As part of its piano concerts, the Auditorio de Tenerife programmes the performance The Devilish & the Divine by Denis Kozhukhin.

Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin returns to the Auditorio de Tenerife with a recital of selected works of two of Eastern Europe’s great composers from the 19th and 20th centuries: Franz Liszt and György Ligeti. The first part of the programme is to include ‘La lugubre góndola’, ‘Unstern! sinistre, disastro, S.208/R80’, ‘Nuages gris’ and ‘Am Grabe Richard Wagner, S.135’, all of which are among Liszt’s final works composed for piano. Alfred Brendel described these later pieces as ‘not being about seducing listeners but convincing them’ with a language that is unfettered by tonal stability. Ligeti’s ‘Étude No. 13: L’escalier du diable’ features a startling rhythmic contrast that sets it apart from the religious inspiration of Liszt. Its propulsive toccata up and down the keyboard and ascending chromatic scale motif evoke in listeners the impression of ringing bells. From the darkest depths of hell, we return to the calm beauty of clear skies with ‘Bénédiction de Dieu dans la Solitude’. In this piece, Liszt eschewed theatrics and eccentricities to create a work of intoxicating sonic beauty and long cantabile lines.