Franz Liszt once wrote that 'just as a sailor needs his frigate or an Arab needs his horse', so a virtuoso needs his piano. He began as a child prodigy and was inspired by the 'devil's violinist' Niccolò Paganini, whom he sought to emulate on the piano. Liszt caused a sensation throughout Europe and gained access to the most distinguished salons and circles, as a demonic figure, as the 'Paganini of the piano' whose long mane flowed as he thundered at the keys or caressed them tenderly- sending ladies fainting by the dozen. In this way he outshone his competitors, who relied on grandiose calm and noblesse - one such rival being Sigismund Thalberg, for example, against whom Liszt competed in a kind of piano duel in Paris in 1837. How many circus attractions and high-wire acts does music need? Is technical brilliance the slick opposite of sensitive playing? Where lies the boundary between virtuosity as an end and musical expression? The boundary between virtuosity and musical expression continues to be a topic of discussion in the world of music, and is a theme entertainingly explored by composer Sergei Dreznin in his new work 'Lisztomania'. A talented cast, including Julian Rachlin and Hollywood legend George Hamilton, promises to leave the audience spellbound.

Shuttlebus Tickets:

18:00: Shuttlebus departs from Albertina (Operngasse 4-8), EUR 35,- buy here