🇷🇺Mily Alekseyevich Balakirev ： Piano Concerto No.2 in Es-Dur

Balakirev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 brings together the brilliant virtuosity of the solo piano and the powerful sonority of the orchestra. Centered on a dialogue between soloist and orchestra, the music moves between passages of forward momentum and lyrical episodes, creating a strongly dramatic flow. Highlights include moments when the piano’s delicate, rapid motion stands out against the orchestral texture, as well as passages in which the melody is allowed to sing expansively. In performance, it is important not merely to display virtuosity, but to differentiate the character of each theme and maintain a balanced relationship with the orchestra. Preserving rhythmic drive in the faster sections and shaping long, sustained phrases in the lyrical passages helps bring the music’s expressive character to life.