YUNCHAN LIM
Chopin, Schubert, Schumann
First recital at the Salle des Combins, following his triumphs at the Église (those historic Goldberg Variations in 2025!) for Yunchan Lim. A worldwide phenomenon — and rightfully so — as this young artist moves us deeply with his sound. Schubert's luminous "Gasteiner" Sonata opens the evening with joyous exuberance and irresistible vitality. In the second half, three Scriabin sonatas: the "Fantasy" Sonata, the "gothic" Sonata No. 3 nicknamed "States of Soul", and the radiant Fourth which he described as "man's flight towards the star, symbol of happiness".
Programme
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Piano Sonata No.17 in D major D. 850 “Gasteiner”
Interval
ALEXANDRE SCRIABINE (1872-1915)
Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor op. 19 “Fantasy Sonata”
Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor op. 23
Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major op. 30
Yunchan Lim plays Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, Op. 37a: VI. June. Barcarolle at Verbier Festival
Written during his stay in Gastein, Schubert’s Sonata No. 17 is one of the very few works he published in his lifetime, marked by vivid energy and a uniquely inventive style that surprises listeners at every turn. The opening Allegro, for instance, bursts forth like a torrent, only to give way less than two minutes into a noble, slow-moving theme, likely inspired by the Alpine landscape. Even the traditionally slow second movement carries a lively pulse, while the final Rondo begins with deceptive simplicity before quickly giving way to flashes of dazzling virtuosity.
Scriabin’s “Fantaisie” Piano Sonata No. 2 sits at the crossroads of Chopin-inspired Romanticism and the composer’s own emerging, evocative language. Written in two movements, it opens with a meditative, flowing Andante, inspired by the sea, while the final Presto is lively and impetuous, evoking the restless motion of waves.
Yunchan Lim continues this intense pianistic journey with Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 3, nicknamed “States of the Soul.” A pivotal work in the composer’s stylistic evolution, it alternates between passionate outbursts, lyrical interludes, and striking harmonic tensions.
With his Fourth Sonata, Scriabin breaks with traditional forms entirely, venturing into uncharted musical territory. The piece, which he described himself as “man’s flight toward the star, a symbol of happiness”, exemplifies the composer’s singular path toward atonality.
