Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 9 / Brahms 4
Pires, Järvi, LFO

The Lucerne Festival Orchestra celebrated an anniversary in 2023: It was 20 years ago, in the summer of 2003, that Claudio Abbado presented his new orchestra to the public for the first time. Since then, the ensemble has given the public countless unforgettable moments. In the 2023 edition of the festival, Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 467. “Jenamy” with the orchestra under the baton of Paavo Järvi, who took over on short notice for music director Riccardo Chailly. Together with the orchestra, Järvi “built a sanctuary of delicate grace around his soloist” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) and they accompanied Pires “sensitively, as if carrying her on their hands.” (nzz)

Maria João Pires was one of Claudio Abbado’s closest artistic and personal friends. In honor of what would have been the late conductor’s 90thbirthday in June 2023, Pires, the orchestra musicians, and Järvi played the famous Andante from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, which moved audience and artists alike.

In the second half of the concert, Paavo Järvi and the LFO presented a Brahms Fourth that was “fiery, direct and life-affirming as one rarely experiences it”, marveled “Die Zeit”. The energy flowed organically between conductor and musicians, creating a gripping interpretation that turned into a veritable “moment of glory” (Tagesspiegel) and was met with thunderous applause.