Evgeny Kissin

Evgeny Kissin, piano sensation since the ’80s and a known expert in Romantic-era classics, returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a night devoted to the genius of Beethoven. The Diabelli Variations are often regarded as some of the greatest works in the piano repertoire. Though Beethoven dismissed it as a “botched piece of cobbling,” the music is championed for its brilliant, mysterious, and surprisingly humorous range. Before intermission, Kissin pairs early and late piano sonatas. Beethoven’s fiery No. 1 meets his experimental No. 13—a work often overshadowed by its companion piece, the “Moonlight Sonata.” “Right from the beginning, Beethoven strived to leave established traditions behind him,” Kissin says. Still, “It takes the breath away to see where he began and where he came to in his final years.” This series is generously supported by the Colburn Foundation.