I sat through a 66-minute Bruckner Symphony (No. 4)—twice.
Salonen, Trifonov & Beethoven
2026 January Week 4: Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
https://cso.org/performances/25-26/cso-classical/salonen-trifonov-beethoven/
Program: Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 + Bruckner Symphony No. 4 (Romantic)
I went to both the Thursday and Friday concerts. The Bruckner is full of moments where the entire brass section erupts into relentless fortississimo, practically blasting your head open—and I was seated on the terrace behind the stage. Bless me.
But the Beethoven was unexpectedly sweet. It’s one of his very early works, and you can hear a strong Mozart influence and very classical harmonic progressions. The piece radiates youth: pride, confidence, and an upright spirit.
Daniil Trifonov is iconic—brilliant, a true maestro, flawless. He brushed through every note with evenness and clarity; the fast passages in the first and third movements sound like souffle. The second movement was touching and deep, buoyed by a beautifully shaped melodic line—at times the piano enters alone, gradually easing the tempo, until the orchestra picks it up just before the momentum can fall to the ground. Salonen did his job beautifully. This was virtuosity entirely in the service of intelligence.
My pianist friend was hypnotized.
Bonus: encores. Trifonov offered a different one each night. (Friendly tip: no filming when the artist is playing — this is a strict rule. To be a professional and respectful audience, don’t do it. The following is only audience applauding) You can see how fast Trifonov switch into perform mode the moment he sat down before playing encore:
Disclaimer: All rights belong to CSO and the artist. I do not hold any copy right over the video.