Lucas & Arthur Jussen (R)

Dutch brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen are considered the best piano duo of today. They have been performing together for almost twenty years, which, given their age, really means since childhood. They play both four hands on one piano and two pianos, and in both alternatives they create an overwhelming impression, wonder and enthusiasm. If almost every piano duo has a somewhat understandable problem of not always completely synchronizing the beats, it seems as if such a possibility did not even exist for this pair. He demonstrates his artistry in Francis Poulenc's Concerto for two pianos, a neoclassical, almost Mozartian work from 1932, offering a charming dialogue between two soloists. The music of Jiří Kadeřábek, a native of Zlín, our contemporary, is, according to the Anglo-Saxon media, expertly mastered and irresistible with its playful teasing, impressive, serious and funny, almost always revealing some malicious twist. And it is said to resemble Picasso's cubist paintings. The composition S – C – S refers to the historical forms of the sinfonia, concerto grosso and solo concerto. It traces the development from purely orchestral music to a concerto of soloists with an orchestra to a concerto of one soloist with an orchestra. He uses this concept as a skeleton that protects the organs and on which the muscles are attached. Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, lyrical, dramatic, deep in thought and virtuoso, conceives the instrument groups in a soloist way. The piece is a true musical firework, topped off with a masterful counterpoint of several themes ranging from folk tunes to a swirling perpetual motion machine. It is a unique synthesis of innovation and emotionality.

Program:

• Jiří Kadeřábek: S – C – S, composition commissioned, world premiere
• Francis Poulenc: Concerto for two pianos
• Béla Bartók: Concerto for orchestra

Public general examination will take place on June 16, 2025 from 10:00. The meeting with the artists before the concert will take place from 18:30 in Talich's lounge.