VFO / LAHAV SHANI / YUNCHAN LIM / MINSOO SOHN
Program
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791)
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in E-flat major, K. 365
Intermission
ANTON BRUCKNER (1824-1896)
Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107
Artist(s)
- Verbier Festival Orchestra
- Lahav Shani Conductor
- Yunchan Lim piano
- Minsoo Sohn piano
Yunchan Lim and teacher Minsoo Sohn play Strauss, Rosenkavalier Suite at Verbier Festival 2025
Mystical, grandiose, and poignant: it is in the Seventh Symphony that Bruckner best achieves the fusion of the various components of his work. The first theme, introduced by the cellos, possesses an unfathomable depth, matched only by the Adagio of the same symphony. Conceived as a Requiem for Wagner, it is built around the powerful theme of his Te Deum and utilizes the Wagner tuba, an instrument similar to the horn that Wagner had designed for his Ring Cycle. At 36, Lahav Shani has established himself as a champion of this repertoire, which he studied under his mentor Daniel Barenboim.
Many years before Bruckner, Mozart was also very attentive to the technological advances of his time: for his Concerto in E-flat, he included trumpets, timpani, and clarinets in the orchestra—an instrument for which he had a true passion. Composed for himself and his sister Nannerl, the work is one of great tenderness and exquisite poetry, which the rapport between Minsoo Sohn and Yunchan Lim will delicately highlight.
