Press
Reviews
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Press
Reviews |
| WSSO chases Russian “tiger by the tail” |
"Just hearing the Russian pianist Yuri Rozum play Rachmaninoff is worth the price of admission. And there were other Russian works on Friday might’s West Shore Symphony Orchestra. Having Rozum as a guest artist is like having giant tiger by the tail – you go where the tiger wants to go. He plays with a quiet authority, an authority that is relentless. Muskegon Chronicle, Michigan, USA, 05/04/2007
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The Ghosts of Russians Past: Pianist Yuri Rozum closes MSO season with Rachmaninoff's majestic No. 3
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"After a
masterful opening, Rozum moved gently into the second movement, the
Intermezzo: Adagio, based on a lyrically beautiful melody around which the
musical variations flow. Rozum's confidence was evident as the movement
ended with a cadenza-like passage that led without pause into the Finale:
Alla breve. (...) Rozum, hailed for his devotion to the purity of Russian style, added his initials as well. The emphatic conclusion brought a roar from the appreciative Saenger audience and calls for an encore. In Moscow, the pianist once returned for seven encores. (…) Speck and his musicians earned their applause. PRESS-REGISTER, Alabama, USA, 04/29/2007
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| Plus and Minus the Piano |
“The closing concert of the Festival “The Star of Bethlehem” at the Anatoly Vassiliev Theatre in Sretenka featured a brilliant pianist Yuri Rozum. ...But the audience was in for something totally unusual.
For the first time a pianist was accompanied by … a bell-ringer. …Those who were there I am sure will agree with me and those who were not – please take my word for it – it was brilliant! It just shows how much new one can find in classical music. Moskovskaya Pravda, Russia, 02/02/2005
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The virtuoso's art |
“Yuri Rozum is not only a genuine virtuoso, but also has an intimate knowledge of the piano style characteristic of Franz Liszt, was clearly brought to light by the other two works occupying the first concert half (Rozum played practically without a pause, weaving the contrasting moods of tragic melancholy and playful dance into his repertoire Weserkurier Bremen, Germany, 01/15/2005
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Yuri Rozum plays Chopin-Skriabin-Rachmaninov CD Review
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If one now hears Rozum on recorded media one is impressed by an unusually powerful almost steely style of piano playing somewhat reminiscent of the young Krainew. (…) Rozum lives and promotes a style of playing which is one of reflective, furiously controlled unobligingness which presumably stems from painful experiences and an attitude to life oriented towards higher idealistic values and not the criteria of easy, short-lived success. Klassik Heute, Germany, 28/06/2004
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Play the Fazioli for me |
“His playing sounds like carefully dosed drugs. And the pedal technique: his vibrating right foot prevents oceanic blurring, but the tone is not stalled. It is allowed to soar back to where it came from. Sound fantasy, breathing, consciousness of form, and spatial thinking distinguish the student of Lev Naumov, a student of the legendary piano teacher Heinrich Neuhaus…” Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Germany, 29/05/2004
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Concertos
bring out the best in contrasts |
“Rozum is a very fine pianist, as Eugene audiences know from his previous appearances here. He did not disappoint in this concerto [Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto]. Every note was in place, and every shade of meaning was conveyed. His playing seemed effortless, although the concerto clearly requires great handfuls of technique.” The Register-Guard, USA, 10/07/2003
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Russian Soul |
“It is the enchanting Variation No. 18 [Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini], a lush love theme often used in movies and advertising, that audiences find intoxicatingly romantic. Rozum played it beautifully, with no trace of the treacly flourishes favored by other pianists. The final half-dozen variations were a showcase for Rozum's nimble fingers, which flew through the energetic scherzos leading into a fluttery denouement that would have withstood the stern judgment of Paganini and Rachmaninoff.” Mobile Register, USA, 09/22/03
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Without
wrath or languor |
“I hope my musical culture is sufficient to roughly divide musicians into four categories. That is to differentiate between good and bad playing, good and brilliant, brilliant and divine. Pianist Yuri Rozum who played a solo recital that night belongs to the fourth category...” Moskovskaya Pravda, Russia, 05/02/2003
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Rachmaninov
and virtuosic “keyboard acrobatics” |
“In the sold out Wienbrenner Saal Yuri Rozum, pianist from Moscow, was the soloist in Sergey Rachmaninov’s gigantic 3rd piano concerto, which is feared by many pianists. (…) In the first sounds of the simple introductory theme in the piano part his playing was convincing and left nothing more to be desired in concentrated virtuosity and intensely and deeply felt musical liveliness.” Badishes Tagblatt, Germany, 23/12/2002
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Pianist
Highlights Brilliant Evening |
“From the broad melodies in the outer movements of Saturday’s performance to the introspection of the haunting adagio and the fastest passage work, Rozum displayed complete command of his instrument.” [Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2] News-Leader, USA, 03/12/2002
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| How can one describe it in words? |
“Rozum
playing… How can one describe it in words? Over the last ten months I heard
Rachmaninov’s 3rd piano concerto at least a dozen times... But I
have never heard such interpretation. It was going straight into the heart. The
