ABOUT
At the heart of this one-hour programme is Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, one of the most famous and haunting works ever written for piano. The work acquired its famous nickname after it was likened to moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne by a famous poet of the time. Unlike other piano sonatas, Beethoven begins with a hushed, almost hypnotic opening, built on a gently undulating accompaniment, before moving through a lighter middle movement and culminating in a turbulent, dramatic finale — a movement of extraordinary intensity and drive that pushes the piano to its limits.

The programme also includes music by Chopin and Liszt, two composers who expanded the expressive and technical possibilities of the piano in very different ways. 

PROGRAMME
Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata
Chopin – Selected Works
Liszt – Selected Works

Description

The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, is a cathedral in the North Yorkshire city of Ripon. Founded as a monastery by Scottish monks in the 660s, it was refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672.

Ripon Cathedral is a beautiful, ancient church with a history reaching back to the 7th Century. It is a mother church for the Diocese of Leeds and home for the cathedra (throne) of the Bishop of Leeds. The Cathedral is an active, living Church with a community of Christians who seek to make worship a priority for life and to reach out in service to the wider community. We enjoy welcoming both pilgrims and tourists, hoping that they will capture a glimpse of God’s love for them through the witness of this remarkable building and its people. We look forward to welcoming you.