Blue Beethoven

“In just a few seconds, I’ll stray from the ‘Urtext’… and suddenly we’re somewhere completely different! That means I’m making it up as I go along, live on stage. An improvised version of the work that will never be performed exactly the same way again.”
Johanna Summer, Instagram caption

The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra kicks off the Beethoven Year 2027 with a lioness at the keyboard. Johanna Summer could just as easily have chosen a career in soccer. Fortunately for all fans of classical music, jazz, and *Sternstunden*, she didn’t—instead, she devotes her pianistic skills and her spirit of discovery to exploring new musical territories through free improvisation. Her debut album, “Schumann Kaleidoskop” (2020), immediately garnered international attention. This was followed in 2023 by, among others, the album “Resonanzen,” featuring works from Bach to Ligeti. In this “Sternstunde” performance, she pays the highest tribute to Beethoven—an undefeated keyboard virtuoso and improviser of his time—with his Piano Concerto No. 1, and allows herself to be surprised by what will flow from her ten fingers as she performs with the SKO. How might Beethoven have reacted to this? Quite surprised—and certainly delighted! “Johanna is fantastic—simply an outstanding pianist. She is so focused, handles the material with such familiarity and ease, and remains true to her own voice.” (Igor Levit)

Featuring:
Johanna Summer . Jazz piano
Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra

Program:
Ludwig van Beethoven . Piano Concerto No. 1
in a string arrangement, supplemented with jazz improvisations

Artist talk at 7:00 p.m.