Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Pianist Brings Power to Liszt Concerto
Listen
0:00
Listen
It took Franz Liszt 26 years to compose his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E flat Major.
But his long years of off-and-on composition paid off. The work, which is said to have been modeled after Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, went on to become a staple on the concert calendar.
This week, the National Symphony Orchestra gave three performances of the concerto, featuring pianist Yundi Li. Since winning first prize at the 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw at 18, he has become a much in-demand performer around the world.
His performance at the Kennedy Center Thursday night prompted Washington Post critic Tim Page to write that Yundi Li seems to "be able to get whatever he wants from a piano — whether the most silken of soft passages or vast, thundering Niagaras of octaves ... this was thrilling pianism on every level."
The pianist joined Liane Hansen in the studio to discuss Liszt's Concerto No. 1, which is on his latest album, Chopin Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
