Programs

The musical odyssey opens with Frédéric Chopin’s (1810–1849) Fourth Ballade, a vast narrative canvas in which lyricism, dramatic tension and virtuosity intertwine, building towards a breathtakingly intense conclusion. It finds a natural continuation in Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, where Franz Liszt (1811–1886) transforms Bach’s cantata into a deeply expressive meditation. Together, these two works form a first chapter centered on inner reflection and spirituality, brought to life by Chiara.

The journey then passes to Fiona’s pianistic perspective. In The Lark, Mily Balakirev (1837–1910) transforms Glinka’s melody into an airy, poetic song, where virtuosity serves delicacy. Sergei Prokofiev’s (1891–1953) First Sonata then takes the listener into a darker, more daring world, where the tensions of modern musical language challenge the certainties inherited from Romanticism. This second part of the journey reveals another facet of the voyage: one of exploration and emancipation.

The two pianists finally reunite for the last stage of this odyssey. Igor Stravinsky’s (1882–1971) Three Movements from Petrushka unfold their full rhythmic energy and orchestral brilliance in a dazzling display of four-hands virtuosity, followed by György Kurtág’s (b. 1926) remarkably concise Hommage à Stravinsky, which acts as a moment suspended in time. Finally, Fazil Say’s (b. 1970) Night opens onto a contemporary soundscape where poetry, improvisation and Eastern influences intertwine.

With Van by Hanna Kulenty (b. 1961), they open the concert with music in perpetual motion. Resonances spread, textures unfold and time seems suspended. From the very first measures, the audience is invited into a world where familiar reference points fade and listening itself is transformed.

Robert Schumann’s (1810–1856) Bilder aus Osten offers a change of perspective. The voices respond to one another with infinite delicacy, in a balance that captures the very essence of piano four hands. The sisters like to imagine Robert and Clara Schumann sharing the same keyboard, the same breath, in a musical complicity that echoes their own. Each miniature will be preceded by a poem, guiding the listener and enriching the imagination.

Lourmarin on Fire is a work written especially for them by French composer and longtime friend Damien Chauvin (b. 1988). Following a shared residency at the Château de Lourmarin, where they discovered their mutual passion for Stravinsky’s music, he drew inspiration from their personalities to create a piece that is as brilliant as it is irreverent, infused with humour, sarcasm and irony. A true intermezzo, Damien’s wonderfully offbeat universe brings a joyful and unexpected interlude to the programme.

They then continue with their own arrangement of Sergei Rachmaninov’s (1873–1943) Six Morceaux, Op. 11. Without seeking to reinvent the work, they approach each miniature with renewed creativity. Lyrical singing, plucked strings and other unexpected elements offer the audience a more personal perspective on the music of this emblematic composer.

With Fazil Say’s (b. 1970) Night, the concert draws to a close with raw energy. Incisive rhythms, echoes of Anatolian traditions and contemporary writing come together in music that is free and deeply alive. A final twist to conclude the journey.

The concert opens with Camille Saint-Saëns’ (1835–1921) famous Danse macabre, in its spectacular version for two pianos. Virtuosity, humour and orchestral brilliance come together to bring the fantastical dance of the skeletons back to life in a musical tableau that is as dazzling as it is theatrical.

Mario Tarenghi’s (1870–1938) two works, Visione Mistica and Serenata, then invite the audience into a different atmosphere. The first unfolds a contemplative and poetic world, imbued with mystery, while the second captivates with its brilliant character. Together, they reveal the subtle writing of an Italian composer whose music is now being rediscovered.

With Cécile Chaminade’s (1857–1944) Deux Pièces pour deux pianos, the programme returns to the elegance of the French Belle Époque. A major figure of her time, the composer displays remarkable refinement, combining a gift for melody with rich harmonic colours. Théo Ysaÿe’s (1865–1918) Variations pour deux pianos then turn the spotlight on the Belgian school. Heir to a prestigious musical tradition and a pupil of César Franck, the composer developed a distinctive language in which thematic invention, harmonic richness and the constant dialogue between the two instruments come together to create a work of great intensity.

The journey concludes with Maurice Ravel’s (1875–1937) La Valse, in its striking transcription for two pianos. At once a tribute to the Viennese waltz and a fascinating vision of its decadence, this masterful score unfolds with exceptional orchestral power, drawing the listener into a swirling soundscape of irresistible intensity.

At the heart of the program is the music of Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, three figures whose lives were closely intertwined through music, friendship, admiration and feelings whose echoes would resonate throughout their lives. But more than a love story, it is their artistic complicity that forms the thread running through the concert.

The journey opens with Clara Schumann’s March in E-flat major, placing the composer and her writing for piano four hands in the spotlight. This is followed by Robert Schumann’s Spanische Liebeslieder, in which four voices respond to one another, revealing the many faces of love, from light-heartedness and desire to passion.

A Hungarian Dance by Brahms provides a virtuosic instrumental interlude before giving way to the Liebeslieder-Walzer, the true heart of the program. Here, the four voices converse, intertwine and complement one another, carried by the intimacy of piano four hands. Tenderness, playfulness, nostalgia and passion follow one another with irresistible freedom and sensuality.

Finally, the programme closes with Beethoven’s Mir ist so wunderbar, from Fidelio. The four characters express their feelings simultaneously, each unaware of what the others are experiencing. The result is a delightful musical misunderstanding in which four voices reveal four different visions of love.

From Clara Schumann to Beethoven, 4 + 4 = Love! brings six performers together in a program that is both accessible and musically demanding, where the richness of the vocal colours, the intimacy of piano four hands and the diversity of emotions come together in a true celebration of music and voices.