12 August, Rougemont

Pallavi Mahidhara, Piano

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Suite bergamasque
Prélude
Menuet
Clair de lune
Passepied

Clara Schumann (1819-1896)
Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op. 20

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Intermezzo No. 1, Op. 117

Recorded live on 12 August, at Rougemont

“Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque is one of my favorite French works to play, particularly because of its nod to baroque style dances.  The titles for both the famous 3rd movement and the Suite as a whole were inspired by Paul Verlaine’s poem, “Clair de Lune”.  As in all Debussy works, this Suite is full of colors, textures, sounds, images; yet 3 out of the 4 movements are composed in the French Baroque style.  I find this juxtaposition absolutely brilliant – it was Debussy’s way to retain tradition in the midst of his present time.”, Pallavi Mahidhara tells us about why she chose to play Debussy at this concert.

Sir András Schiff’s commitment to young talent is not limited to the Gstaad Piano Academy! Through the “Building Bridges” programme, the Hungarian pianist sponsors three promising young musicians every year, giving them intensive lessons and supporting them in their career development, thus opening valuable doors to the professional world. The American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara is one of the lucky beneficiaries of the 2019-2020 season. She studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, before joining the Escuola Superior de Música Reina Sofia in Madrid, where she benefited from the advice of Dimitri Bashkirov.