Sadaharu Muramatsu  | conductor

Alex Zhang | piano

LISZT    Les Préludes
BEETHOVEN  Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor
SCHUMANN   Symphony No 3 in E-flat major (Rhenish)

Les Préludes is infused with the morbid foreboding for which Liszt is well known. In the words of the work’s preface, “What else is our life but a series  of preludes to that unknown Hymn, the first and solemn note of which is intoned by Death?”

The Rhenish Symphony, on the other hand, is optimistic in spirit, stemming from a brief period of intense productivity when Schumann’s troubled soul enjoyed improved physical health and renewed mental vigour.

The playful orchestration and harmonic approach of Beethoven’s third piano concerto, written in his pivotal middle period, harks back to the Classical elegance of Mozart while at the same time foreshadowing the muscular energy of the composer’s later works.

Guest-conducting Penrith Symphony Orchestra for the first time is Japanese maestro Sadaharu Muramatsu, who now resides in Sydney where he teaches at the Wesley Institute.Soloist Alex Zhang is one of Sydney’s up-and-coming young pianists, and was named Conservatorium High School Outstanding Student of the Year in 2012.