, the more ‘rubato’ you play,” observes the pianist.

Concert Introduction 17.30 KKL Luzern, Auditorium with Susanne Stähr (in German) Buchbinder-Beethoven Package Purchase tickets to enjoy Rudolf Buchbinder’s two Beethoven concerts on 16 and 17 November and receive a 20% discount on the second ticket: lucernefestival.ch/buchbinder

Sunday, 17 November Beethoven Piano Concertos 2 18.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall

“Beethoven’s piano concertos have humor and swing” Rudolf Buchbinder

Ticket prices CHF 170/130/90/60/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19503

Festival Strings Lucerne Rudolf Buchbinder pianist and conductor Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 ca. 37’

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 ca. 38’

ten | Look | Lis g o e ther Enjoy – T ncert C at the o see p. 33

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Rudolf Buchbinder

Concert Introduction 17.30 KKL Luzern, Auditorium with Susanne Stähr (in German) Buchbinder-Beethoven Package Purchase tickets to enjoy Rudolf Buchbinder’s two Beethoven concerts on 16 and 17 November and receive a 20% discount on the second ticket: lucernefestival.ch/buchbinder

Some people think that everything has already been said about Beethoven.

What else is left to be discovered? Rudolf Buchbinder sees it differently. He is firmly convinced that there is no authentic interpretation, no royal road, no ideal solution. “None of us alive today has had breakfast with Beethoven,” he says. “You can hear the Fifth Symphony led by ten great conductors. It fascinates us each time, but who knows what the ‘correct’ interpretation is?” That is precisely the secret behind why Beethoven’s music seems so inexhaustible and ever fresh. For Buchbinder himself, it is an exhilarating experience not only to play the solo part in Beethoven’s piano concertos but also to take on their musical direction. “Already after the first rehearsal, the orchestras are inspired,” he says. “Why? Because suddenly every musician has a responsibility. They have to listen to each other. What is the clarinet doing? What about the oboe? There is no one they can rely on to provide the beat. So their concentration is essentially intensified.”

“He kept on reinventing his musical language” Peter Hill on Olivier Messiaen

Monday, 18 – Thursday, 21 November Piano Master Class with Peter Hill Mon–Wed 9.30–12.30 and 14.00–17.00 Thu 9.30–12.30 and 14.00–16.00 St. Charles Hall, Meggen Ticket price for auditors: CHF 15 (all-day pass) Tickets must be purchased directly from the Hochschule Luzern – Musik

Participants in the Master Class Peter Hill director Selected works from the Baroque up through classic Modernism, with focuses on J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and the piano works of Olivier Messiaen In collaboration with the Hochschule Luzern – Musik

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Peter Hill

“Outstanding technique, a genuine poet: I’m a passionate admirer of his piano playing.” Olivier Messiaen raved about Peter Hill, with whom he worked closely in the 1980s, when Hill recorded his piano works. The British pianist is – and this has largely to do with his studies with Nadia Boulanger – a masterful interpreter of 20th-century music. His recordings of the works of Stravinsky, the Second Viennese School, and Messiaen have set standards. But he has also devoted himself intensively to the classic repertoire, such as Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

In addition, Hill is an active music writer and has published several studies as well as a biography of Messiaen that received an award from the Paris Académie des Beaux-Arts. In short, the participants in the Lucerne Master Class will benefit not only from Peter Hill’s practical experience as a pianist but also from his profound knowledge of the works they explore. And since the sessions are as usual open to the public, this holds for all interested auditors as well.

Information for auditors Hochschule Luzern – Musik | Reimar Houtman reimar.houtman@hslu.ch Closing Concert 21 November | 16.30 St. Charles Hall, Meggen Free admission

Monday, 18 November Recital 1 19.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall

“There’s violence with Beethoven, but not with Schubert” Dame Mitsuko Uchida

Ticket prices CHF 150/120/80/50/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19505

Dame Mitsuko Uchida piano Franz Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor, D 537 ca. 21’

Piano Sonata in C major, D 840 ca. 29’

Piano Sonata in B-flat major, D 960 ca. 45’

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Dame Mitsuko Uchida

“Perhaps there is a God because there is Schubert,” Mitsuko Uchida once ventured. This bon mot wonderfully sums up the importance that the Viennese composer has for the pianist, who finds Schubert so profoundly human. Born in Japan in 1948, she has long been a British citizen and received the title of Lady Commander in 2009. In her view, Schubert serves as a guide for everyone: you can love, dream, and suffer with him. So it’s no wonder that Uchida will devote her recital entirely to her favorite idol, playing three sonatas from three different creative phases. The ideal way of playing Schubert is something that she has internalized since her youth. At the age of 12, Uchida came to the city on the Danube because her father was appointed Ambassador to Austria. The softness of the Viennese language and its subtle three-quarter time flow into the sound of her Schubert interpretations. As does her pleasure in nuance. When a piano builder once marveled about her: “Finally, a pianist! The others are only fortists,” she took it as a special compliment.

It’s jazz time!

Tuesday, 19 November Opening Night of Piano Off-Stage 19.30 KKL Luzern, Lucerne Hall free admission

Complete Lineup of Off-Stage Pianists: Emmet Cohen (USA) Chris Conz (Switzerland) Luca Filastro (Italy) Walter Fischbacher (Austria) Béatrice Kahl (Germany) Bernd Lhotzky (Germany) Jan Luley (Germany) Lorenzo Vitolo (Italy) Andreas Müller-Crepon host This event has no intermission

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You won’t get a touch of the autumn blues in Lucerne! Elsewhere, the season might put you in the doldrums, but late November is a lively, even upbeat time of year here. In addition to the performances by classical stars at the KKL, you can enjoy six evenings of the finest jazz improvisations during the Piano Festival. Eight keyboard artists from the USA, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany will perform over forty concerts on nine stages. And because they share their art in Lucerne’s loveliest bars, lounges, and restaurants – “off stage,” with free admission – they bring the whole city to life. Old friends like Chris Conz, with his whirling boogie-woogie rhythms, and Bernd Lhotzky, a master of Harlem stride, will be there. We’ve also invited some new faces: Walter Fischbacher from New York, who will play his first solo program; the young Italian Lorenzo Vitolo; and Béatrice Kahl, a virtuosa in groove. The best approach is to start with an overview of all of the performers. You can do so at the grand opening in the KKL, which kicks off the 2019 edition of Off-Stage.

Piano Off-Stage 19 – 24 November Selected bars and restaurants in Lucerne

You can find an overview of the complete lineup of Off-Stage concerts as well as detailed information about all of the pianists starting on p. 24.

Wednesday, 20 November Debut 1 12.15 Lukaskirche

“Sometimes it’s better to have small hands…”

Claire Huangci

Ticket price CHF 30 Event no. 19506

Claire Huangci piano Domenico Scarlatti Piano Sonata in D major, K. 443 Piano Sonata in A major, K. 208 Piano Sonata in D major, K. 29 Piano Sonata in D major, K. 435 total duration ca. 10’

Franz Schubert Four Impromptus, D 935 ca. 35’

Sergei Rachmaninoff Préludes, Op. 3, no. 2 and Op. 23 nos. 1–7 total duration ca. 28’

This concert has no intermission

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Claire Huangci

Child prodigies have a hard time after they grow up and the circus-like spectacle that was part of their attraction when they started out is over. Claire Huangci, the daughter of two Chinese scientists who was born in 1990 in Rochester, New York, is one of the fortunate ones who later outstripped her initial early fame.

