Hruša, Andsnes / Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Britten, Brahms

Benjamin Britten once said that he didn’t like to “write into the void”. He liked to know the occasion on which the piece would be played and the musicians who would play it. The English composer’s only piano concerto was no exception to this, written for a very specific pianist – himself. With unmistakeable joy in his double gift as piano virtuoso and composer, Britten created a brilliant, compellingly uncompromising piece of music. Here it is presented by Leif Ove Andsnes, described by the New York Times as a “pianist of magisterial elegance, power, and insight”. Qualities also displayed by Jakub Hruša, one of today’s most promising conductors, who directs this concert.