BALAKIREV Russia
RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No 2
RACHMANINOV Symphony No 3
Valery Gergiev conductor
Denis Matsuev piano
London Symphony Orchestra
Barbican Hall, London, 13 N0vember 2014
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'The Siberian bear with the fastest paws in the Arctic and perhaps anywhere else'. This is the quote Denis Matsuev's publicity used in advance of the night. It's the kind of circus copy that Debussy lampooned:
"The attraction of the virtuoso for the public is very like that of the circus for the crowd. There is always a hope that something dangerous may happen: Mr. X may play the violin with Mr. Y on his shoulders; or Mr. Z may conclude his piece by lifting the piano with his teeth."
Matsuev does not need it really because his partnership with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra in Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto was exceptional. Matsuev was in total command, his style virile and assertive, but the weighting also well graduated.
His tone is big and what a pleasure to hear the piano part rippling with such muscularity against the orchestra at full volume. The interpretation felt totally authentic and committed, and the LSO responded with warmth and virtuosity.
The whole thing was an unalloyed joy. A performance well in the Argerich or, dare this blog say it, Richter category. He received tumultuous applause afterwards, which was rewarded with a very expansive Rachmaninov A minor Etude-Tableau Opus 39/2.
This was framed by a potpourri of Russian themes from Balakirev, and the late Third Symphony of Rachmaninov. Was it that it was heard during the aftershock of Matsuev, or is this late statement from a tiring composer simply not very good?
The encore was an unexpected highlight and showed the Siberian bear's gentler side. Peter, I have noted your scepticism about the symphony. I gave it another listen at home, and the "big tune" second subject for example certainly sticks in the mind and might stand some comparison with Rachmaninov at his best. May be worth another listen?
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephen - I had another listen also and indeed the first movement is powerful. But this is the best writing in the piece and for me it declines in the subsequent movements. By the way I misdescribed the encore - actually one of the Etudes-tableaux op 39.
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