Great Composer-Pianists: Mendelssohn, Liszt, Prokofiev, and Rachmaninoff

About this event

Popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin provides a unique look at the monumental keyboard talents of four great composer-pianists and how their performing virtuosity influenced the piano works audiences enjoy today. With a legacy of printed compositions but almost no recordings, how can we get closer to the white-hot moments of creation and performance when these artists poured out their genius for fortunate and astonished listeners? How did the composers' musical imaginations and their signature performance styles influence the development of how pianos would be constructed and sound? And did their contemporary audiences even comprehend what they were hearing? Franklin offers a fascinating exploration into the creative minds-and hands-of a quartet of piano pioneers celebrated for their prowess as composers and performers. She concludes each lecture by performing a work by the spotlighted composer. British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts. November 9 Felix Mendelssohn A true child prodigy as both pianist and composer, Mendelssohn brought a beautiful new freshness, luster and Romantic warmth to the piano repertoire. Throughout his painfully short life, he worked tirelessly as a groundbreaking conductor and entrepreneur, but his relentless professional life didn't prevent him from composing a wide foundational canon of piano work that has been beloved by players ever since. November 16 Franz Liszt Liszt's mesmerizing pianism was so extraordinary that many believed he had supernatural powers, and his thousands of concerts frequently left pianos in sad smoking heaps. The astonishing technical demands of his music remain as daunting now as when he first performed and published, and the legacy of his many superb students continues to be carried forward through modern conservatories onto the world's great concert stages. November 23 Sergei Prokofiev Prokofiev's reputation as a ferocious idol smasher brought him shocked reviews internationally but belies the fact that he was one of the 20th century's greatest, most tender melodists in the true Russian style. His piano music doesn't just reflect his own brilliant technique but explores strange, beautiful landscapes filled with evocative storytelling and magic. November 30 Sergei Rachmaninoff Utterly extraordinary as pianist, conductor and composer, Rachmaninoff bestrode the musical world like a colossus. Particularly in the United States, he built a career as a legendary concert performer and, despite his quiet, almost dour demeanor, became a musical superstar worshipped by a dazzled public, and set new standards for pianistic genius. 4 sessions General Information View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom .