Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s Season Includes Pentatone Visions CD with Tamara Stefanovich (Sep 23), Sonning Prize Concerts, Messiaen Catalogue in Tokyo, Bartók with SF Symphony, More

photo: Pierre-Laurent Aimard (photo: Marco Borggreve)

“Superb, even awe-inspiring.”
—New York Times on Pierre-Laurent Aimard

(September 2022)—On September 23, Grammy-winning French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard releases Visions on the Pentatone label with pianist Tamara Stefanovich, the centerpiece of which is Olivier Messiaen’s rapturous two-piano Visions de l’Amen, complemented by solo piano music from Georges Enescu, Oliver Knussen and Harrison Birtwistle. Live Messiaen performances are also prominent in the pianist’s 2022-23 season, including the Catalogue d’oiseaux at Tokyo Opera City and Oiseaux exotiques in Copenhagen in conjunction with Aimard’s receipt of the prestigious Sonning Music Prize. The season marks the centennial of Hungarian composer György Ligeti, with whom, like Messiaen, Aimard worked closely; the pianist celebrates the occasion with a high-profile performance of Ligeti’s Études at the Paris Philharmonie, as well as performances of his Concerto for Piano with David Robertson leading the Seoul Philharmonic and the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker led by Susanna Mälkki, and a duo performance of Ligeti works with pianist Michael Wollny in Berlin. Highlights of Aimard’s U.S. engagements include recorded performances of Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto with the San Francisco Symphony led by Esa-Pekka Salonen, completing a cycle that will also be released on Pentatone; a La Jolla Music Society recital program alternating Fantasias by Mozart with examples of the genre by composers from Sweelinck to George Benjamin; and performances of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of Iceland Symphony Chief Conductor Eva Ollikainen.

Visions on Pentatone with Tamara Stefanovich and live Messiaen

Marking Aimard’s third, and Stefanovich’s second, release on Pentatone, Visions is a collection of works whose composers share a fascination with the sound of bells: Messiaen’s Visions de l’Amen is followed by Enescu’s “Carillon nocturne” from Suite No. 3, Op. 18, “Pièces Impromptues”; Knussen’s Prayer Bell Sketch (played by Stefanovich); and “Clock IV” from Birtwistle’s Harrison’s Clocks.

Closely associated with Messiaen from the time he was a student of the composer’s wife Yvonne Loriod at the Paris Conservatory, Aimard has been acclaimed by The Guardian as “one of the best Messiaen interpreters around.” About the new album, he explains:

“I played Visions de l’Amen from the age of fifteen, turned the pages when Yvonne Loriod and Messiaen performed it, worked on it with him, and played it countless times – invariably transported by the irresistible force of Messiaen’s vision. If having a home really means anything, then this piece is my home.”

Aimard made his label debut on Pentatone in 2018 with an account of Messiaen’s 13-part solo piano piece, Catalogue d’oiseaux, a tribute to the birds and landscapes of France that was dedicated to Loriod; Aimard’s recording was honored with the prestigious German Music Critics’ Award. In November, the pianist performs his live interpretation of the piece – called “masterful, with an incisive brilliance and relentless focus” by the New York Times – at Tokyo Opera City (Nov 3). Aimard also opens his season with Messiaen, joining the Stavanger Symphony led by Andris Poga for the Turangalîla-Symphonie (Aug 26); plays Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus in Leipzig (Oct 21); and performs the composer’s Quartet for the End of Time in three Spanish cities along with violinist Isabelle Faust, cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, and one of Aimard’s frequent recital partners, clarinetist and composer Jörg Widmann (Nov 30–Dec 4).

