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Johannes BRAHMS
4 Ballades, Op. 10 (25′)
I. Andante “Edward”
II. Andante
III. Intermezzo. Allegro
IV. Andante con moto
J.S. BACH/Ferruccio BUSONI
Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004 (16′)
Charles-Valentin ALKAN
La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer (Song of the Mad Woman by the Sea), Prelude Op. 31, No. 8 (4′)
Robert SCHUMANN
Geistervariationen (Ghost Variations) WoO 24 (12′)
I. Theme
II. Variation 1
III. Variation 2
IV. Variation 3
V. Variation 4
VI. Variation 5
Franz LISZT
Après une lecture du Dante (After a Reading of Dante): Fantasia quasi Sonata (17′)
This is one of the most dramatic and emotionally complex programmes I have put together. It reflects a journey through profound spiritual landscapes, exploring some of the most intimate and extreme human emotions. From patricide to Dante’s outer circles of Hell, each work has its own distinct voice, tied together by introspective depth and dramatic narrative arcs.
The programme begins with Brahms’ Four Ballades, Op. 10. This poetic yet haunting opening blends folk stories with intimate lyricism. The first ballade was inspired by the poem “Edward”, which Brahms encountered in Johann Gottfried Herder’s Volkslieder. The poem tells a tale of betrayal and remorse: in a dialogue between a mother and her son, Edward confesses to the murder of his father. The stark drama and the tragic poem resonate deeply in the first ballade, with the music alternating between somber reflection and surging intensity.
Following the Brahms, is one of the most monumental works in the solo piano repertoire: Busoni’s transcription of Bach’s Chaconne in D minor, originally composed for solo violin. It is widely believed that Bach wrote the original violin work after the death of his wife in 1720. This profound meditation on loss, faith, and redemption carries shades of deep sorrow, and Busoni’s powerful piano transcription infuses it with Romantic virtuosity and expressiveness, transforming the work into a statement of resilience and spiritual triumph. The work unfolds through a series of episodes, and I have always felt that what binds them together is the theme of ‘fate.’ There are moments where the music seems to plead for a pause, a breath, to recover from its overwhelming emotional weight, yet it presses forward with relentless determination. Like fate itself, no matter what happens, life inevitably moves onward.
The next two pieces on the program are Alkan’s La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer (Song of the Mad Woman by the Sea) and Schumann’s Geistervariationen (Ghost Variations). Alkan’s work evokes a haunting musical image of despair and madness, capturing the isolation of a solitary figure by an indifferent sea.
In comparison, Schumann’s Ghost Variations, the final work he composed before his mental health deteriorated, reveals an intimate vulnerability. Both tragic and resigned, it reflects the fragility of human spirit. Notably, during its composition, Schumann attempted suicide by throwing himself into the Rhine River, which eventually led to his admission to a mental asylum. The work offers a poignant and otherworldly portrayal of love and loss, and reflects a profound emotional and psychological distress. Together, these two works offer a striking exploration of the complexities of human emotion.
The final work on the programme is Liszt’s Après une lecture du Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata, or commonly referred to as The Dante Sonata, a work that transcends mortal human emotions to explore the wider realms of the divine. Drawing inspiration from the Divine Comedy by Dante, it delves into themes of sin, judgment, and redemption. When thinking of Liszt, I am reminded of three main aspects: 1) the virtuoso, 2) the religious, and 3) the poet. The Dante Sonata embodies all three. It has moments of intense drama and virtuosic brilliance, and while its spiritual undertones reflect Liszt’s profound faith, there are passages of extraordinary poetic beauty, filled with introspection and tender nuances. The work is a deeply moving journey through the human and the divine.
The Canadian-born pianist Tony Siqi Yun, Gold Medalist at the First China International Music Competition (2019) and awarded the Rheingau Music Festival’s 2023 Lotto-Förderpreis, is quickly becoming a sought-after soloist and recitalist. At the age of 23, he has been hailed as a “poet of the keyboard” (Pianist Magazine), and The Philadelphia Inquirer noted his thrilling performance and “interpretive flashes that point to an emergent big personality: moments of grandness or deep expressivity.”
The 2024/25 season sees Tony return to the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Harding (Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3) and New Jersey Symphony. He debuts with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Jacek Kaspszyk (Mozart Piano Concerto No. 3), Colorado Springs Philiharmonic, Nashville Symphony and at the Aspen Festival with Xian Zhang (Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1). In recital he debuts at the Fidelio Cafe in London, Washington Performing Arts, and returns to Lubeck.
Recent highlights include his highly-acclaimed subscription debut with the Orchestre Metropolitain performing Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. This follows his acclaimed subscription debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Maestro Nézet-Séguin in the 22/23 season. He first met the conductor in the final round of the inaugural China International Music Competition in 2019, where he went on to win First Prize and a Gold Medal performing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. Other recent concerto performances have included The Cleveland Orchestra (Tchaikovsky), Toronto Symphony and Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal (Clara Schumann) and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (Beethoven).
Tony has performed in venues such as Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Leipzig Gewandhaus in Düsseldorf, Philharmonie in Luxembourg; and in North America at the Aspen Music Festival, Vancouver Recital Society, 92NY, Aspen Festival. Carnegie Hall, Colorado Music Festival, and the Gilmore Rising Stars Series. He is a recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship at The Juilliard School. Tony graduated from Juilliard in 2024.
