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The renowned Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini will give a
recital concert at Poly Theatre on October 4, kicking off Beijing's
Music Festival's series of concerts marking the Year of Italy in
China.
The pianist will play Liszt's Sonatas in the first half of the
concert and Schoenberg and Beethoven's pieces in the second.
To mark the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, the Beijing
Music Festival had wished him to play Mozart's pieces, but he
changed the program from Mozart to Liszt just before he flew to
Beijing on September 25, because he thought Chinese audience would
be more interested in Liszt.
According to Zeng Wei, the festival's program director, Pollini
had planned to join the Sixth Beijing Music Festival in 2003 but
cancelled the tour because of the outbreak of SARS that year.
"Finally, I arrived in Beijing, and I almost loved the city when
I was on the way from the airport to the Beijing Hotel," the
Italian pianist told China Daily.
"I have been so curious about the old country and have great
interest in its ancient architectures and delicious food," he told
the Chinese press on September 27.
He visited the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple of
Heaven.
Born in 1942 in Milan, Pollini studied piano, composition and
conducting at the Milan Conservatory. By 1957, when he performed
the Chopin Etudes in Milan, the press had already begun to take
notice of him.
His prize-winning performance at the 1960 Warsaw Chopin
Competition was followed by a further period of study with Arturo
Benedetti-Michelangeli.
Since the 1960s, he has established an international career of
the greatest importance, performing in the world's major concert
halls and working with the most distinguished orchestras and
conductors.
He has also developed a great interest in contemporary works.
Among these contemporary composers is Pierre Boulez. In addition,
new compositions commissioned from Manzoni, Donatoni, Guarnieri and
Berio by Pollini and the Salzburg Festival receive their premiere
performance with Pollini.
This dedication to contemporary music has continued, although
today, his repertoire ranges from the days of Bach to the present,
significantly including the complete Beethoven sonatas.
He has recorded works from the classical, romantic and
contemporary repertoire for Deutsche Grammophon to worldwide
critical acclaim, and his recordings of the complete works for
piano by Schonberg and of works by Berg, Webern, Nono, Manzoni,
Boulez and Stockhausen are testament to his great passion for the
20th century.
(China Daily October 2, 2006)
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