Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Beethoven’s heroic music frames a Bartók work influenced by Debussy. Bartók’s sensibilities changed after a visit to Paris, absorbing the lushness of French music while also adding accents of folk music. The courageous protagonists of Beethoven’s opera Leonore—later renamed Fidelio—are depicted in a rousing overture that features themes from the opera. His brawny Third Symphony, the “Eroica,” is grandly scaled and boldly opens the door to a new age with its muscular depiction of an unnamed hero.

Gautier Capuçon, Cello
Yuja Wang, Piano

Franck's and Rachmaninoff’s sonatas move from the pensive to the passionate. Franck’s is a work of great originality, particularly the third-movement Recitativo with its tentative rhythms and shifting tonalities that lead to a triumphant finale. Rachmaninoff’s sonata also culminates with jubilation, but only after brooding clouds are swept away by rapturous melody.

Murray Perahia, Piano

Murray Perahia’s tremendous intellect, refined taste, expansive musical curiosity, and pearly tone make him a pianist for the ages. You can hear this living legend, “a musician of big ideas” who “relishes the opportunity to air them in a large public forum” (The New York Times), when he returns to Carnegie Hall—the home for the greatest pianists—in an exciting recital.