Piano Solo – Grigory Sokolov

The annual concerts with pianist Grigory Sokolov have been a cherished tradition at Konserthuset for over 20 years! With few exceptions, he has appeared here every autumn since 2004. He never fails to amaze audiences with his astonishing technical brilliance and exceptional ability to elevate music to extraordinary heights.

At his most recent concert, Sokolov offered the audience a chance to compare Robert Schumann and Frédéric Chopin: two Romantic geniuses born in the same year, 1810, both with a profound focus on the piano. This time, the spotlight falls on Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms: two composers, two eras – and yet with so much in common. In both cases, early works are set against late ones, and Sokolov moves between extremes.

Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Sonata, composed in a state of elated love and creative inspiration, carries a sense of Classical elegance alongside a foreshadowing of Romantic depth of feeling. The late Bagatelles, Op. 126 – written nearly three decades later and his final works for piano – are far more concentrated: miniature pieces in which every note carries weight, like musical aphorisms.

The second half begins with the youthful Brahms. He was just 21 when he wrote the Four Ballades, Op. 10; they unfold like narratives – even though we know of only one clear source of inspiration: a Scottish ballad text. The programme concludes with the Two Rhapsodies, Op. 79, composed 25 years later. This is passionate and fiery music, where maturity does little to temper the expressive intensity.

We can be certain that Grigory Sokolov will once again astound us with his extraordinary ability to draw new dimensions from the music.