Thursday 10. July at 20.30 City Museum, Ljubljana, Gosposka 15
Marco Schiavo, piano
Sergio Marchegiani, piano
Programme:
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), 16 Waltzes Op. 39
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1
1. Allegro molto
2. Allegro non assai
3. Allegretto
4. Poco sostenuto
5. Allegro
6. Vivace
7. Allegretto
8. Presto
9. Allegro non troppo
10. Presto
Intermission
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897), 21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1
11. Poco andante
12. Presto
13. Andantino grazioso
14. Un poco andante
15. Allegretto grazioso
16. Con moto
17. Andantino
18. Molto vivace
19. Allegretto
20. Poco allegretto
21. Vivace
Schiavo-Marchegiani Piano Duet are widely acclaimed by audiences and critics for their distinctive musical personality, exceptional expressiveness and naturalness, beauty of sound, intensity, and the electrifying energy of their performances.
In addition to their individual international solo careers, they have performed together since 2006, presenting hundreds of concerts worldwide at many of the most prestigious venues and festivals. These include Carnegie Hall in New York, the Goldener Saal at the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Philharmonie (Großer Saal) and Konzerthaus in Berlin, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, the Rudolfinum and Smetana Hall in Prague, Bulgaria Hall in Sofia, Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg, Sala Verdi in Milan, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Solís Theatre in Montevideo, and São Paulo Hall in Brazil, as well as appearances in Rome, Paris, Zurich, London, Ljubljana, Sofia, Istanbul, Helsinki, Moscow, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Mexico City, Baku, Astana, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Singapore, and more.
Their dazzling career has also led them to perform with numerous prestigious orchestras, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Berliner Symphoniker, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Symphonic Orchestra, Mexico State Symphony Orchestra, Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul Symphony Orchestra, and the chamber orchestras of Prague and Madrid.
Schiavo-Marchegiani are Decca recording artists. In 2014, Decca released their debut album devoted entirely to the music of Franz Schubert, which received widespread critical acclaim. As Robert Hugill noted: “In the Fantasia, the two pianists play with a lively and easy immediacy, whilst giving a strong sense of clarity to Schubert’s more poetic movements… it has some lovely poignant moments and is highly evocative… The remainder of the items on the disc are all admirably played.” Their second album, Dances (2018), features Brahms’ 21 Hungarian Dances and 16 Waltzes, Op. 39, and was hailed for its “smooth and admirable sound and stylistic balance” (Mattia Rossi). Andrea Bedetti praised it as a “reference recording for the Hungarian Dances and Op. 39 – inalienable,” while Stephen Francis Vasta described it as “gleaming, limpid performances of delightful, well-wrought music, in excellent sound. Get it.” In 2020, Decca released a recording of Mozart’s Concertos for Two Pianos and Orchestra, K. 242 and K. 365, alongside Kozeluch’s Concerto for Piano Four Hands, performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. Cesare Guzzardella (Corrierebit) recommended the album enthusiastically: “A CD we recommend to everyone… Don’t miss it!”. Their most recent recording project is the complete works by Mozart for piano four hands, recorded at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and released by Decca in 2021 and 2023.
They have also recorded for leading national radio and television broadcasters, including RAI Radio 3 (Italy), RTS (Switzerland), Czech Radio (live from Dvořák Hall), and major media in Germany, Bulgaria, Russia, Mexico, Hong Kong, and others.
Since 2022, they have collaborated with renowned actor Michele Placido in the theatrical production The Doppelgänger: Public and Private Life of Franz Schubert, Musician, written by Stefano Valanzuolo.
The duo studied with esteemed pedagogues such as Ilonka Deckers Küszler, Alexander Lonquich, Bruno Canino, Franco Scala, Aldo Ciccolini, and Sergei Dorenski. They currently hold professorships in piano at the conservatories in Alessandria and Potenza and are in frequent demand for international masterclasses and juries of major piano competitions worldwide (including in Spain, Serbia, Turkey, the United States, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Japan, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, and beyond).
Complimentary tickets, courtesy of Večer, GenLan and Primorske novice can be collected an hour before the concert at the venue. Reservations are not possible, spaces are limited.