In the program “Viennese Storms of Life,” the Duo Pianoforte presents two of Vienna’s great composers: Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms—both masters of four-hand piano playing, both deeply connected to the city, and both unmistakably unique.

In the first half, they showcase their cheerful, dance-like side: Brahms with his charming Waltzes, Op. 39, and Schubert with his elegant “Valses nobles” and the playful, brilliant Variations, D 603.

After intermission, the mood grows more melancholic: Brahms’s Variations, Op. 23, take their starting point from the theme of Robert Schumann’s “Ghost Variations”—Schumann’s final musical thought—and unfold from it a sequence of profound intensity. Finally, Schubert’s “Storms of Life” heighten the tension once more: a dramatic single movement full of
inner turmoil and conflict.
Thus, the evening spans the arc from dance-like lightness through existential crises back to life, showcasing the full range of these two great masters.