Piano Greats - Elizabeth Leonskaja plays Beethoven
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Mysterious. Transcendent. Songfully, with utmost feeling.
Who’s on stage
Legendary pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja. She wowed us with Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ piano concerto alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia in September 2023. We’re ecstatic she’s back.
What they’re playing
Beethoven’s final three sonatas for piano. An unmissable trio.
Need to know
Price: £22 – £27
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes, without an interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 30 (21′)
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 31 (20′)
Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 (27′)
Who's playing it
Elisabeth Leonskaja piano
What's happening in the music?
These pieces were written in a frenzy of creativity, each an experiment. ranging from the tender and transcendent to the enigmatic and quirky. On the surface No.30 is calm, but peek beyond that surface and it’s dark and brooding. No.31 is tender and transcendent, while Beethoven’s very last Sonata, No.32, is something of an enigma. Turning convention on its head, it only has 2 movements, and contains music that’s serene, angst-ridden and quirky, with a lopsided rhythm in one spot that almost sounds like jazz
Take a listen
A legend!!!
Here’s Elisabeth Leonskaja in action, playing exactly the same line up you’ll enjoy in Gateshead. Youtubers are definitely fans, describing her performance as ‘Spellbinding’, ‘Sublime’ and describing her as ‘a Legend!!!!’, though we don’t escape one of the staples of grumpy audience members, with one person describing someone coughing as ‘a crime against humanity and music’. Bit over the top maybe?
