Cast
Antti Siirala — Teacher, pianist
Yihao Mao — Pianist
Program notes
Franz Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor (completed in 1853 and published in 1854), is a true piano masterwork. Liszt wrote it for his fellow pianist and friend Robert Schumann as a response to Schumann having dedicated his Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17 to Liszt (a kind gesture). By this time, Liszt had travelled Europe and graced the stages of endless concert halls, and with this piece he pivoted back to composition. Despite being only one movement, the sonata is easy on the ears, but the same cannot be said for the pianist’s fingers: it demands exacting technique worthy of Liszt’s own virtuosic playing. In this master class, Yihao Mao performs excerpts from the work with pianist Antti Siirala. Playing in a legato style while maintaining the tricky balance in tempo poses a challenge to seasoned pianists, and Siirala guides his pupil with grace throughout the passages. Siirala is the winner of the Leeds International Piano Competition and the Beethoven International Piano Competition, and has performed at the Sibelius Academy as well.
