I have nothing in common with Sergei
Rachmaninov. He was twice in exile; once from his beloved Russia,
the second time from Europe convulsed in wars. He ended his days in
what must have seemed to him a somewhat barbaric land, playing almost
non-stop in order to earn money for himself, his family, and his
entourage. This evening I sat peacefully in England, with no wars
currently in sight; yet I really needed to immerse myself in
the music of Rachmaninov, first the second symphony, then the second
piano concerto. For the symphony, only Valery Gergiev and the
Kirov orchestra would do. For the second piano concerto, only Boris
Giltburg could be chosen. It was an all-Russian evening, and a
highly satisfactory one, at that. Strange how moods dictate musical
choice, which is one reason I always hesitated before buying in
advance a ticket for a musical evening. Imagine turning out at 7:30
on a Thursday to hear Haydn, when your mood says “Rachmaninov” !
Tuesday, 11 September 2018
Friday, 7 September 2018
Arkadi Volodos
Just over a year ago, I was enthusing
over a CD where the Russian pianist, Arkadi Volodos, plays
thirteen piano pieces by Johannes Brahms. I returned to it today and
admired it more than ever. Volodos plays with (apparent) simplicity;
listening to him, each piece seems to receive its ideal performance.
Cannot ever be bettered.
There are musicians who have a high
profile because of all sorts of reasons. Often their recording
companies, managers, and impresarios would like to convert them into
pop music phenomena because, as we all know, pop musicians make lodsa
money for themselves, their recording companies, and their managers.
There are other musicians who are highly respected without all the PR
razzmatazz; Kirill Petrenko, and Arkadi Volodos spring to mind
among the modern highly respected musicians. Neither man appears to
give interviews; Volodos lives quietly in Spain and records and
concertises from time to time, playing what he wants to play. In
terms of publicity seeking, he is the modern equivalent of Clara
Haskil who just played what she wanted, with whomsoever she
wanted. I am always sceptical about “fame” that is measured in
column inches; real fame is when you sit down and listen to someone
playing, singing or conducting and exclaim: “Gosh!” Which is what I did this evening listening to Arkadi Volodos playing Brahms.
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