The KBS Symphony Orchestra will present its 826th regular concert, "Hammer Blows of Fate," at 8 p.m. on May 28 at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center.
The program moves from the bright and buoyant music of French composer Francis Poulenc to the tragic world of Gustav Mahler. Yoel Levi, conductor laureate of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, will take the podium, with pianist brothers Lee Hyuk and Lee Hyo performing as soloists.
The first half features Poulenc's Concerto for Two Pianos in D minor, FP 61. Composed in 1932, the work highlights Poulenc's characteristic wit, elegance and rhythmic vitality. It is distinguished by rapid exchanges between the two pianos and vivid shifts in mood. The Lee brothers, who drew attention last year by advancing together to the third round of the International Chopin Piano Competition, will display their individual personalities alongside the chemistry unique to siblings.
The second half continues with Mahler's Symphony No. 6. Known by its subtitle "Tragic," the work is marked throughout by a dark emotional tone and a sense of fateful tension. The "hammer blows" that appear in the final movement are widely regarded as symbolizing the inescapable fate that strikes humanity.
Levi previously conducted Mahler's Sixth at a KBS Symphony Orchestra regular concert in October 2019. "The conductor and orchestra, reunited after seven years, will unfold the work's tragic dimensions with a deeper interpretation," the KBS Symphony Orchestra said.
Tickets are available through NOL Ticket and the Seoul Arts Center website.
