The concert opens with a piece by Louis Andriessen, who passed away in July 2021. The composer fixed only the rhythm of the music, leaving both pitch and instrumentation undefined. "Only in the case that every player plays with such an intention that his part is an essential one, the work will succeed; just as in the political work,” Andriessen wrote in the score of his Workers Union, which was written in 1975, when the 36-year-old composer was under the influence of Stravinsky, jazz (primarily boogie-woogie), and American minimalism. After this, the piano duo of Lucas & Arthur Jussen will play the concerto that Mozart originally composed for himself and his sister to perform. The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra is distinguished by witty cadenzas, wild dissonances and a brilliant finale. The two soloists are treated as equals throughout the three movements, leaving the orchestra a mere accompanying role. The Jussen brothers first played this concerto when they were aged thirteen and ten, respectively, on the stage of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and then later recorded it for Deutsche Grammophon. The solemn exclamation point to close the evening will be delivered by Beethoven's monumental ‘Eroica', a milestone in the history of music. Regardless of the original dedication to Napoleon and the hidden agendas invented by overly imaginative musicologists, what we know for sure is that Beethoven eventually dedicated his third symphony, "composed to celebrate the memory of a great man”, to one of his most generous patrons, Prince Lobkowitz.

The Bridging Europe Festival is sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest, Budapest Festival Orchestra