She won international piano competitions at the age of nine and played for U.S. President Bill Clinton when she was ten; her pianist colleague Vladimir Krainev declared that she had “the fastest fingers in the world” when she was sixteen.

But Huangci did not rely on her virtuoso capacities alone. After her studies with Gary Graffman in Philadelphia, she continued her training with Arie Vardi in Hanover and developed into a “mature artist,” as the jury of the Concours Géza Anda put it when it awarded her first prize in 2018. In the meantime, Claire Huangci has released four award-winning recordings and is a guest artist in the world’s major concert halls, from the Vienna Konzerthaus to Carnegie Hall in New York.

“Romantic music, full of strong feelings” Evgeny Kissin on Beethoven

Wednesday, 20 November Recital 2 19.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall Ticket prices CHF 170/130/90/60/30 Seating map 2, p. 36 | Event no. 19507

Evgeny Kissin piano Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 Grande Sonate Pathétique ca. 20’

Fifteen Variations and Fugue in E-flat major, Op. 35 Eroica Variations ca. 24’

Piano Sonata in D minor, Op. 31, no. 2 The Tempest ca. 23’

Piano Sonata in C major, Op. 53 Waldstein Sonata ca. 24’

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Evgeny Kissin

What a Beethoven performer! At his last Lucerne recital, which took place in November 2017, Evgeny Kissin had the “Mount Everest” of the composer’s 32 piano sonatas on his program: the formidable Hammerklavier Sonata, around which even a keyboard titan like the legendary Sergei Rachmaninoff stayed clear of throughout his life. His compatriot Kissin, however, not only mastered its technical hurdles with astonishing ease but also succeeded in making this gigantic, craggy work sound like a unified whole, penetrating deep into its unfathomable secrets. This exhilarating experience is being continued this year with an all-Beethoven recital in which he will combine three of the most popular sonatas with the equally famous Eroica Variations. Evgeny Kissin moreover associates Beethoven’s art with an ethical mission: “Beethoven was always concerned with the entire human race, and that is why his music belongs to all people,” he explains. “His music helps you to live. And to assert yourself against all obstacles.”

Julius Baer – Concert Sponsor

Concert Introduction 18.30 KKL Luzern, Auditorium with Susanne Stähr (in German)

Thursday, 21 November Debut 2 12.15 Lukaskirche

“With art you can build bridges”

Danae Dörken

ticket price CHF 30 Event no. 19508

Danae Dörken piano Claude Debussy Images pour piano, 1ère série ca. 15’

Béla Bartók Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56 ca. 7’

Francis Poulenc Huit Nocturnes ca. 18’

Manuel de Falla Fire Dance from the ballet El amor brujo ca. 4’

Frédéric Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 ca. 25’

This concert has no intermission 16

Danae Dörken

Danae Dörken learned to cope with competition early on. When she studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Music Academy in Hanover, Alice Sara Ott, Igor Levit, and Alexej Gorlatch were all in the same piano class. Born in 1990 and growing up in a German-Greek family, Dörken did not allow herself to get distracted by the hype that surrounded her colleagues but went her own way.

Her mentor Lars Vogt, with whom she has recorded Mozart and Mendelssohn concertos, raves about her “absolute devotion to music” and marvels at her “breathtaking talent for structure and color.” The Rheinische Post has compared her with the young Martha Argerich, while the magazine Pizzicato has written of her “very high degree of vitality,” “superior virtuosity,” and “expressiveness full of melancholy and spiritual depth.” Danae Dörken is a bundle of energy: the mother of two sons and the founder of a festival on the island of Lesbos, where she also makes music for refugees. Because for her: “Music can be a driving force in times of need and can create positive counter-energy.”

“You can find more spirituality in music than in church” Arcadi Volodos

Thursday, 21 November Recital 3 19.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall Ticket prices CHF 120/100/80/50/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19509

Arcadi Volodos piano Franz Liszt Sonetto 123 del Petrarca from Années de pèlerinage – Deuxième année: Italie, S 161 no. 6 ca. 7’

La lugubre gondola, S 200 no. 2 ca. 9’

Saint François d’Assise: La Prédication aux oiseaux, S 175 no. 1

ca. 11’

Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S 171 ca. 13’

Robert Schumann Kreisleriana, Op. 16 ca. 33’

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Arcadi Volodos

When the Russian pianist Arcadi Volodos emerged into the spotlight in the 1990s with wildly virtuosic piano transcriptions, the press anointed him the “new Horowitz.” However much that was an honor for him, his everyday life from then on became just as exhausting. “For 17 years, I did nothing but travel.

It was always just hotel, airport, concert hall. I got to see nothing else.” But Volodos assessed the situation and drastically reduced his number of concerts, from 200 to 50 a year, concentrating on Europe and imposing a regimen of slowing down and weeks to himself to recharge his batteries. This therapy had a very welcome effect on his art as well. He now works with more nuanced repertoire, such as the filigree miniatures of the Spanish composer Federico Mompou and the austere late work of Johannes Brahms. And the results are quite impressive.

His album Volodos Plays Brahms received a Gramophone award, the Diapason d’or, and the Edison Klassiek in 2018. Volodos now returns to LUCERNE FESTIVAL after a 14-year hiatus with a double portrait of two very different Romantics, Liszt and Schumann.

Concert Introduction 18.30 KKL Luzern, Auditorium with Susanne Stähr (in German)

Friday, 22 November Debut 3 12.15 Lukaskirche ticket price CHF 30 Event no. 19510

“Your ten fingers are the orchestra”

Alexander Ullman on piano transcriptions

Alexander Ullman piano Franz Liszt Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude, S 173, no. 3 ca. 18’

Funérailles (October 1849), S 173, no. 7 ca. 11’

Cantique d’amour, S 173, no. 10 ca. 7’

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky/ Mikhail Pletnev Suite from the ballet The Nutcracker, Op. 71a ca. 22’

Igor Stravinsky/Guido Agosti Danse infernale, Berceuse, and Finale from the ballet The Firebird ca. 12’

This concert has no intermission 18

Alexander Ullman

Franz Liszt has been the lucky star illuminating Alexander Ullman’s career. In 2011, the then 20-year-old British pianist won the Liszt Competition in Budapest, and in 2017 he took first prize at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht. The jury praised the poetry and rhetoric of his interpretations, but Ullman himself attributes his recipe for success to a much more personal factor: “Whenever I play Liszt, I feel freer.” He has performed with many renowned orchestras, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. He has given concerts in London’s Wigmore Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and the Seoul Arts Center. Ullman’s first solo recording was released in the spring of 2019: an album of transcriptions of Russian ballets. “His speed, transparency, and precision are breathtaking,” wrote the Sunday Times. And Pizzicato was dazzled by his “subtle, cultivated, and always light touch.”

