Works by Beethoven take center stage during 250th anniversary of his birth
Music lovers around the world are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven in 2020. The Harriman-Jewell Series will get the party started in Kansas City with a recital of Beethoven’s violin sonatas by one of the composer’s greatest living interpreters. Acclaimed violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and her longtime collaborator, Lamber Orkis, will perform three of Beethoven’s most popular violin sonatas Jan. 21 at the Folly Theater.
Mutter and Orkis won a Grammy in 2000 for their recording of the complete Beethoven violin sonatas, which has already become the touchstone recording of the sonatas for many music lovers. Mutter and Orkis, who have been playing together for more than 30 years, will perform Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas Nos. 4, 5 “Spring” and 6 “Kreutzer” at the Folly.
The “Spring” sonata is one of Beethoven’s most popular works. Its charming, sunny first movement is what gives the sonata its name, but the whole work is a delight. The “Kreutzer” sonata was written for the violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer, who, unfortunately, hated the work and refused to play it. The sonata has subsequently become a concert hall favorite, even inspiring Tolstoy’s novella, “The Kreutzer Sonata.”
7:30 p.m. Jan. 21. Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th $37-$92. 816-415-5025 or www.hjseries.org.
Friends of Chamber Music — Fabio Bidini
Italian pianist Fabio Bidini will play one of Beethoven’s most popular piano sonatas, No. 21 “Waldstein,” as part of his Jan. 24 recital at the Folly Theater. In addition to Beethoven, the concert, which is part of the Friends of Chamber Music’s Master Pianists Series, will feature music by Chopin and Robert Schumann.
Born in 1968, Bidini is a powerhouse musician. He’s won first prize in 11 of Italy’s top national piano competitions and has been awarded top prizes in eight international competitions. His concert schedule is packed with appearances in great orchestras around the world, as well as chamber music and solo recitals.
In addition to Beethoven’s powerful “Waldstein” sonata, Bidini will play a Scherzo by Chopin and “Carnaval” by Robert Schumann. “Carnaval,” a series of variations inspired by Commedia dell Arte characters, is considered one of the most challenging works for piano. Both Schumann and his wife, Clara, thought the work too difficult to be appreciated by the general public, so “Carnaval” was rarely performed during Schumann’s life.
It has since become a concert hall staple, proving Liszt, an early champion of the work, correct when he predicted that “Carnaval” “will assume its natural place in the public eye alongside Beethoven’s ‘Diabelli Variations,’ which in my opinion, it even surpasses in melodic invention and conciseness.”
7:30 p.m. Jan. 24. Folly Theater. $20-$125. 816-561-9999 or www.chambermusic.org.
Kansas City Symphony — Classics Uncorked
The Kansas City Symphony’s upcoming “Classics Uncorked” will give some of the orchestra’s fantastic talent a chance to shine solo. “In the Spotlight,” Jan. 21 at Helzberg Hall, will feature principal flutist, Michael Gordon, performing music by Venezuelan composer Raimundo Pineda, and principal clarinetist, Raymond Santos, playing Copland’s jazzy Concerto for Clarinet, a jazzy work composed in 1947 for Benny Goodman.
Also, principal trumpeter Julian Kaplan and English horn player Tim Daniels will perform Copland’s “Quiet City.” Associate conductor Jason Seber will conduct.
Stay after the concert to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or champagne in Brandmeyer Great Hall and mingle with the musicians. With Brandmeyer’s magnificent view of the city, glorious music and champagne bubbles, “Classics Uncorked” is one of the best and most affordable dates in town.
7 p.m. Jan. 21. Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. $25-$30. 816-471-0400 or www.kcsymphony.org.
You can reach Patrick Neas at patrickneas@kcartsbeat.com and follow his Facebook page, KC Arts Beat, at www.facebook.com/kcartsbeat.
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 1:00 AM.