It's all about Piano!

The Institut francais in London is having an action packed three-day festival (22-24 March) covering all things piano. There are are lots of events, from concerts and films, to piano lessons for children and piano yoga, family friendly concerts, classical music and jazz.

There is the world premiere of Felicity Lott and Graham Johnson's new film of Poulenc's La Voix Humaine, the work's first recording of the version with piano accompaniment. Lilian Franck and Robert Cibis's film Pianomania follows piano tuner Stefan Knupfer as he works with some of the worlds best known concert pianists. Julien Duvivier's 1930 film Au Bonheur des Dames will be shown with live accompaniment by Karol Beffa.

Lidija and Sanja Bizjak give a piano-duet recital with a fascinating mixture of music including Chopin (Variations sur un theme de Moore), Alkan, Debussy, Mel Bonis and Ravel (Daphnis and Chloe). There is more Alkan in Guillaume Vincent's recital, which also includes Rachmaninov and Lizst's Sonata.

Another piano duo, Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen will be performance Ravel's Mother Goose, Poulenc's Sonata and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

Paul Roberts will give an all Ravel recital, introducing the works with readings from his recent book. Imogen Cooper will be giving an all Schubert recital including the Sonata in G major D 894 and Moments Musicaux.  Anne Queffelec's recital looks at Satie and his influence as she performs music by Satie, Koechlin, Hahn, Schmitt, Debussy, Poulenc, De Severac, Ferroud and Dupont.

Nick van Bloss plays Bach's Goldberg Variations, three young pianists from the Paris Conservatoire perform recitals back to back with works ranging from Mussorgski to Mantovani (no, not that one). Ferenc Vizi moves from Mozart and Debussy to Piazzolla and Gershwin by way of De Falla. Ivan Ilic's programme Alternatives, covers a range of 20th century and contemporary music from Satie and Cage to Arvo Part and Philip Glass. 

Cyprien Katsaris will keep us all guessing, as he will improvise and then choose a programme according to his mood of the moment! 

Jazz performers include Laurent Wilde and Baptiste Trotignon.

Further information from the Institut francais website.

Elsewhere on this blog:

• Medea music - feature article
• I fagiolini - concert review
• Getting it Right 2013 - conference report
• Love Abide - Roxanna Panufnik - CD review
• Drama Queens - Joyce DiDonato at Barbican Hall
• Shakespeare Songs - Nicky Spence - CD review
• Great sets, shame about the opera - Montemezzi's Nave
• Alex Esposito at Rosenblatt Recitals
• La Traviata - Peter Konwitschny - ENO
• Home