Sonning Music Prize

This fall, Aimard is being honored with Denmark’s highest musical distinction, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, previous laureates of which include Stravinsky, Bernstein, Britten, Miles Davis, Sofia Gubaidulina and Yo-Yo Ma. The prize will be awarded during the 2022 Sonning Music Prize Concert in Copenhagen, when Aimard will join the Royal Danish Orchestra under Sylvain Cambreling for performances of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, Messiaen’s Oiseaux exotiques and George Benjamin’s Duet (Oct 7). In conjunction with the award, there is also a “Portrait Festival” featuring the pianist, during which he will give a masterclass for students from the Royal Danish Academy of Music (Oct 8) and give two performances, in Copenhagen and Aarhus, of a recital incorporating music from his fantasia program (see “U.S. performances” below for more information) along with works by Nikolai Obukhov, Ligeti, Bartók, and Rued Langgaard (Oct 4 & 9). Aimard performs the latter composer’s Insectarium, a catalogue of short pieces about insects composed in 1917 which has the distinction of being one of the earliest pieces in music history – if not the earliest – to require the pianist to play directly on the strings and use the piano case as a percussion instrument. The Portrait Festival also includes an artist talk with Aimard and celebrated piano technician Stefan Knüpfer, along with a screening of the 2009 documentary Pianomania, centering on Knüpfer’s work with Aimard as he prepared to record Bach’s The Art of Fugue (Oct 5).

U.S. performances

This past June, Aimard performed and recorded Bartók’s First and Third Piano Concertos with the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, with whom the pianist also collaborated on “Salonen/Aimard: Inspirations,” a celebrated 2017 series at London’s Royal Festival Hall. In February, Aimard returns to San Francisco to record and perform Bartók’s Second Piano Concerto, completing the cycle for future release on Pentatone (Feb 17–19). He will also perform Bartók’s Second Concerto in December with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Elim Chan (Dec 11), and in three French cities with the Orchestre National de Lille led by Alexander Bloch (Jan 11–13).

Known as “a brilliant musician and an extraordinary visionary” (Wall Street Journal), Aimard performs a thoughtfully curated recital program this season tracing the fantasia form through compositions by Sweelinck, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Volkonsky and George Benjamin, another composer in the long list of those with whom Aimard has had close working relationships. In the U.S. he performs the program at California’s La Jolla Music Society (Feb 26).

The recipient of a Gramophone Award for his recording of Beethoven’s complete piano concertos, Aimard returns to the U.S. next May for performances of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto with the LA Philharmonic led by Icelandic conductor Eva Ollikainen, Chief Conductor of the Iceland Symphony (May 11–14).

Ligeti centennial

Next year marks the centennial of the birth of György Ligeti, who considered Aimard “today’s leading interpreter of contemporary piano music.” The two shared an intimate working relationship until the Hungarian composer’s death, and Aimard is the dedicatee of several of Ligeti’s Études, of which the pianist’s complete Sony Masterworks recording was recognized with a Gramophone Award. Following a presentation of his fantasia recital program at the Paris Philharmonie this fall (Oct 3), Aimard returns in the spring to perform the complete set of Ligeti’s Études at the same venue’s “Ligeti 100 Weekend” (March 5), as well as joining jazz pianist Michael Wollny at the Berlin Philharmonie for a concert titled “Ligeti 100: A Musical Bow in Dialogues” (May 17). Between those two performances, Aimard goes to South Korea to join conductor David Robertson and the Seoul Philharmonic for Ligeti’s Piano Concerto (April 19 & 20), and reprises the same work at the end of the season in Berlin, with the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker and conductor Susanna Mälkki (May 28).

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Pierre-Laurent Aimard: 2022-23 season

Aug 26
Stavanger, Norway
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra / Andris Poga
Season Opening Concert
Ståle KLEIBERG: Commissioned work for Stavanger anniversary (world premiere)
MESSIAEN: Turangalîla-Symphonie

Sep 3
Court, Switzerland
SCHUBERT: Waltzes, Ländler, German dances, galops, Scottish dances
KURTÁG: Játékok (Games) (excerpts)

Sep 6
Santa Cruz, Spain
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
SWEELINCK: Fantasia à 4 : Echo SwWV 261
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 475
VOLKONSKY: Musica stricta (Fantasia ricercata)
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (fragment), K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for Keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
MOZART: Fantasia in C minor, K. 396
BEETHOVEN: Fantasia for piano, Op. 77
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano

Sep 9
Santa Cruz, Spain
Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife / Marta Gardolińska
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat, “Emperor,” Op. 73

