At the end of April the LAC Lugano Art and Culture offers two evenings dedicated to great music, built around leading artistic personalities and programs that span centuries of musical history. The program combines the piano recital of the young Nathalia Milstein and the return of the Camerata Bern, offering the Lugano public a journey that ranges from classicism to the twentieth century.
Nathalia Milstein's piano
Sunday 26 April, in Room 1, the pianist Nathalia Milstein brings to the stage a program built around the expressive versatility of the instrument. A musician trained between Geneva and Berlin, under the guidance of figures such as Nelson Goerner e András Schiff, Milstein established herself internationally after her success at the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2015.
The musical journey of the evening opens with the Variations in F minor by joseph haydn, a page that anticipates romantic sensibilities while remaining anchored to the classical form. Followed by the famous Variations op. 35 of Ludwig van Beethoven, built on the theme of the Eroica, an emblematic example of musical architecture and thematic development.
In the second part, the program moves towards more intense and dramatic territories: Funeral di Franz Liszt introduces a virtuosic and deeply expressive dimension, while the Sonata No. 8 of Sergej Prokofiev closes the evening with a synthesis of lyricism and energy, representative of the period of the so-called "War Sonatas".
Camerata Bern and the European dialogue
Wednesday 29 April, in the Theatre Hall, the Camerata Bern returns to Lugano with a project that connects British and continental traditions. Leading the ensemble is violinist Maria Włoszczowska, engaged in the dual role of conductor and soloist.
The program opens with the Cavatina op. 130 by Ludwig van Beethoven, followed by pieces of Hildegard von Bingen reworked by James Weeks, in a juxtaposition that unites medieval spirituality and contemporary sensibility. The first part is completed by the Concerto BWV 1052R by Johann Sebastian Bach, an example of dramatic tension and dialogue between soloist and orchestra.
Albion: Soundscapes Between Memory and Modernity
After the interval, the concert takes on a more introspective dimension. Oh Albion di Thomas Ades builds a suspended landscape, while the sorry di Frank Bridge introduces an intimate and collected writing.
The program closes with the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge di Benjamin Britten, considered one of the pinnacles of the twentieth-century string orchestra repertoire. In this work, Britten pays homage to his master by developing the thematic material with refined and dynamic writing.
A musical mosaic between eras and languages
The two events at the LAC form a coherent journey, despite their diverse offerings. On one hand, the solo recital explores the depths of the piano repertoire; on the other, the orchestral work brings different traditions and languages into dialogue.
From this perspective, the programme at the end of April gives back an image of music as a space of connection between eras, styles and sensibilities, confirming the role of LAC Lugano Art and Culture as a cultural point of reference for the area and beyond.
