Wanderer

This programme unites four works that, while originating from distinct aesthetic worlds, each explore the expressive and structural possibilities of solo piano writing. Spanning early Romanticism to the experimental vanguard of the late 20th century, the recital invites the listener into diverse sonic landscapes where the piano becomes not merely an instrument, but a site of transformation, introspection, and conceptual inquiry.

Helmut Lachenmann’s "Serynade" (1998) anchors the programme with a radical reimagining of piano performance. Here, traditional pianistic technique yields to a meticulous exploration of resonance, friction, and physical gesture. The work avoids conventional melody and harmony, instead unfolding as a tactile and sonic investigation of the piano’s acoustic potential. It challenges not only the performer but also the listener, urging a reconsideration of what music can be.

Written a year before his death, Giya Kancheli's "Sarabande" (2018) shifts the focus toward conciseness and emotional restraint. This short piece, full of subdued expression and spiritual depth, reveals Kancheli’s unique voice: quiet, modal, and often defined as much by silence as by sound. The work was composed for pianist Sergey Babayan and is dedicated to him.

In sharp contrast — but with comparable structural ingenuity — Leonid Hrabovsky’s "Homeomorphy II" (1968) applies the logic of mathematical transformation to sound. Drawing on topological concepts, Hrabovsky shapes a spare, highly focused musical environment where small pitch and rhythmic cells evolve through subtle permutations. The work’s abstraction is not alienating but meditative, encouraging deep listening and attentiveness to minute changes.

Franz Schubert’s "Fantasia in C major, D 760" (“Wanderer-Fantasie”, 1822) concludes the programme with its bold formal innovation and thematic cohesion. Structured as four continuous movements, the work integrates song, variation, fugue, and sonata into a seamless whole. A quotation from Schubert’s earlier lied "Der Wanderer" becomes the driving motif for the entire piece, embodying the Romantic theme of existential restlessness and forging a bridge between lyrical intimacy and symphonic ambition.