Mariam Batsashvili: Bach & Liszt
The widely admired pianist presents bold musical reinventions across centuries, from operatic Handel, Bellini and Gounod to Busoni’s epic Bach Chaconne.
Pianist Mariam Batsashvili is known for her affinity with Liszt, pairing natural charisma with keyboard brilliance.
Prizewinner at two major Liszt competitions, she brings a distinctively powerful perspective to the composer’s compelling musical transformations.
Her programme traces a line from Baroque exuberance to Romantic emotion. Bach’s Keyboard Concerto, adapted from Marcello’s earlier D minor Oboe Concerto, blends Italian lyricism with German craftsmanship.
Liszt’s Sarabande and Chaconne from Handel’s Almira, meanwhile, rework stately dances into a sweeping piano drama.
Operatic exuberance runs through the Grande caprice on Bellini’s La Sonnambula by Liszt’s great rival Sigismond Thalberg, while Liszt’s own glittering Waltz from Gounod’s Faust transforms irresistible dance into richly imagined keyboard textures.
Two mighty musical monuments come after the interval. Busoni’s piano version of Bach’s Chaconne unfolds on an epic scale, tracing a profoundly spiritual journey.
Liszt’s Après une lecture de Dante closes the concert with a sweeping vision inspired by The Divine Comedy, moving from turbulence to radiant resolution.
Performers
Mariam Batsashvili piano
Repertoire
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV.974 (transc. from A. Marcello Oboe Concerto in D minor)
Liszt: Sarabande and Chaconne from Handel's Almira arr. for piano, S.181
Thalberg: Grand caprice on motifs from Bellini's La Sonnambula, Op.46
Liszt: Valse from Gounod's Faust transc. for piano, S.407
Interval
Bach: Chaconne from Partita No.2 in D minor, BWV.1004 arr. Busoni for piano
Liszt: Après une lecture de Dante - Fantasia quasi sonata from Années de pèlerinage
Need to know
Reviews
‘The Georgian-born pianist leaves nothing to be desired in the generous warmth of her interpretations’Gramophone
‘Muscular but polished pianism… serious poise leavened by flashes of whirlwind exuberance and even madcap humour’The Arts Desk
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