ELIAS ACKERLEY

Hardly any other composer studied Bach’s work as thoroughly as Ferruccio Busoni. The violin chaconne from Partita No. 2 fascinated the outstanding pianist so much that he transferred it to his instrument with a few creative reinterpretations. Without compromising the homogeneous nature of the music, he created orchestral sounds and organ registers by doubling chord tones and octaves. Johannes Kreisler, a wild, eccentric Kapellmeister from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s stories, inspired Robert Schumann to craft his direct musical echo of Romantic artistry. Fantastic, sometimes bizarre, and always improvisational, the Kapellmeister’s appearances bubble out of the piano. After numerous ups and downs, even Beethoven’s »Appassionata« fails to restore the resting pulse. The sonata is dramatic, intimate, and ultimately demonically passionate in its three movements. And Liszt’s characterful travel memoir, his Spanish Rhapsody, proves that all good things sometimes come in fours. Great composers, groundbreaking compositions, unique emotional worlds, and not a moment for microsleep – pianist Elias Ackerley presents nothing less with his excellent programme selection.

In cooperation with the ARD International Music Competition