Some years ago, Hiroshima-based pianist Noritaka Ito commissioned three Japanese composers to write a piece related to Beethoven's well-known piano sonatas. He entrusted Pathetique to Akira Inoue, Moonlight to Yoriaki Matsudaira, and Apassionata to Kenji Sakai. In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth, Noritaka performs these three Beethoven-inspired works alongside the original sonatas, focusing on the modernity of Beethoven with the eyes of the Japanese avant-garde.

Programme:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.8 Op.13 [Pathetique]
Akira Inoue: Path to Pathetique (2013) European Premiere
Yoriaki Matsudaira: Bedside Moonlight (1982/2012) European Premiere
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.14 Op.27-2 [Moonlight]
Kenji Sakai: Scanning Beethoven (2012) European Premiere
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.23 Op.57 [Apassionata]