Off to a New Start

This morning at the Philharmonic: the first Open Rehearsal of the brand new year, with the audience at the working rehearsal getting a first look at Manfred Honeck, music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, who is making his New York Philharmonic conducting debut.

Honeck, a champion of Walter Braunfels, leads the Orchestra in its first performances of a suite he devised from that composer’s Fantastic Apparitions on a Theme by Berlioz. It’s part of a program that includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor (with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet). 

Switched at Birth?

Is it just us, or was a younger Jean-Yves Thibaudet a dead ringer for Edvard Grieg? The former plays the latter this week with the Philharmonic, and if you want to see more shots of the Vivienne-Westwood-clad pianist (as seen above), head on over to our Pinterest board, Jean-Yves Style.

Some wintry listening for what promises to be a snowy Saturday: hear Jean-Yves Thibaudet sail through Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Thibaudet plays the same work with the Phil January 3–5, 2013. In the meantime, check out Jean-Yves Style, our Pinspiration board dedicated to the French pianist and fashion plate.

Encore! Encore!! … Encore!!! Encore!!!!

Superstar pianist Evgeny Kissin capped off his one-night-only performance of piano concertos by Scriabin and Grieg with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic by playing no fewer than four solo encores:

• Carnival Scene, the third movement of Grieg’s Scenes from Folk Life, Op. 19
• Scriabin’s Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 42, No. 5
• Grieg’s own piano arrangements of two songs in his set Melodies of the Heart, Op. 5 — “I Love Thee,” Op. 41, No. 3
• and “Poet’s Heart,” Op. 52, No. 2

Double Header

Evgeny Kissin does double duty on May 23, tackling piano concertos by Scriabin and Grieg. Check out the Philharmonic’s program notes online to learn more about the works on tap for this special event, including why forbidden love resulted in a Philharmonic ban on Scriabin’s works in the early 20th century.