In an age when it is no longer the norm for children to duplicate their parents’ profession, it is not often that you find musical families performing in the world’s major concert halls. The piano duo made up of the two supremely talented brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen is an example of an exceptional phenomenon. Despite their young age, the pianists can boast numerous recordings for the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. At the Warsaw Philharmonic, they will tackle the rarely performed Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in A flat major by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. This was the second double concerto in the career of the 15-year-old genius, who often performed with his no less talented sister Fanny. The work’s presentation in Szczecin and Berlin aroused great interest in European salons in the talent of the young pianist and composer. His music later inspired Richard Strauss, before he became familiar with Richard Wagner’s theatrical experiments (less so with his philosophy). One of the most famous examples of Strauss’s paradox-laden operatic output is the modernist one-act Elektra. Known for the particularly demanding role of the main character, who is present on stage for almost its entire duration, this time the work will allow the singers to rest and will be heard in the form of a recently prepared orchestral suite.
