Only twenty-six years old, Japanese pianist Mao Fujita, winner of the 2nd prize at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, will play Scriabin’s preludes and Beethoven’s 32 variations on his own theme.

Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin
24 Preludes Op. 11

Akio Yashiro
24 Preludes for piano (selections: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 9, No. 13, No. 17, No. 24)

Ludwig van Beethoven
32 Variations on a Theme in C minor, WoO 80

Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata No. 23, Op. 57 “Appassionata”

Mao Fujita – piano

Only twenty-six years old, Japanese pianist Mao Fujita is the second prize winner of the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. His recital program will open with 24 Preludes Op. 11 by Russian composer and pianist Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin. Most of the preludes were written in various locations during his concert tours of Europe in 1895 and 1896.

The cycle of 24 preludes for piano, from which a selection will be performed, was composed by the Japanese composer Akio Yashira at the age of 16 in 1945. The cycle of small compositions is characterised by an interesting mix of influences from European classic, dance and Japanese traditional music.

Beethoven’s 32 variations on his own theme were composed in 1806. Beethoven did not assign an opus number to the Variations and reportedly did not value them highly. Nevertheless, they became a popular part of the piano repertoire. It is said that he later even forgot about this work.

The Piano Sonata No. 23, which became known as the Appassionata, also dates from the same period. The composer himself considered it one of his best piano compositions. The work features the famous “fate” motif, known especially from the Fifth Symphony, which served the interpreters of Beethoven’s work, who found in the Appassionata gloomy phantoms, heart-rending emotions, storms of passion and ominous threats of fate.