Acclaimed New Zealand pianist Michael Houstoun Begins Historic Tour with Beethoven reCYCLE
“Outstanding Beethoven all round. The special attraction is the rare spiritual dimension in Houstoun’s playing of the
serene finales... It’s as though Beethoven were no longer of this planet when he wrote them” The Listener
Acclaimed New Zealand pianist Michael Houstoun performs all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in 40 concerts throughout New
Zealand in 2013 in Beethoven reCYCLE 2013 as part of Chamber Music New Zealand’s 2013 ‘Kaleidoscopes’ season, beginning
with 12 concerts in four centres.
The tour began in Napier on Sunday 10 March and heads to Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland during April. The
Auckland concerts, on Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Monday 22 April, are part of the 2013 New Zealand International Piano
Festival.
Michael Houstoun is not only New Zealand’s foremost Beethoven pianist, internationally he ranks among the great
Beethoven pianists of our age. The Beethoven reCYCLE tour celebrates his 60th birthday with this historic cycle of 32
Beethoven sonatas, some of the supreme treasures of human artistic endeavour.
“It was Beethoven who woke me up to myself as a musician. The thing about Beethoven is that he somehow synthesises human
psychological truths, with all of their subtlety and all of their range, into music,” Michael says.
The famous names of the Beethoven sonatas – Moonlight, Pathétique, Appassionata – have all entered popular culture; film, television, dance and drama have all taken inspiration from these iconic
pieces and are loved by pianists around the world.
“Beethoven’s cycle of 32 piano sonatas is remarkable and were written the whole length of his creative life, from the
early Op 2 dedicated to Haydn to the mighty Op 111 which takes the piano into the realms of pure imagination.”
Part One of Beethoven reCYCLE includes three programmes each featuring either the Waldstein, Tempest or Hammerklavier
and will be performed during March and April in Auckland, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch.
Part Two of Beethoven reCYCLE features Appassionata in 10 centres in June and August, while the final part of Beethoven reCYCLE has three concerts each in Auckland,
Wellington, Napier and Christchurch in October and November.
For more information and to book tickets visit www.chambermusic.co.nz
Chamber Music New Zealand acknowledges major funding from Creative New Zealand.
ENDS