Evgeny Kissin Performs at Venice's La Fenice Theatre in Special Anniversary Concert

Pianist Evgeny Kissin gave a special performance at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, marking the tenth anniversary of the organization Musikàmera. The concert occurred within a notable cultural context, coinciding with the inaugural edition of the VeneziaPianoFestival, an event organized by the Fondazione Amici della Fenice and dedicated to Frédéric Chopin. Kissin, a renowned figure in contemporary piano performance, last performed in Venice in 1988. His program featured Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3, a selection of mazurkas by Chopin, Robert Schumann's Kreisleriana, Op. 16, and concluded with Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12. Critical reception noted Kissin's technical mastery and controlled architectural approach, particularly effective in the Beethoven and Liszt pieces. However, some reviews suggested a more restrained emotional expression in the Chopin and Schumann works, desiring greater flexibility. The audience responded enthusiastically with extended applause, prompting several encores where Kissin's playing was described as more direct and communicative. The event highlighted Kissin's evolution from a child prodigy who performed with conductors like Herbert von Karajan and Zubin Mehta into an established master.