Florian Berner violoncello
Christoph Berner piano
Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for piano and violoncello in F major, Op. 5 No. 1
I. Adagio sostenuto - Allegro
II. allegro vivace
Sonata for violoncello and piano in C major, Op. 102 No. 1
I. Andante - Allegro vivace
II. Adagio - Allegro vivace
- INTERMISSION -
Ludwig van Beethoven
Twelve variations for cello and piano on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" from Mozart's "Magic Flute" in F major, Op. 66
Julia Purgina
Ephemeral Secrets II for violoncello and piano
Austrian premiere
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for violoncello and piano in A major op. 69
I. Allegro ma non tanto
II. Scherzo: Allegro molto
III. Adagio cantabile - Allegro vivace
The two brothers Christoph Berner and Florian Berner - familiar with Beethoven's music for cello and piano since their youth - invite you on a musical journey through this cosmos: Beethoven's life story and compositional development can be heard and experienced. From the early work of the Mozart Variations from Beethoven's youth in Bonn to the first real cello sonatas in music history (Op. 5), the programme spans an arc up to the Sonatas Op. 102, which herald the late work. For 200 years, Beethoven's work has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for performers and composers alike: it remains a model, a point of reference and a challenge. We are therefore particularly pleased that Julia Purgina has been chosen especially for this programme. Ephemeral Secrets II a work that refers to Beethoven's music and is now receiving its Austrian premiere here after its world premiere in Boston/USA.
Florian Berner
The Vienna-born cellist Florian Berner has been a guest in all the world's music centres for over two decades: concert tours have taken him to Carnegie Hall NY, Cité des Arts in Paris, Konzerthaus and Musikverein Vienna, the Berlin Philharmonie, Suntory Hall in Tokyo and to the Schubertiade, Colmar and Lockenhaus festivals.
Florian Berner has been honoured with the "Special Prize of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra" and the "European Chamber Music Prize", and numerous CDs have been released by Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Gramola, Extraplatte, VMS, cpo and CamJazz.
Perfect Noise Berner's recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's 6 solo suites is released in 2023 and receives enthusiastic reviews: "...breathtakingly beautiful cello suites ... a Bach to kneel down to ... a great achievement." He receives an International Music Award nomination and a Supersonic Award for this work.
The enthusiastic chamber musician founded the Hugo Wolf Quartet in 1993, the Alban Berg Ensemble Vienna with string quartet, flute, clarinet and piano in 2016 and has been the cellist of TrioVanBeethoven since 2024.
He spent his student years at the mdw in Vienna and with Mario Brunello in Italy. Today he gives masterclasses at various American universities and for IberoAcademy in Colombia. He was a teacher for the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in Venezuela and for ((superar)) in Vienna as well as for the Norwegian Youth Symphony Orchestra.
He has been a university professor for cello and chamber music at the MUK in Vienna since 2021.
Florian Berner plays a cello by Nicolò Gagliano, Naples 1819.
Christoph Berner
The Vienna-born pianist was able to establish his reputation as one of the leading Austrian pianists by winning the Mozart and Schumann Prize at the Géza Anda Concours 2003 (Zurich). The impressive discography of recent years shows audiences and critics Christoph Berner's enormous stylistic range and musical versatility.
He has appeared as a soloist with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Bergen Philharmonic and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under conductors such as Neeme Järvi, Michel Plasson, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Andrew Litton, Vladimir Fedosejev and Thomas Zehetmair.
Christoph Berner's regular chamber music partners include Leila Schayegh, Marko Ylönen, Roel Dieltins, Laura Ruiz Ferreres and the Alban Berg Ensemble, Vienna.
Christoph Berner has been working closely with the tenor Werner Güra since 1999 - their CD recordings together have won prizes such as the BBC Classic Award, the German Record Critics' Quarterly Award and the Diapason d'or.
Christoph Berner has also performed with singers such as Anne Sofie von Otter, Marlis Petersen, Anke Vondung, Bernarda Fink, Genia Kühmeier, Markus Werba, Markus Eiche and Florian Boesch.
He has been a professor of song composition and chamber music at the Zurich University of the Arts since 2014.
Christoph Berner is the founder and director of the fermate classical music festival on the Southern Wine Route, which has been held annually since 2019.
Organised by Berner&Berner. Tickets on eventjet.at (Link) and at the box office (Attention: only cash payment possible).
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