Artist

Admin

Antwerp Spring Festival

Pianist

Lana Suran

Virgile Roche

Matteo Bevilacqua

The Diabelli Mystery

Antwerp

Belgium

Public

33 Variations in C on a Waltz by Diabelli Op. 120

Gaspard de la nuit

Studies for Piano, Op.18

Six Encores for Piano

Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, op. 14

Études for piano

Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52

Juan Sebastián Cáceres Lara

Approved

In 1819, Anton Diabelli wrote a simple waltz for piano. He asked several contemporaries to compose a variation on it as a way of promoting his music publishing company. He asked Beethoven too, who ended up with no less than 33 variations.

Already at the time, several stories were emerging around this composition. One was about rivalry, another about an offended Beethoven, and yet another was about the countless composers who had not been asked. It led to harsh statements and intrigue.

Meanwhile, the Diabelli Variations stands as one of the best works ever composed for piano.

Such a work, of course, requires the necessary piano talent!

Diabelli initially envisaged different composers, but Antwerp Spring Festival turns that around and invites different pianists. Lara Suran, Virgile Roche and Matteo Bevilacqua are three top young pianists from the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel who enter this piano battle, each taking on 11 of the 33 variations. All three are seated at an imposing concert grand piano and alternate at lightning speed. It is the very first time this work has been performed in this way.

English

The Diabelli Mystery by Beethoven, Ravel, Bartók, Berio, Prokofiev, Ligeti, Chopin, Thu 18 Apr 2024, From (2024/2024)

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues