L. van Beethoven. Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
A. Bruckner. Symphony No. 8 in C minor
***
The Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, led by its artistic director and chief conductor
Gintaras Rinkevičius, invites the audience to celebrate the orchestra's 34th birthday. It has
already become a tradition that the first concert of the Youth Symphony Orchestra, which
took place in on 30 January 1989 at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, is
commemorated every year with a special birthday concert. The most loyal appreciators
already know that every year the orchestra invites the most famous artists to its birthday
concerts, and prepares exclusive, monumental works. This time at the National Philharmonic
listeners will be able to hear one of the most famous Lithuanian pianists Lukas Geniušas,
together with an impressive program of works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) and
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896).
Lukas Geniušas has already established himself as one of the most interesting and original
artists of his generation in the world. "The radiance and maturity, the winner's talent and deep
interpretation” – this is how the influential British daily “The Guardian” summarized the
pianist’s performance in 2016. Today, the name of L. Geniušas is resounding louder and
louder in the whole world: in 2022, together with opera soloist Asmik Grigorian, the pianist
won the prestigious Gramophone Classical Music Award for their joint work, the album of
Sergei Rachmaninoff's romances titled “Dissonance”. L. Geniušas is regularly invited to
perform recitals in the world's most famous concert halls, such as London's Wigmore Hall,
Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, Paris'; Salle Gaveau, Louvre Auditorium, New York's Frick
Collection, Washington's Phillips Collection, Genoa Teatro Carlo Felice, Milan's Sala Verdi
and others. L. van Beethoven's (1770–1827) Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra
performed by L. Geniušas will be presented on this evening. It is one of the composer's most
important works, with which he leaves the inspiring era of W. A. Mozart and becomes the L. van Beethoven we know to this day.
In the second part of the concert, the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro G. Rinkevičius, will continue Anton Bruckner's (1824–1896) cycle of symphonies with Symphony No. 8. The premiere of the Eighth Symphony in 1892 in Vienna, conducted by the famous Hans Richter, was the last great triumph that A. Bruckner was destined toexperience. The audience was no longer surprised, stunned or shocked; it was shaken. After each part there was a storm of applause. True, the fiery Eduard Hanslick remained true to himself and left the hall before the final. But now it looked pathetic. Critics declared that the Eighth is "the most famous of symphony of the 19 th century", "the crown of music of our time" – this is what musicologist Viktoras Gerulaitis wrote about the symphony. Composer Hugo Wolf called it a "creation of a titan"; in his review, claiming that it surpasses all other symphonies of A. Bruckner in its spiritual power and scale.