“Music is the freest of the arts” Igor Levit

Friday, 22 November Recital 4 19.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall Ticket prices CHF 120/100/80/50/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19511

Igor Levit piano Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 10, no. 1 ca. 18’

Piano Sonata in G minor, Op. 49, no. 1 ca. 7’

Piano Sonata in G major, Op. 49, no. 2 ca. 8’

Piano Sonata in F major, Op. 54 ca. 11’

Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata ca. 24’

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Igor Levit

Is there actually an ideal interpretation of Beethoven? Igor Levit, who is performing the composer’s complete cycle of 32 sonatas at LUCERNE FESTIVAL in 2019 and 2020, rejects such a notion. “Phrases like ‘the performer, a servant of the composer’ are alien to me. I don’t think anyone should serve anyone, at any level. ‘I play what Beethoven writes’ is about the hollowest statement there can be.” Levit prefers to celebrate the freedom of interpretation, which can have quite different results. And the composition of his programs also ensures a colorful range of stylistic levels and perspectives. Which is why for this recital the heroic and technically tricky Appassionata is juxtaposed with the allegedly innocuous “Sonatines” of Op. 49. Levit particularly loves “these two jewels, which any piano student can in fact play. They teem with pure grace. They are humorous, pointed, and cheeky. Beethoven could do this. Für Elise is also a children’s piece and yet it’s wonderful. I won’t let anything take away from it.”

This concert is under the auspices of the Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Saturday, 23 – Sunday, 24 November Young 1–3 Südpol and KKL Luzern Tickets available only from Kultissimo Pro Juventute as of the beginning of September: www.kultissimo.ch

Young 1 Workshop for Children with Chris Conz Saturday, 23 November | 13.30 | Südpol Young 2 Workshop for Children with Igor Levit Sunday, 24 November | 11.00 | KKL Luzern, Konzertsaal Time and meeting point: 10.45 | artist’s entrance to the KKL Luzern Young 3 Workshop for Children with Bernd Lhotzky Sunday, 24 November | 13.00 | KKL Luzern, Foyer Time and meeting point: 12.45 | main entrance to the KKL Luzern 20

Pro Juventute Kultissimo – Culture for Children Friday, 22 – Sunday, 24 November

Detailed information on the program will be available starting September 2019 at www.kultissimo.ch

for everyone ages 7 and up | each workshop lasts ca. 45’

The piano is essentially a box with 88 keys. But what colors and rhythms this box can produce! Young Festival guests ages 7 and up will have an opportunity to explore what the piano can do, why the keys are black and white, and what happens when you press them in three workshops offered by LUCERNE FESTIVAL as part of Pro Juventute’s “Kultissimo.” The pianist Igor Levit and his two jazz colleagues Chris Conz and Bernd Lhotzky will introduce their instruments to participants at the KKL and the Südpol, giving them an entrée into the world of music. They will talk (in German) about the pieces they will play – and of course about themselves as well. “Kultissimo” is being organized for the first time in 2019 by Pro Juventute Lucerne Zug in cooperation with various cultural institutions in Lucerne and Zug. Its aim is to open the doors to art and culture for children.

Saturday, 23 November Piano Lectures 1 & 2 14.00 and 16.00 KKL Luzern, Auditorium free admission limited seating

Martin Meyer lecturer “Die Kunst des Klavierspiels” (“The Art of Piano Playing”) Piano Lecture 1 (in German) | 14.00–15.30 “Gegen den Strich: Revolutionäre und Störenfriede” (“Against the Grain: Revolutionaries and Troublemakers”) Piano Lecture 2 (in German) | 16.00–17.30 “Für die Ewigkeit gespielt (oder fast)” (“Played for Eternity … or Almost”)

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Martin Meyer

Since 2003, Martin Meyer has regularly been giving presentations on the art of piano playing during the Piano Festival. In these piano lectures, which to date number more than forty, he has reflected on themes related to music for the instrument but has also focused on important pianists and their unique characteristics. Arthur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Martha Argerich, and Mikhail Pletnev have numbered among the many figures in these discussions, with lots of musical examples and often surprising images to illustrate his points. And sometimes guests have also participated. For example, Alfred Brendel looked back on his role models for interpretation, while Sir András Schiff has spoken about Schubert. For this conclusion of the series, Meyer will take stock and show over the course of his two final lectures what matters when the keys are expected to speak and sing. This will be a journey through time in two parts, leading us through the exciting developments of the 20th century to the present day: music and its interpretation, as always enriched with many examples and with Meyer’s personal experiences and memories.

Saturday, 23 November Recital 5 18.30 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall

“Bach’s music is greater than any single individual” Víkingur Ólafsson

Ticket prices CHF 120/100/80/50/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19512

Víkingur Ólafsson piano Johann Sebastian Bach Aria variata alla maniera italiana in A minor, BWV 989 | ca. 15’ Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 850 | ca. 3’ Concerto in D minor, BWV 974 | ca. 10’ Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 855 | ca. 4’ Invention in B minor, BWV 786 | ca. 2’ Sinfonia in B minor, BWV 801 | ca. 2’ Fantasy and Fugue in A minor, BWV 904 | ca. 9’ J.S. Bach/Sergei Rachmaninoff Gavotte from the Partita for Solo Violin in E major, BWV 1006 | ca. 3’ J.S. Bach/Alexander Siloti Prelude in B minor, after the Prelude in E minor, BWV 855a | ca. 3’ Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 2 no. 1

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ca. 15’ Víkingur Ólafsson

Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 111 ca. 27’

He’s currently stirring up the classical music scene. Víkingur Ólafsson, proclaimed “Iceland’s Glenn Gould” by the New York Times, has created an international sensation with his performances of Bach. When his Bach album was released in 2018, it immediately topped the charts. “When Ólafsson plays, you hear Bach as if for the first time,” according to a reviewer on Bavarian Radio.

“It’s hard to put into words what happens on this CD. You get the feeling that Ólafsson is placing Bach’s very soul at your feet. There is nothing left between yourself and the purest, most perfect music.” The pianist, on the other hand, who was born in 1984, has a more objective explanation for such wizardry. He considers Bach to be an unsurpassable teacher who made him understand “the democracy of music” in an unparalleled way. “No voice is secondary. Every voice counts.” For his LUCERNE FESTIVAL debut, Ólafsson will not only focus on the great Baroque master but also sets his sights on the next “titan”: Ludwig van Beethoven, whose first and last piano sonatas he will explore following intermission.

“The new happens constantly with Beethoven” Igor Levit

Sunday, 24 November Recital 6 17.00 KKL Luzern, Concert Hall Ticket prices CHF 120/100/80/50/30 Seating map 1, p. 36 | Event no. 19513

Igor Levit piano Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 2, no. 2 ca. 23’

Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 10, no. 3 ca. 23’

Piano Sonata in F major, Op. 10, no. 2 ca. 14’

Piano Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31, no. 3 ca. 23’

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Igor Levit

The relative popularity of the Beethoven sonatas is also connected with their nicknames. No wonder that the Pathétique, Moonlight, Waldstein, Appassionata, and Tempest Sonatas rank so high in terms of familiarity. And yet these titles tell us nothing about the artistic value of the corresponding works. Among the quartet of four “nameless” sonatas with which Igor Levit concludes the 2019 Piano Festival is one of his great favorites: the D major Sonata, Op. 10, no. 3. Levit thinks that the first movement in itself is “incredibly captivating.”

But it gets even better with the Largo e mesto second movement: “I don’t know of any slow movement that goes as deep as this one.” He finds the minuet to entail a bizarre combination of “humor and religious devotion,” and he considers the finale almost downright phenomenal: “It is total inwardness. When a finale already starts out with a question …” Whenever he has completed a Beethoven recital, Levit admits, he feels an irresistible impulse: “I want to do it again, I want to do it again.” And we also want that: his cycle will continue in the summer of 2020.

19 – 24 November

Piano Off-Stage

Around midnight? No, when it’s late November, Lucerne starts swinging early in the evening at Piano Off-Stage, the jazz festival within the festival.

