Beethoven - Piano Sonatas I • Lossimuusika
Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Kadriorg Palace / Kadriorg Art Museum, Tallinn
PALACE MUSIC
BEETHOVEN - PIANO SONATAS I
IRINA ZAHHARENKOVA - fortepiano
Kava
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1
Allegro
Adagio
Menuetto - Allegretto
Prestissimo
Piano Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 2 No. 2
Allegro vivace
Largo appassionato
Scherzo. Allegretto
Rondo. Grazioso
Intermission
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2 No. 3
Allegro con brio
Adagio
Scherzo. Allegro
Allegro assai
Outstanding Estonian pianist Irina Zahharenkova performs the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas on a fortepiano in the historic atmosphere of Kadriorg Palace.
Irina Zahharenkova is one of the most beloved and internationally successful Estonian pianists, whose performances are characterized by a strongly personal style, natural musicality, and masterful piano handling. Her delicate and stark passion elevates everything she performs. Her performances at a high artistic level possess a transcendental dimension and wholeness. When Irina sits down at the piano, the music flows effortlessly and naturally from her fingers, captivating listeners completely.
She has won top prizes at several international competitions: the Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig (2006), the A. Casagrande Competition in Italy (2006), the George Enescu Competition in Romania (2005), and others. In Estonia, she drew significant attention at the VI Estonian Pianists' Competition (2002), where she received a diploma, the ERSO prize, and the audience's fervent support.
Irina Zahharenkova studied piano at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Prof. Lilian Semper and at the Sibelius Academy under Prof. Hui-Ying Liu Tawaststjerna. Zahharenkova has recorded Bach's Goldberg Variations and an album of Scarlatti sonatas for the Moscow label Classical Records, as well as many other works for piano.
Tanel Joamets in the journal Muusika:
"Zahharenkova is, as is well known, the Estonian interpreter who has won the most prestigious international competitions. To break through at these global top contests, technical perfection, virtuosity, super-fast repertoire learning, and a reliable memory are not enough; inevitably, the artist's personality and their unique interpretation are also essential—something that must strongly touch or shake the listener; sometimes, why not, even through irritation, but in any case, it must not leave one indifferent. One could say that Zahharenkova has achieved so much in her career that she no longer needs to worry about what people think of her or her interpretations; instead, she can focus with direct passion on her most authentic perception, which has always left me with a very sincere impression and experience. And of course, it must be acknowledged that her interpretations sometimes deviate quite impressively from the so-called average established norm. With her Bach interpretations, she is—for me—one of the four most touching pianists alongside Glenn Gould, Dinu Lipatti, and Angela Hewitt; everything I've heard from her in Bach could be called the best in its own key. In the sense that it is the best for such an artistic approach. It shows that one can approach it completely differently, naturally, and reach the absolute top via another path. When comparing Zahharenkova, Hewitt, Gould, or Lipatti, I cannot say that one is better than the other, but rather that each is the best in their own direction and emphasis; and just to clarify, I am of course writing here only about my personal favorites and make no claim to objective or absolute truth with my 'chart.' What makes Irina's Bach distinctive is that she uses pedal unusually extensively for Baroque music, evocatively conjuring—positively—almost mystical sound worlds; her hands are often deliberately slightly apart, which adds a fittingly gentle 'relaxed' nuance to the spirituality of Bach's music at times. One could say she performs Bach as impressionistic music. Indeed, everything can be found in Bach's music, and Bach can be opened in any key without losing its universality or core message. I've even heard very fine suggestive performances of Bach's piano music from jazz singers, where each singer is entrusted with their own polyphonic voice. In short, listening to Irina's Bach has always given me a highly successful and immersive experience."
Kadriorg Palace is one the most well known and beautiful historic concert halls in Estonia offering memorable music experiences already for many decades. The tradition of performing music in the baroque palace goes back to 18th century when court music accompanied the daily life. The palace has had the pleasure to welcome many international artists and ensembles for outstanding performances.
The construction of the Kadriorg Palace was started by the Tsar Peter the Great of Russia in 1718. It was named Catharinenthal (in Estonian Kadriorg) in honour of his wife Catherine I. The palace was designed by the Italian architect Nicola Michetti and its abundantly decorated main hall is one of the most exquisite examples of baroque architecture both in Estonia and in northern Europe.
Kadriorg Palace has always been the crown jewel of Tallinn. The small festive tsars’ palace in the style of Roman Baroque, surrounded by a regular garden, with fountains, hedges and flowerbeds, planned after the model of Versailles.
The palace was a summer residence of Russian emperors untill 1917. In the 1920s, and again in 1946-1991 palace served as the main building of the Art Museum of Estonia. In the 1930s, it was the residence of the Head of State of the Estonian Republic. In 2000, it was opened as the Kadriorg Art Museum, which displays the largest collection of old Russian and Western European art in Estonia.
Music has been performed in the palace halls since the 18th century. In the past few decades, the most brilliant Estonian and international musicians have delighted listeners in the palace. Regular concerts started to take place in the Kadriorg Palace again in 2014, when the museum launched the Palace Music Concert Series. The extraordinary acoustics and the magnificent interior of the main hall make every concert a truly enjoyable artistic experience.
The artistic director of the Palace Music Concert Series is Aare Tammesalu.
In cooperation of the Art Museum of Estonia.
Tickets are on sale at the Kadriorg Art Museum and Piletikeskus outlets.
Supporters: Estonian Ministry of Culture, The Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian Public Broadcasting, Tallinn Culture and Sports Department, UNESCO City of Music Tallinn, Kultuurikõla, Pointprint
Special thanks: Visit Estonia, Visit Tallinn, Õhtuleht
Concert tickets are not refundable, but if necessary, we can exchange them for passes to other Palace Music concerts
Event timeline/line-up
