Evgeny Kissin's astonishing July 2001 recital at the Roman Theatre of Orange in the south of France continues in this riveting second half, featuring Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (in its original—but perhaps less commonly heard—piano solo version) and a series of breathtaking encores—including Scriabin's powerful Étude Op. 8, No. 12, a favorite of Horowitz, and transcriptions by Balakirev, Rachmaninov, Liszt, and Grünfeld. The 2000-year-old Roman decor enhances the epic atmosphere of the concert by this once-in-a-generation virtuoso, which attracted over 4,000 people in spite of heavy rains just before the curtain call.
Watch the first half of this legendary recital, with Bach and Schumann on the program, here!