But it can go on late, because the artists like to get together for a jam session after their official program … Just the right thing for jazz lovers, night owls, and anyone who wants to keep the music going after the classical stars have performed in the KKL. Enjoy over 40 jazz concerts in Lucerne’s most atmospheric bars!

Emmet Cohen

USA With his “nimble touch,” “warm harmonic vocabulary,” and avoidance of “technical showmanship” (according to DownBeat magazine), Emmet Cohen from New York has played his way into the front row of the young generation of pianists. No wonder he has performed with such greats as Ron Carter, Benny Golson, and George Coleman and has appeared at such storied venues as the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Ronnie Scottʼs.

Chris Conz Luca Filastro

Italy Luca Filastro began playing the piano at the age of five, when he discovered the music of Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton. The icons of traditional piano jazz, including, of course, Earl Hines, Art Tatum, and Oscar Peterson, have remained his heroes to this day. Born in Calabria in 1992, Luca Filastro mingles stride piano, swing, bebop, and the blues – inspiring listeners far beyond the borders of Italy along the way.

Switzerland When Chris Conz discovered boogie-woogie at the age of 11, it fired his imagination. Born in 1985 in Uster, he has shared the stage with such boogiewoogie masters as Axel Zwingenberger, Vince Weber, Frank Muschalle, and Bob Seeley; toured Europe and the USA; and played in the casinos of Las Vegas and Madagascar. He is a member of Terry & The Hot Sox; has accompanied stars like Wanda Jackson, Nigel Kennedy, and Popa Chubby; and was awarded the Swiss Jazz Award in 2013.

Walter Fischbacher

Austria Simple melodies, embedded in virtuoso, colorful piano playing: the Austrian Walter Fischbacher, a resident of New York for a quarter of a century, has toured the whole world and has collaborated with such musicians as Randy Brecker, Ingrid Jensen, Wolfgang Muthspiel, and Chico Freeman, as well as the Vienna Art Orchestra. He now draws on the vast experience of his long career – as a soloist, in the spotlight and without a safety net.

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Béatrice Kahl

Germany Versatility is the trump card for the pianist, keyboard player, and organist Béatrice Kahl. She has performed with such artists as Emma Lanford, Max Mutzke, Joja Wendt, and Nneka. She also plays New German Wave hits in a jazzy guise, is a sought-after studio musician, and collaborates on musical productions. Whether jazz, swing, soul, or Latin, whether in the Melva Houston Band or with her own ensembles: it has to groove!

Bernd Lhotzky

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Germany “He is a monster!” says JazzTimes. Bernd Lhotzky has a particular fondness for the Harlem stride. Ever since he received the Grand Prix du Disque for his double record with the legendary Ralph Sutton in 1998, he has been regarded as one of the leading representatives of this virtuoso style. His performances have taken him around the globe: to the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and to the 92nd Street Y in New York. He has released more than 30 CDs, including with his quartet Echoes Of Swing.

Lorenzo Vitolo Jan Luley

Germany Jan Luley whisks us away to New Orleans, where he fuses the rich musical heritage of the city on the Mississippi with rock, funk, and upto-date jazz trends. Last year, Luley celebrated the 35 th anniversary of his stage debut: he has given more than 2,000 concerts in Europe, the USA, and Africa during his career.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called him a “jazz jack-of-alltrades” who has “ideas just rolling out of his fingers.”

Italy Lorenzo Vitolo, who was born in 1998, is one of piano jazz’s major talents. He has worked with James Taylor, Benny Harris, and Dave Holland; made it to the finals of the Parmigiani Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition in 2017; and played under Maria Schneider in the big band of the “generations” Festival in Frauenfeld in 2018.

Following classical piano studies, he is currently completing his masters in jazz at Groningen and is working on his first album.

Program Overview of Piano Off-Stage Tuesday, 19 − Sunday, 24 November Selected Restaurants and Bars in Lucerne Admission to all Piano Off-Stage events is free

Opening Night of Piano Off-Stage Tuesday, 19 November | 19.30 | KKL Luzern, Lucerne Hall

KKL FOYER

KKL SEEBAR

THE HOTEL

HOTEL WILDEN MANN

HOTEL DES BALANCES

DES ALPES

HOTEL SCHWEIZERHOF LUZERN

GRAND HOTEL NATIONAL

BÜRGENSTOCK RESORT

20 Wed 21 Thu

22 Fri

23 Sat

24 Sun

18.30 – 19.15

18.30 – 19.15

17.30 – 18.15

16.00 – 16.45

Emmet Cohen

Lorenzo Vitolo

Bernd Lhotzky

Walter Fischbacher

Emmet Cohen

Jan Luley

Lorenzo Vitolo

Jan Luley

Emmet Cohen

Béatrice Kahl

Luca Filastro

Walter Fischbacher

Chris Conz

Bernd Lhotzky

Walter Fischbacher

Béatrice Kahl

Luca Filastro

Béatrice Kahl

Luca Filastro

Bernd Lhotzky

Lorenzo Vitolo

Chris Conz

Luca Filastro

Béatrice Kahl

Chris Conz

Emmet Cohen

Bernd Lhotzky

Lorenzo Vitolo

Chris Conz

Luca Filastro

Bernd Lhotzky

Jan Luley

Walter Fischbacher

Jan Luley

Lorenzo Vitolo

Chris Conz

Emmet Cohen

18.30 – 19.15 21.30 – 23.45

18.15 – 19.00 20.45 – 23.00

19.00 – 22.00

18.30 – 19.30 21.30 – 23.30

19.45 – 20.30 21.15 – 23.00

18.30 – 21.15

20.00 – 23.00

18.30 – 19.15

18.30 – 19.15 21.30 – 23.45

18.15 – 19.00 20.45 – 23.00

19.00 – 22.00

18.30 – 19.30 21.30 – 23.30

19.45 – 20.30 21.15 – 23.00

20.15 – 23.00

20.00 – 23.00

Jan Luley

18.30 – 19.15 21.30 – 23.45

18.15 – 19.00 20.45 – 23.00

19.00 – 22.00

18.30 – 19.30 21.30 – 23.30

19.45 – 20.30 21.15 – 23.00

20.15 – 23.00

20.00 – 23.00

Walter Fischbacher

20.30 – 23.45

18.15 – 19.00 20.45 – 23.00

19.00 – 22.00

18.30 – 19.30 21.30 – 23.30

18.45 – 19.30 20.15 – 22.00

20.15 – 23.00

20.00 – 23.00

Béatrice Kahl

16.00 – 16.45 19.00 – 20.30

16.00 – 19.00

12.00 – 15.00

15.00 – 18.00

17.00 – 20.00

18.30 – 21.15

17.00 – 20.00

Béatrice Kahl Chris Conz Luca Filastro 18.30 – 21.30

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Foundation Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Since its founding in 1966, the Foundation Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL has made supporting the work of one of the world’s most renowned classical music festivals its goal.

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The moral and financial support that is obtained through this non-profit organization is invaluable for LUCERNE FESTIVAL. The Friends’ contributions, about eight percent of the total budget, are a significant contribution to the Festival’s financial security and sustainability.

