თეიმურაზ ბაკურაძე

Every year since 1991 the Berliner Philharmoniker have given a concert on May 1st in a different European city. All cities have been places with their own special cultural importance and the concerts have served two purposes: to commemorate the anniversary of the orchestra’s founding on May 1st 1882 and to celebrate a common European heritage. On this occasion in Lissbon 2003 the conductor was Pierre Boulez, who is famed for the translucency of his interpretations. He was accompanied by pianist Maria João Pires, who brought a Portuguese note to the concert. Although she has rarely shared a platform with Boulez, the two seemed to understand one another quite effortlessly. In the words of one critic, the result was “a living and entirely convincing interpretation of one of the most important works in the mainstream repertory”.