Sep 17
Wilsnack, Germany
Brandenburg Summer Concerts
Recital
SCHUBERT, KURTÁG, LISZT, BARTÓK

Sep 25
Blaibach, Germany
BACH: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II

Oct 3
Paris, France
Philharmonie de Paris
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
SWEELINCK: Fantasia à 4 : Echo SwWV 261
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 475
VOLKONSKY: Musica stricta (Fantasia ricercata)
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (fragment), K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for Keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
MOZART: Fantasia in C minor, K. 396
BEETHOVEN: Fantasia for piano, Op. 77
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano

Oct 4
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sonning Music Prize Portrait Festival
The Black Diamond
SWEELINCK: Fantasia chromatica, SwWV 258
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (fragment), K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano
OBUKHOV: Révélation
LANGGAARD: Insectarium
LIGETI: Études XX
BARTÓK: Out of Doors

Oct 5
Frederiksberg, Denmark
Sonning Music Prize Portrait Festival
The Royal Danish Academy of Music
Artist talk with Aimard and piano technician Stefan Knüpfer
Screening of Pianomania (2009)

Oct 7
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sonning Music Prize Concert 2022
DR Koncerthuset
The Royal Danish Orchestra / Sylvain Cambreling
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
George BENJAMIN: Duet for piano and orchestra
MESSIAEN: Oiseaux Exotiques for piano, winds and percussion

Oct 8
Copenhagen, Denmark
Sonning Music Prize Portrait Festival
The Royal Danish Academy of Music Masterclass
Piano students from the Royal Danish Academy Copenhagen and Jutland. Music from the repertoire of Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

Oct 9
Aarhus, Denmark
Sonning Music Prize Portrait Festival
Royal Library
SWEELINCK: Fantasia chromatica, SwWV 258
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (fragment), K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano
OBUKHOV: Révélation
LANGGAARD: Insectarium
LIGETI: Études XX
BARTÓK: Out of Doors

Oct 13–15
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra / Philippe Herreweghe
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat, “Emperor”, Op. 73
Oct 13 & 15: Antwerp, Belgium
   Oct 14: Ghent, Belgium

Oct 18
Essen, Germany
Recital with Kuss Quartet
CARTER: Fratribute, Epigrams, Figment IV, Matribute and Quintet for piano and string quartet

Oct 21
Leipzig, Germany
MESSIAEN: Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus

Oct 22
Frankfurt, Germany
Alte Oper Frankfurt
HINDEMITH: Suite 1922, Op.26

Oct 29
Hilversum, Netherlands
RAVEL: Concerto for Piano in D (for left hand)

Nov 3
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Opera City
MESSIAEN: Catalogue d’oiseaux

Nov 10
Hannover, Germany
Recital with Kuss Quartet
CARTER: Fratribute, Epigrams, Figment IV, Matribute and Quintet for piano and string quartet

Nov 13
Winterthur, Switzerland
Recital
BACH: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II

Nov 19
Vienna, Austria
Wien Modern
With Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello and Mark Simpson, clarinet
MESSIAEN: “Abîme des Oiseaux” from Quartet for the End of Time
LACHENMANN: Guero (for solo piano)
LACHENMANN: Pression
LACHENMANN: Dal niente. Intérieur III
LACHENMANN: Allegro sostenuto
MESSIAEN: “Louange à l’éternité de Jésus” from Quartet for the End of Time

Nov 20
Luxembourg
With Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello and Mark Simpson, clarinet
MESSIAEN: “Abîme des Oiseaux” from Quartet for the End of Time
LACHENMANN: Guero (for solo piano)
LACHENMANN: Pression
LACHENMANN: Dal niente. Intérieur III
LACHENMANN: Allegro sostenuto
MESSIAEN: “Louange à l’éternité de Jésus” from Quartet for the End of Time

Nov 30–Dec 4
With Isabelle Faust, violin; Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; Jörg Widmann, clarinet
Chamber works by BERG, RAVEL, WIDMANN, and CARTER
MESSIAEN: Quartet for the End of Time
   Nov 30: Barcelona, Spain
   Dec 2: Bilbao, Spain
   Dec 4: Castellón, Spain