Aside from this funding source, LUCERNE FESTIVAL is mainly supported by private and corporate sponsors and receives only a small contribution in the form of subsidy from the public sector. The Friends have thus become an indispensable partner of the Festival. But not only is supporting the Festival of today a matter of central concern: they also hope to create a sustainable basis for the artistic activity of tomorrow by fostering such important projects as the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ACADEMY and LUCERNE FESTIVAL YOUNG. The circle of the Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL offers an opportunity to share in the experience of the Festival in all its variety and to deepen your musical experience through such exclusive events as artist meetand-greets and visits to rehearsals; through the Friends you can moreover make contact with an interesting and international group of like-minded peers.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL is grateful to all of its Friends for their long-standing and loyal support.

We would especially like to thank our following patrons:

Thomas Abegg | Nachlass Ernest I. Ascher | Dr. Dr. Prof. H. Batliner | Albert Behler | Jörg G. Bucherer | Coralma Stiftung, Meggen | Oswald J. Grübel | Yann and Sabine Guyonvarc’h | Happel Foundation, Luzern | Dr. Klaus Jenny | Josef Müller Foundation Muri | Dr. Christoph M. Müller and Sibylla M. Müller | Michael Pieper | Dr. Max J. and Charlotte Scheidegger-Vonlanthen | Thomas Schmidheiny | Carla Schwöbel-Braun Contact Valentina Rota | Executive Director Foundation Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL International Private Fundraising Hirschmattstrasse 13 | P.O. Box | CH–6002 Luzern t +41 (0)41 226 44 52 | f +41 (0)41 226 44 60 v.rota@lucernefestival.ch

Sharing the Concert Experience The Young Friends of LUCERNE FESTIVAL Do you want to immerse yourself more thoroughly in the world of classical music and share your impressions with other people? The Young Friends are a network of young adults up to age 39 who are interested in music and culture.

We organize shared trips to the concert hall at reduced ticket prices, which are supplemented with a varied program of related events. You can obtain more information by writing jungefreunde@lucernefestival.ch.

Let it play. Listen. Enjoy.

MAKE YOUR HOME A CONCERT HALL.

Whether classical, pop or jazz – listen to performances by the world’s best pianists in your own home. How is that possible? Thanks to Spirio, the first high-resolution self-playing system from Steinway & Sons! A masterpiece of artistry and engineering that will not fail to delight you and your loved ones. Sit back and listen to the sound of the piano or play it for yourself - it’s entirely up to you.

musikhug.ch

U S E F U L I N F O R M A T I O N

Ticketing Information DATES FOR TICKET SALES

Piano Festival | 16 – 24 November 2019 Online ticket sales

begin on 5 August 2019, 12.00 noon (Swiss time)

Mail and fax sales

begin on 7 August 2019

Telephone sales

begin on 7 August 2019

Mon – Fri from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm and from 1.30 to 5.00 pm (Saturdays and Sundays as well when the Festival is under way)

TICKETS & INFORMATION LUCERNE FESTIVAL Ticketing & Visitor Service | P.O. Box | CH–6002 Luzern t +41 (0)41 226 44 80 | f +41 (0)41 226 44 85 ticketbox@lucernefestival.ch | lucernefestival.ch 32

QR-CODE FOR INSTANT BOOKING Each Festival event has a unique QR code associated with it. You can scan this using the QR code reader on your smartphone and directly access the corresponding concert page on our website.

This will make purchasing a ticket even easier.

TICKET SALES AT THE BOX OFFICE Ticket Sales Throughout the Year As soon as online sales begin on 5 August 2019 at 12.00 noon (Swiss time), you can also obtain your concert tickets for the Piano Festival in person at the ticket windows of our off-site ticket outlets. Please find the addresses of our ticket outlets throughout Switzerland on p. 35.

During the Piano Festival Throughout the Piano Festival, you can purchase tickets daily from 10.00 am until the end of the evening concert’s intermission by visiting the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ticketbox at the KKL Luzern’s main entrance (on the lake side).

Ticket Purchase Directly at the Concert If you decide to attend the Festival at the last minute, you can buy tickets for a particular event on the same day (subject to availability) at the venue where the event will be performed, starting one hour before the performance begins.

Picking Up Tickets That Have Been Ordered Tickets that have been ordered in advance may be picked up starting one hour before the performance begins at the relevant venue.

Duplicates in Case of Ticket Loss When possible, we will provide duplicates for lost concert tickets. Such duplicates are available exclusively at the evening box office for a fee of CHF 10 per order. It is not possible to print duplicates of tickets purchased at the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ticket window or at our sales outlets without customer data.

Returning Tickets for Resale For events that are sold out, tickets can be resold on commission. The commission fee is 30% of the purchase price. The costs of the transfer transaction are payable by the recipient. The organizer accepts no liability for the resale of returned tickets. Print@Home tickets as well as tickets for which no customer data were stored at the LUCERNE FESTIVAL box office or that were bought at ticket outlets may not be resold.

DISCOUNTS & SPECIAL OFFERS Discounted Tickets for Students and KulturLegi Holders University students, high school students, vocational students, and JTC members up to the age of 29 as well as KulturLegi holders may purchase tickets for CHF 20 starting one hour before the beginning of the performance for events which are not sold out. They must present valid identification. No additional price reductions are possible. Valid identification must also be shown at the entrances to the respective venues. Special student offers can be found at lucernefestival.ch/students.

Special Offer: “Look | Listen | Enjoy – Together at the Concert” When purchasing a ticket for selected events, adults will receive two free tickets of the same value to bring their young companions (children, grandchildren, godchildren, etc.) to the concert for free. This special offer is valid for all price groups. The free companion ticket is valid for young listeners up to and including the age of 17. Please note that these tickets are required for admission. The selected event for which this offer is available is highlighted in the program section by an orange circle.

We will be publishing a list of more concerts about four weeks after the start of online sales, which you can find at lucernefestival.ch/ look-listen-enjoy.

WhatsApp-News for Students Which concerts have tickets still available for students at the box office? What’s on at the Festival for primary, secondary, and university and vocational students? Use our WhatsApp News feature to get up-to-date information.

How does it work? Simply add a contact for our number +41 (0)79 385 36 53 and send the message “Start” using WhatsApp. 33

Things To Know For Your Concert Visit Entrance to the Concert Hall The main KKL Concert Hall opens 30 minutes before the beginning of the concert. For events in the KKL’s Lucerne Hall or at one of the venues outside the KKL, if applicable, access will start shortly before the beginning of the event. For the sake of the musicians and the audience, latecomers will not be admitted until intermission or at the discretion of the Concert Hall staff. In certain instances concerts will have no intermission and allow no latecomers. If the concert is missed on account of tardy arrival, tickets will not be refunded.

34

Read the Program Booklet before the Concert You may purchase your program booklet online in PDF form starting about seven days before the event in question. Each concert’s detail page on our website has a direct link where you can purchase and download the PDF. Audio and Video Recording For all LUCERNE FESTIVAL events, customers are strictly prohibited from making visual or audio recordings, including even for private use. Failure to comply will result in expulsion from the event venue. LUCERNE FESTIVAL makes audio and/or video recordings of certain performances. With the purchase of a concert ticket, the customer understands that LUCERNE FESTIVAL also uses recordings in which it is possible that he or she may appear.

Cloakroom Coats and items indicated below must be left in the cloakroom in the KKL Luzern, which is free of charge. A limited number of lockers is also available in the cloakroom area. Please note that, for security reasons, bags and other objects that are larger than 40 x 25 x 25 cm in size must be left in the cloakroom before entering the concert halls.

Information on Wheelchairs The main concert hall of the KKL Luzern has six wheelchair spaces with a good view of the stage, which are available on special terms.

