Daniil Trifonov plays Schumann, Shostakovich and Stravinsky

Daniil Trifonov opens the concert with three works by Schumann, beginning with his Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). Schumann composed these miniatures in part as a love letter to his future wife, Clara Wieck. Clara saw clearly that he had invested these “scenes of touching simplicity” with the emotional turmoil of his inner life. Schumann’s demanding Toccata, Op. 7, follows. Written when the composer was planning to become a concert pianist, the short but notoriously difficult work was designed to show off his virtuosity and stamina. Trifonov lives up to the challenge before performing a third work by Schumann, Kreisleriana, which was written as a tribute to E. T. A. Hoffmann’s memorable character Johannes Kreisler, a moody and sensitive musical genius.

The program also features selections from Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87, which were inspired by Bach’s canonic 48 preludes and fugues. Although they were initially conceived as technical exercises, Shostakovich’s preludes and fugues are among his most intricately wrought and richly expressive creations.

Trifonov closes the concert with Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Pétrouchka. Inspired by Russian folklore, the wildly successful ballet made Stravinsky a household name in Paris before World War I. After the war, the composer collaborated with Arthur Rubinstein to create the brilliantly virtuosic piano suite based on episodes from the ballet.

Daniil Trifonov appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon.
Photo: Dario Acosta / Deutsche Grammophon