Photo by Iranian Cembalist

Merry Pranks

Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord

Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | 7:30PM

Kaufmann Concert Hall at 92Y

Richard Strauss revolutionized the art of orchestral storytelling, bringing to life such unforgettable characters as Till Eulenspiegel, a devious trickster from German folklore. Our second concert in our new series at the 92nd Street Y features this uproarious arrangement by the Australian composer Brett Dean, which compresses the score into sharp-tongued chamber music for winds and strings. Thanks to neoclassical concertos by Falla and Martinů, the long-neglected harpsichord found a fresh face in modern music, a legacy still being advanced today by the iconoclastic virtuoso Mahan Esfahani. The French composer Jean Françaix, always a source of lightness and joy, applied his instrumental prowess to a new version of the Quintet for Piano and Winds, about which Mozart declared, “I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life.”

FALLA: Harpsichord Concerto for Five Instruments
MOZART: Nonet after Quintet K. 452 (arr. Jean Françaix)
MARTINU: Harpsichord Concerto
STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks (arr. Brett Dean)

This concert is supported in part by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation.

(If you are a 2018-2019 Season Subscriber looking to add an additional ticket to your pre-existing 92Y order for this performance, please contact Alex at 212.896.1704)