The Festival cannot ensure that accompanying persons will receive a seat in the same price range or in the general vicinity. You can access the KKL Luzern through ground-level doors directly into the foyer, from which elevators give you access to all levels of the building.

Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are located near the cloakrooms on the downstairs level.

Wheelchair spaces are also available at the other event locations. Should you require help at any event venue, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our local staff is always available to help with questions and problems.

General Terms & Conditions The General Terms & Conditions may be found at lucernefestival.ch.

Ticket Outlets Throughout Switzerland BASEL Kulturhaus Bider & Tanner Vorverkaufsstelle Aeschenvorstadt 2 | CH–4010 Basel Mon – Wed and Fri, 9.00 am to 6.30 pm Thu, 9.00 am to 8.00 pm Sat, 9.00 am to 6.00 pm BERN tonträger music & more Schweizerhofpassage Spitalgasse 38 | CH–3011 Bern Tue – Fri, 10.00 am to 6.30 pm Sat, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm LUCERNE KKL Box Office (train station entrance) Europaplatz 1 | CH–6002 Luzern Mon – Fri, 9.00 am to 6.30 pm Sat, 10.00 am to 4.00 pm Musik Hug Luzern Luzernerstrasse 45 | CH–6030 Ebikon Tue – Fri, 10.00 am to 6.30 pm Sat, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

SOLOTHURN Central ticket outlet Buchhandlung Säli Ritterquai 4 | CH–4500 Solothurn Mon, 2.00 pm am to 6.30 pm Tue – Fri, 9.00 am to 12.00 noon and 2.00 pm to 6.30 pm Sat, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm SURSEE von Matt AG Buchhandlung Rathausplatz 2 | CH–6210 Sursee Mon, 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm Tue – Fri, 7.45 am to 12.00 noon and 1.15 pm to 8.30 pm (Thu to 8.00 pm) Sat, 8.30 am to 4.00 pm ZURICH Musik Hug Zürich Limmatquai 28–30 | CH–8001 Zürich Mon – Fri, 10.00 am to 6.30 pm Sat, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm

With regard to all ticket sales from our sales partners, it is not possible to redeem LUCERNE FESTIVAL vouchers, to print duplicate tickets, or to return tickets for resale.

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Seating Maps Seating Map 1 Event 4. Gallery right 3. Gallery right 2. Gallery right 1. Gallery right

4. balcony 3. balcony

4. Gallery left 3. Gallery left 2. Gallery left 1. Gallery left

2. balcony

19501 19503

Piano-Festival

Price per Category in CHF

1. balcony Front stalls

Organ Loft

I

170

150

120

130

120

100

III

90

80

80

IV

60

50

50

V

30

30

30

Front stalls gallery left

Seating Map 2

36

Event 4. Gallery right 3. Gallery right 2. Gallery right 1. Gallery right

4. balcony 3. balcony

4. Gallery left 3. Gallery left 2. Gallery left 1. Gallery left

Piano-Festival Price per Category in CHF

2. balcony 1. balcony Front stalls

Stage Front stalls gallery right

Organ Loft

Front stalls gallery left

Note on the seating maps: The organizer reserves the right to release individual sections for sale at a later date.

Updated information on all available seats can be found at lucernefestival.ch.

19509 19511 19512 19513

II

Stage Front stalls gallery right

19505

19507 I

170

II

130

III

90

IV

60

V

30

FESTIVAL-CITY LuCErnE The Festival City Lucerne delights throughout the year: classical music, blues, rock, comics and enthralling sport events.

Fumetto Comic Festival Lucerne 28 March – 5 April 2020 www.fumetto.ch

LUCERNE FESTIVAL | Summer 14 August – 13 September 2020 www.lucernefestival.ch

LUCERNE REGATTA 22 – 24 May 2020 www.lucerneregatta.com

World Band Festival Lucerne 19 – 27 September 2020 www.worldbandfestival.ch

Spitzen Leichtathletik Lucerne 7 July 2020 www.spitzenleichtathletik.ch

SwissCityMarathon – Lucerne 25 October 2020 www.swisscitymarathon.ch

Blue Balls Festival 17 – 25 July 2020 www.blueballs.ch

Lucerne Blues Festival 7 – 15 November 2020 www.bluesfestival.ch

Luzern Tourismus -Tourist Information | Zentralstrasse 5 | CH-6002 Luzern Tel. +41 (0)41 227 17 17 | luzern@luzern.com | www.luzern.com

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Venues

Venues for Piano Off-Stage

KKL | KKL Luzern, Europaplatz 1, Luzern LK | Lukaskirche, Morgartenstrasse 16, Luzern S | Südpol, Arsenalstrasse 28, Kriens (Bus no. 14 from the main train station) SC | St. Charles Hall, Meggen

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Seebar KKL Luzern, Europaplatz 1, Luzern The Hotel, Sempacherstrasse 14, Luzern Hotel Wilden Mann, Bahnhofstrasse 30, Luzern Hotel Des Balances, Weinmarkt, Luzern Des Alpes, Rathausquai 5, Luzern Hotel Schweizerhof, Schweizerhofquai, Luzern Grand Hotel National, Haldenstrasse 4, Luzern Bürgenstock Ressort Lake Lucerne, Obbürgen

Getting There ARRIVAL VIA TRAIN: YOUR CONCERT TICKET IS ALSO VALID AS A TRAVEL TICKET! Arrival and Departure by Train: 40% Rebate in the Swiss Rail Network As a concertgoer you can receive a discount of 40% for 1st or 2nd class for a round trip to Lucerne. (The concert ticket must be presented to the inspector on the train.) With the halffare card, the trip will cost only 30% of the full fare.

This special ticket must be purchased before beginning your trip: either at a Swiss Rail ticket counter, from a ticket machine, by calling the Rail Service line at 0848 44 66 88 (CHF 0.08/minute in the Swiss telephone network), or online at the SBB ticket shop (sbb.ch/lucernefestival).

FREE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION FOR HOTEL GUESTS Public transportation is included as a benefit for Festival guests staying in a Lucerne hotel, who can use the bus and train free of charge within the Passepartout network (Zone 10, 2nd class).

ARRIVAL VIA CAR The KKL Luzern is located right next to Lucerne’s main train station. Owing to the parking and traffic situation, we recommend using public transportation during the Festival season. Guests who travel by car are advised to observe the city’s parking guidance system and to take the bus from the parking garages to the KKL Luzern.

The parking garages are indicated on the adjacent map; you can find additional information at parking-luzern.ch.

Park & Ride Several train stations outside the City of Lucerne offer Park & Ride for rail travel to Lucerne. The following stations are especially convenient and provide ample parking: Sursee, Rotkreuz, Zug, Wolhusen, Arth-Goldau, and Sarnen.

Would you like to learn more about Lucerne and its surrounding area?

Are you in need of accommodation?

Tourist Information Tourist Information Luzern Zentralstrasse 5 | CH–6002 Luzern t +41 (0)41 227 17 17 Accommodation Lucerne’s Tourist Office can help you find accommodation.

Central reservations no.: t +41 41 227 17 27 | luzern@luzern.com

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KKL vouchers

For moments that last.

Treat your nearest and dearest to a very special experience – our vouchers allow you to enjoy unique concert moments, gourmet dinners or cocktail evenings at KKL Luzern.

