German pianist and conductor Lars Vogt has established himself as one of the leading musicians of his generation. Praised by The New York Times in 2017 for his “deeply lyrical yet intricately ornamented” performances of Bach, Vogt will perform Mozart’s enchanting Piano Concerto with the NZSO in New Zealand in October.
MiNDFOOD caught up with the pianist ahead of his performance to find out a bit more about the music of Mozart:
What can we expect from your performance with the NZSO?
I think we’ve got a very interesting and exciting programme with two of the most amazing Mozart pieces; the Linz Symphony and the famous Piano Concerto K 467. In addition, two smaller great works by Beethoven (the virtuoso and outgoing Prometheus overture) and Anton Webern (Langsamer Satz for string orchestra, an early work full of wonderful romantic desire and longing).
Have you been to New Zealand before?
No, this is my first time. And I’m very much looking forward to it as I’ve heard such great things about this beautiful country.
What sparked your passion for the piano?
Trying it at young age, learning with a great and inspiring teacher at the local music school and slowly and gradually falling deeply in love with all the music written for it.
What is it about Mozart’s music that you love?
Its beauty and inner drama and poetry is really beyond words. Often I feel like kneeling down to thank God or whoever made this genius happen in the history of mankind. Mozart himself would have said: I want my music to make people laugh and cry. And that he does. Sometimes miraculously at the same time.
Do you believe in the Mozart effect?
I believe listening to any kind of gorgeous music is a great thing, even for babies (which I can witness now with my latest 9-month-old girl). Indeed, I think there’s hardly any music closer to the natural human being than Mozart. Often his themes seem simple as children‘s songs or humming. So maybe this quality, which is perceived in different stages of life very differently (later on maybe with more melancholy of memory), makes it on a very simple level very available for children, and who knows, maybe even has an effect before birth.
For all the performance details, get the October Edition of MiNDFOOD New Zealand.
