Citizen – European – pianist. These concepts not only characterise Igor Levit as a public figure, but also as an artist. For him, art and society are by no means separate spheres. And he will follow this credo in his interpretations of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, which he will perform on eight separate concerts at Musikfest Berlin 2020. Levit does not play the sonatas in the chronological order of their creation: Instead, he juxtaposes pieces of a different type from various periods of Beethoven’s work, creating pairs that have a contrast-rich relationship with each other. He wants to establish dialogues rather than a catalogue. They demand a common foundation but also, above all, evident differences. This enhances the clarity of contours and, thus, the eloquence of Beethoven’s music.