Order now: kkl-luzern.ch gutschein@kkl-luzern.ch +41 41 226 77 77 Counter at KKL Luzern: Mo–Fr 9am–6.30pm, Sa 10am–4pm

A Recipe Dem Klang forTür Music: und Tor geöffnet: The KKL Luzern Lucerne das KKL It’s one of the best-sounding locations in the world: the KKL Luzern’s concert hall, created by Jean Nouvel and renowned for its phenomenal acoustics and exquisite architecture alike. This is where the majority of LUCERNE FESTIVAL’s concerts take place.

With a feeling for geometry, forward-looking thinkers in the 19th century had already come to realize what really matters: the sound is best when the concert hall is shaped like a shoebox. Jean Nouvel and the American acoustician Russell Johnson emphasized this even more: from the outset they understood that a modern concert hall needs to be acoustically variable, that Bach and Bruckner require different sonic environments. The acoustic canopy over the stage, a total of 50 heavy echo chamber structures weighing up to eight tons, plaster reliefs, and all of the materials that are used help to implement the highest level of acoustical quality.

Along with double doors that swallow noise and a ventilation system that operates

well below the threshold of audibility, Russell Johnson established a foundation for what any good acoustical environment requires: the sort of absolute quiet in which sounds are allowed to resonate across their entire dynamic range – from the gentlest pianissimo to the mightiest fortissimo.

This fastidious attention to quality extends to the culinary sphere: with their uniquely composed menus, the Restaurant RED (rated 15 points by Gault Millau), the World Café, and the Seebar round out the total experience of the KKL Luzern.

KKL Luzern Europlatz 1 | CH–6005 Luzern t +41 (0)41 226 70 70 info@kkl-luzern.ch | kkl-luzern.ch

41

Hotels

Hotels rated by hotelleriesuisse (H) / GastroSuisse (G) Ä(Superior)

Renaissance Lucerne Hotel G The Hotel Lucerne, Autograph Collection G Bürgenstock Hotels, Bürgenstock H Park Hotel, Vitznau H The Chedi Andermatt, Andermatt H Villa Honegg, Bürgenstock H

041 226 87 87 info@renaissancelucerne.com 041 226 86 86 info@the-hotel.ch 041 612 60 00 information@buergenstock.ch 041 399 60 60 info@parkhotel-vitznau.ch 041 888 74 88 info@chediandermatt.com 041 618 32 00 info@villa-honegg.ch

Ö Grand Hotel National Schweizerhof Waldhotel Healthy Living Bürgenstock

H H

041 419 09 09 info@grandhotel-national.com 041 410 04 10 info@schweizerhof-luzern.ch

H

041 612 60 00 information@buergenstock.ch

H G H H H H

041 419 00 00 041 226 88 88 041 375 81 81 041 660 53 00 041 375 32 32 041 369 90 00

À(Superior) Art Deco Hotel Montana Hotel Astoria Hermitage Seehotel Kreuz, Sachseln Sonnmatt Luzern Radisson Blu Hotel Luzern

info@hotel-montana.ch info@astoria-luzern.ch welcome@hermitage-luzern.ch info@kreuz-sachseln.ch info@sonnmatt.ch info.lucerne@radissonblu.com

Õ

42

Ameron Hotel Flora H 041 227 66 66 flora@ameronhotels.com Cascada Boutique Hotel H 041 226 80 88 info@cascada.ch Château Gütsch H 041 289 14 14 info@chateau-guetsch.ch Continental-Park H 041 228 90 50 hotel@continental.ch Des Balances H 041 418 28 28 info@balances.ch Grand Hotel Europe H 041 370 00 11 info@europe-luzern.ch Hofgarten H 041 410 88 88 hotel@hofgarten.ch Monopol H 041 226 43 43 mail@monopolluzern.ch Rebstock H 041 417 18 19 hotel@rebstock-luzern.ch Wilden Mann H 041 210 16 66 mail@wilden-mann.ch Birdland Hotel, Sempach Station H 041 369 81 81 office@birdland-hotel.ch Jagd-Schloss, Merlischachen H 041 854 54 54 info@swiss-chalet.ch Palace Hotel, Bürgenstock H 041 612 60 00 information@buergenstock.ch Parkhotel, Zug H/G 041 727 48 48 info@parkhotel.ch Schloss-Hotel, Merlischachen H 041 854 54 54 info@swiss-chalet.ch Seehotel Kastanienbaum H 041 340 03 40 info@seehotel-kastanienbaum.ch Seehotel Sternen, Horw H 041 348 24 82 info@seehotel-sternen.ch Winkelried, Stansstad H 041 618 23 23 hotel@winkelried.ch

Ã(Superior) Waldstätterhof H 041 227 12 71 info@hotel-waldstaetterhof.ch Hotel Pilatus-Kulm H 041 329 12 12 hotels@pilatus.ch Jugendstilhotel Paxmontana G 041 666 24 00 info@paxmontana.ch Seerausch Hotel, Beckenried H/G 041 501 01 31 info@seerausch.ch Hotel Sempachersee, Nottwil H 041 939 23 23 info@hotelsempachersee.ch Swisshotel Zug, Zug H/G 041 747 28 28 email@swisshotel-zug.ch Zugertor, Zug H 041 729 38 38 info@zugertor.ch

Ô Altstadt Hotel Krone Ambassador Anker Aparthotel Adler Bellevue

H H H H H

041 419 44 00 041 418 81 00 041 220 88 00 041 412 30 00 041 371 27 27

info@krone-luzern.ch hotel@ambassador.ch anker@remimag.ch info@hoteladlerluzern.ch info@bellevue-luzern.ch

Boutique Hotel Weisses Kreuz Central Luzern De la Paix Des Alpes Drei Könige ibis Styles Luzern City Seeburg Thorenberg Arcade, Sins Holiday Inn Express, Luzern-Kriens Holiday Inn Express Luzern-Neuenkirch Lux, Emmenbrücke Taverne 1879, Bürgenstock

H H H H H H H G H

041 418 82 20 contact@altstadthotelluzern.ch 041 210 50 60 info@hotel-central-luzern.com 041 418 80 00 info@de-la-paix.ch 041 417 20 60 info@desalpes-luzern.ch 041 248 04 80 hotel@drei-koenige.ch 041 418 48 48 H8549@accor.com 041 375 55 55 mail@hotelseeburg.ch 041 250 52 00 info@thorenberg.ch 041 789 78 78 info@hotel-arcade.ch

H

041 545 69 00 info@hiex-luzern.ch

H H H

041 288 28 28 info@expressluzern.com 041 289 40 50 office@hotel-lux.ch 041 612 60 00 information@buergenstock.ch

H H

041 227 50 60 info@sternluzern.ch 041 349 49 49 H2982@accor.com

(Superior) Stern Luzern ibis Luzern Kriens Ó Chärnsmatt, Rothenburg H Schlössli, Meggen G

041 280 34 34 info@chaernsmatt.ch 041 377 14 72 info@schloesslimeggen.ch

Ibis Budget Luzern City

041 367 80 00 H6782@accor.com

H

Swiss Lodge

Balm, Meggen H 041 377 11 35 BnB Haus im Löchli H 041 250 90 73 Hammer, Eigenthal H 041 497 52 05 Jugendherberge Luzern H 041 420 88 00 Pickwick H 041 410 59 27 Sonnenberg, Kriens H 041 320 66 44 The Bed + Breakfast H 041 310 15 14 Villa Maria H 041 370 21 19 Gasthaus Kreuz, Meggen H 041 377 11 14 Swiss-Chalet B&B, H 041 854 54 54 Merlischachen

info@balm.ch bnb_loechli@bluewin.ch info@hotel-hammer.ch luzern@youthhostel.ch welcome@hotelpickwick.ch info@hotelsonnenberg.ch info@theBandB.ch villamaria@bluewin.ch info@kreuz-meggen.ch info@swiss-chalet.ch

