Martha Argerich and Mikhail Pletnev perform Schubert, Chopin, and Mozart

Lucerne’s piano festival Le Piano Symphonique is back with an absolutely thrilling third edition featuring the legendary Martha Argerich in the role of featured artist (pianiste associée)!

The curtain rises on virtuoso Mikhail Pletnev performing Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 4 in A Minor, an early composition with rich harmonies and emotional contrasts. Next up are Chopin’s 24 Preludes—a romantic tour de force that marks a whirlwind start to this prestigious festival. What better way to continue this opening concert than by joining pianistic forces with Martha Argerich herself? The duo perform Mozart’s enchanting Andante and Five Variations in G Major before concluding with Schubert’s Fantasia in F Minor, described by musicologist Christopher Gibbs as “among not only his [Schubert’s] greatest but his most original” compositions for piano duet.

Photos: Mikhail Pletnev © Alexei Molchanovsky / Martha Argerich © Philipp Schmidli