‘Maria João Pires & Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg’

After playing the première himself, Beethoven was unable to find a suitable soloist for his Fourth Piano Concerto. The fact that he only gave the pianist Ferdinand Ries five days to prepare didn’t help. The work was left unperformed for years, until Mendelssohn rediscovered it in 1836. In Ein Heldenleben, Richard Strauss paints a self-portrait with a main character who is a reflection of his dreams. A large orchestra compensates for his early works’ lack of success. Shameless self-promotion or an ironic sneer at his critics? Decide for yourself. Martin Rajna is getting to know the Luxembourg Philharmonic before he becomes its music director in 2026. The fantastic Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires has been travelling the world with Beethoven for more than fifty years. Fortunately, he has had more than five days to prepare.