Hotels not rated by hotelleriesuisse / GastroSuisse Alpha Alpina Luzern Altstadt Hotel Le Stelle Altstadt Hotel Magic Anstatthotel Business Apartments Appartements Hofquartier Beau Séjour Luzern AG B & B Bettstatt Neustadt Guest House Daniela HITrental AG Linde Lion Lodge Luzern Lucerne Business Apartments Braui Luzernerhof Richemont RomeroHaus Royal Tourist Hotel Bellevue, Pilatus-Kulm Schwendelberg

041 240 42 80 041 210 00 77 041 412 22 20 041 417 12 20

info@hotelalpha.ch info@alpina-luzern.ch info@lestelle.ch mail@magic-hotel.ch

041 755 00 03 041 410 43 47 041 410 16 81 041 210 43 09 041 240 51 41 041 311 29 29 041 410 31 93 041 410 01 44

mail@anstatthotel.ch info@appartements-luzern.ch info@beausejourlucerne.ch info@bettstatt.ch info@guesthouse-daniela.ch info@hitrental.com info@lionlodge.ch

079 663 89 20 041 418 47 47 041 375 85 80 041 249 39 29 041 419 46 46 041 410 24 74 041 329 12 12 041 340 35 40

mail@lucernebusinessapartments.ch info@luzernerhof.ch gastronomie@richemont.cc romerohaus@igarbeit.ch info@hotel-royal-luzern.ch info@thetouristhotel.ch hotels@pilatus.ch info@schwendelberg.com

Tourist Information Luzern Zentralstrasse 5, located in the main Lucerne train station, CH–6002 Luzern | t +41 (0)41 227 17 27

A gourmet restaurant with atmosphere.

Have a feast, savour your choice, and enjoy yourself.

Indulge.

Hotel Wilden Mann Luzern Bahnhofstrasse 30 · 6003 Luzern · T +41 41 210 16 66 www.wilden-mann.ch

With an atmospheric overnight stay in the first building in the park, close to the KKL part of top festival enjoyment. BTW … and orders for aperitifs or tasty Ticino-style dishes in the Bellini Locanda Ticinese taken up until 11 p.m.

Hotel Continental Park Murbacherstrasse 4 | CH-6002 Lucerne | T +41 41 228 90 50 | hotel@continental.ch | continental.ch

OPERN UND BALLETTE

Live auf der grössten Leinwand der Schweiz!

Erleben Sie Vorstellungen von Weltruhm aus dem Bolschoi-Theater in Moskau und der MET in New York im Verkehrshaus in Luzern.

Geniessen Sie beste Bild- und Tonqualität und exklusives Pausenprogramm.

PROGRAMM UND TICKETS

Kaufen Sie jetzt Ihr Ticket für die Saison 2019/2020 Opern Ballette

ab CHF 32.– ab CHF 22.–

www.verkehrshaus.ch oder +41 41 375 75 75

HISTORIC PERFORMANCES

Legendary Pianists in Lucerne: Selected Recordings from the Musical Legacy of Our Festival Clara Haskil

Annie Fischer

Robert Casadesus

Robert Casadesus

Leon Fleisher

Carl Schuricht

(Recorded live: Lucerne, 1959 & 1957)

(Recorded live: Lucerne, 1960 & 1962)

(Recorded live: Lucerne, 1961 & 1962)

Wolfgang AmadĂŠ Mozart Piano Concerto in D minor, K. 466 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73

Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 19

Wolfgang AmadĂŠ Mozart Piano Concerto in B-flat major, K. 595 Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

Available at lucernefestival.ch and during the Piano Festival in the foyer of the KKL

First-class tones. sbb.ch/lucernefestival PUBLIC TRANSPORT TICKET WITH

40% Picture: KKL Lucerne

DISCOUNT

2. / 9. / 16. FEBRUARY 2020

Partners of Swiss Top Events:

Supporting Organizations Official Rail Carrier

Official Airline

LUCERNE FESTIVAL is a member of

AMAG Audi Center Luzern, Car Partner KKL Luzern, Event Partner Luzern Tourismus MetaDesign, Partner in Communication Radio SRF Kultur, Media Partner 47

Image Credits p. 1, 9, 10, and 17: Marco Borggreve – p. 21: Peter Fischli/LUCERNE FESTIVAL – p. 11: mc photography – p. 12: Justin Pumfrey/Decca – p. 13, 24, and 28/29: Priska Ketterer/LUCERNE FESTIVAL – p. 14: Hitomi Image – p. 15: Johann Sebastian Hänel/DG – p. 16: Giorgia Bertazzi – p. 18: Kaupo Kikkas – p. 19: Peter Meisel – p. 20: Patrick Hürlimann/LUCERNE FESTIVAL – p. 22: Ari Magg – p. 23: Robbie Lawrence – p. 25 top: Taili Song Roth – p. 26 top: beatricekahl.de – p. 26 top left: Sascha Kletzsch – p. 26 center right: Giusy Tristaino – p. 26 bottom: luleyfoto.de – p. 41: Georg Anderhub/LUCERNE FESTIVAL

Addresses | Publishing Credits LUCERNE FESTIVAL Hirschmattstrasse 13 | P.O. Box | CH–6002 Luzern t +41 (0)41 226 44 00 | f +41 (0)41 226 44 60 info@lucernefestival.ch | lucernefestival.ch Ticketing & Visitor Information LUCERNE FESTIVAL | P.O. Box | CH–6002 Luzern t +41 (0)41 226 44 80 | f +41 (0)41 226 44 85 ticketbox@lucernefestival.ch | lucernefestival.ch Publisher | LUCERNE FESTIVAL Foundation | lucernefestival.ch Executive and Artistic Director | Michael Haefliger Editing and Content | Susanne Stähr, Malte Lohmann English Language Editor and Translator | Thomas May Design | Isabelle Gargiulo Layout and Execution | Denise Fankhauser Advertising | Patricia Thérisod Printing | Engelberger Druck AG, Stans This program was published in June 2019 and is subject to alteration without prior notice.

Printed prices are subject to correction.

48

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Printed in Switzerland | © 2019 by LUCERNE FESTIVAL

ROSENGART COLLECTION LUCERNE The Rosengart Foundation Pilatusstrasse 10

CENTER OF CLASSICAL MODERNISM Unique works by

PICASSO and KLEE The Rosengart Collection, world-class modern art, is comprised of unique groups of works by Picasso and Klee as well as 20 other world-famous masters of the 19 th and 20 th centuries and an impressive show of photos

by David Douglas Duncan on Picasso’s life.

Open daily (incl. holidays) Opening hours: April – October: daily 10 am - 6 pm November – March: daily 11 am - 5 pm

info@rosengart.ch www.rosengart.ch Tel. +41 (0)41 220 16 60 Fax +41 (0)41 220 16 63 Paul Klee: Mountain Village (autumnal) 1934

Offers: Public guided tours in German, Sundays 11.30 am Private tours for groups (also available in English) Photos: David Douglas Duncan

19500-FPP-E

lucernefestival.ch

Member of