Frederic Rzewski is still playing his 1975 masterwork, The People United Will Never Be Defeated, 36 variations on a Chilean song associated with the Unidad Popular coalition, which supported the Salvador Allende government.
Rzewski’s piece is virtuosic, imaginative, and accessible, and with the composer’s advocacy at the piano, it has become a staple of the modern piano repertory. At some point, Rzewski is sure to retire from playing, so take the opportunity to hear him at the Mondavi Center.