Dec 11
Berlin, Germany
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Elim Chan
BARTÓK: Piano Concerto No. 2

Jan 11–13
Orchestre National de Lille / Alexander Bloch
BARTÓK: Piano Concerto No. 2
   Jan 11: Lille, France
   Jan 12: Caudry, France
   Jan 13: Valenciennes, France

Jan 15
Görlitz, Germany
Recital

Jan 21
Steinfurt, Germany
Bagno Konzertgalerie
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
SWEELINCK: Fantasia à 4 : Echo SwWV 261
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 475
VOLKONSKY: Musica stricta (Fantasia ricercata)
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (fragment), K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
MOZART: Fantasia in C minor, K. 396
BEETHOVEN: Fantasia for piano, Op. 77
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano

Jan 30 & 31
Canary Islands
Canary Islands Festival
Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Andrés Orozco-Estrada
MOZART: Piano Concerto K. 491

Feb 17, 18, 19
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Symphony / Esa-Pekka Salonen
BARTÓK: Piano Concerto No. 2

Feb 24
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Bard Conservatory Recital
KURTÁG

Feb 26
La Jolla, CA
La Jolla Music Society
Recital
MOZART: Fantasia for Piano No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
SWEELINCK: Fantasia chromatica, SwWV 258
VOLKONSKY: Musica stricta (Fantasia ricercata)
MOZART: Fantasie in F minor (Fragment) K. Anh 32
C.P.E. BACH: Fantasia for Keyboard in C, Wq 59/6
MOZART: Fantasia in C minor, K. 396
BEETHOVEN: Fantasia for piano, Op. 77
George BENJAMIN: Fantasy on Iambic Rhythm for piano

March 5
Paris, France
Philharmonie de Paris
LIGETI: Études – Books I, II and III

March 9
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kurtág Music Festival
Játékok I – “Elementary Experiments”
With Lorenzo Soulès and Fabian Müller, piano
György KURTÁG: Selections from Játékok, Vol. 1, 2 & 3 for solo piano
György KURTÁG: Selections from Játékok, Vol. 4 for piano four hands
György KURTÁG: Eight pieces for piano, Op. 3
György KURTÁG: Splinters, Op. 6d

March 9
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kurtág Music Festival
Játékok II – “Subtle Poetry”
With Tamara Stefanovich, piano con supersordino
György KURTÁG: Selections from Játékok, Vol. 9
György KURTÁG: Recent unpublished pieces for solo piano
SCHUBERT: Selected Ländler and waltzes

March 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Kurtág Music Festival
Játékok III – “Vivid Contrast”
György KURTÁG: Selections from Játékok, Vol. 5, 6 and 7
BEETHOVEN: Selection of Bagatelles (Op. 33, Op. 119, Op. 126)

March 15-19
Mexico City, Mexico
Orquesta Filarmónica de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
March 15: Recital
   March 16: Masterclass
   March 18 & 19: Bartók concerts

March 24–27
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra / Thomas Zehetmair
MOZART: Concerto for Piano No. 27 in B-flat, K. 595
   March 24: Aschaffenburg, Germany
   March 25: Stuttgart, Germany
   March 26: Göppingen, Germany
   March 27: Dornbirn, Austria

April 19 & 20
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Philharmonic / David Robertson
DEBUSSY: Images
LIGETI: Concerto for piano and orchestra

April 24
Porto, Spain
Recital
STOCKHAUSEN: Klavierstücke

April 26
Bilbao, Spain
Recital

May 4
Antwerp, Belgium
Recital with Jörg Widmann

May 11, 13, 14
Los Angeles, CA
LA Philharmonic / Eva Ollikainen
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58

May 17
Berlin, Germany
With Michael Wollny, piano
Ligeti 100 – A Musical Bow in Dialogues

May 28
Berlin, Germany
Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker / Susanna Mälkki
LIGETI: Concerto for piano and orchestra

May 31
Ruhr, Germany
Klavier-Festival Ruhr
Recital

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