pianist never tried to show off his virtuosity. And why would a true virtuoso
demonstrate it? After all the masterful technique is only means to the main and
only end – to create a unique musical image (…)
I am not sure that
the word “genius” should be used to describe performers. Otherwise what
words are we going to use for Mozart, Chopin, Rachmaninov? But fortunately there
are numerous descriptives one can award a musician. In this case I would
say, simply brilliant. But I have no doubts that some years later they would
write and say about Rozum, “outstanding” and “great”. Moskovskaya Pravda, Russia, 02/02/2002
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Famous
Pianist Yuri Rozum Awarded the |
“The
soloist of the Moscow State Philharmonia Yuri Rozum is one of the finest
representatives of the Russian music school. Reviewers of many leading papers of
the world described phenomenal concentration, energy and power of his playing,
which mesmerised listeners. In a telephone interview to the ITAR-TASS
correspondent Yuri Rozum said, “Russia has always been and will always be my
motherland and I cannot imagine a higher title than that of the People’s
Artist of Russia.” ITAR-TASS News Agency, Moscow, 04/10/2001 |
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Standing
Ovation and Four Encores |
“Russian virtuoso pianist
Yuri Rozum captivated the Bad Salgau audience on Sunday. (…) From
the opening Mozart Sonata in C Minor, the pianist created a mood of suspense,
combining a skilful keyboard technique with extreme lightness of touch in his
playing.” Schwabische Zeitung, Germany, 08/03/2001
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Scherzo a la Russe |
“...On
the day of the recital there was a real snowstorm in Moscow. It was a heroic
deed in itself to get to the Conservatoire hall, but nothing can stop Moscow
public. A full house was waiting for Yuri Rozum: that evening he played seven
encores. According
to the pianist, all his life is connected with the Moscow Conservatoire,
“Wherever I am playing, this hall is always in my heart. Everything is here,
the purgatory, the Last Judgement, the aim and the meaning of life.” (…)
This performance confirmed Rozum’s reputation of a virtuoso pianist, who
according to the recent poll was included in the top ten classical musicians in
Russia.” Echo of the Planet, Russia, March 2001
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Saturday Night Fever |
“Rozum
really came into his own in the second half with miraculous accounts of four
Scriabin Preludes, the F Sharp Major Sonata, and the Rachmaninoff E Flat Minor
Etude-Tableau, followed by three Preludes, including the wonderfully rhetorical
B Flat Major, which received a performance as unforgettable in its way as
Richter’s own definitive account of the piece. Throughout the concert one
marvelled at the poetry of Rozum’s playing, at the unfailingly warm and
singing tone, at the perfect balance between the hands, at his command of form
and musical argument.” The Adelaide Review, Australia, Nov.2000
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Magic, not sugar and honey |
“Similar to his interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s music, the effect is achieved not through an effort, but through free expression, and Yuri Rozum does this with brilliant technical mastery, as well as beautiful sound and sensitive feel of each Prelude [by A.Scriabin]. One can say, that the repertoire played by Yuri Rozum that evening is in the best hands.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany, 15/7/2000
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Rachmaninoff
deserves popularity |
...The
enduring popularity of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in g, Op. 16 is
hardly mysterious. And on Thursday night, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra
and guest pianist Yuri Rozum delivered a supremely thoughtful performance of the
melodious and beloved work. (...) Christie [conductor] and Rozum were
beautifully in synch in their interpretation of the composer's unique Russian
soulfulness. The complementary contrast between the first theme and the romantic
tenderness of the second theme was as rousing as any version I've ever heard.
The impassioned collective musicianship of the fine orchestra (...) was a
perfect counterpart to Rozum's incontestable brilliance at the keyboard. In the
second movement, the orchestra musicians successfully relayed a sense of painful
romantic yearning and passion gone unfulfilled; but it was Rozum's rock solid
and serious musicianship that carried over into a dazzling and memorable third
movement under Christie's baton. The result was a well-deserved standing ovation
by a full house. The Daily Camera, USA, 08/05/2000
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Virtuoso Starting the Season |
“...This
piece [Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2] was composed by a genius pianist S.
Rachmaninov for himself to play and it takes another genius of a pianist to
interpret it. And Yuri A. Rozum showed everything he was capable of in this
concerto: brilliance with nothing left to be desired, power of his left hand,
which many pianists lack, his left hand has a marked contrast , and what is
often called “a Russian soul”, which is a bit of a cliché; he also showed a
very good taste in his interpretation of this music. In the finale he opened up
a whole range of feelings.” Neue Westfalische, Germany, 06/11/2000
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Town Traditions are Alive in the Sounds of Music |
“Yuri
Rozum delighted the audience by his amazing musicality and virtuosity.
Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto was the highest point of the music evening.
In close contact with the conductor and the orchestra, showing a unique
technique with dynamic scales going from pianissimo to fortissimo, from soft
sounds to powerful and assertive, Yuri A. Rozum gave his listeners an
opportunity to float in the sea of sounds of a really Russian feeling.” Badisches Tagblatt, Germany, 27/11/2000
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Closer
to Mozart Pianist
Yuri Rozum excelled at the Rheinghau music festival. |
“...In
Mozart’s Sonata in c-major KV330 Rozum evoked an illusion of light
music-making, which only few interpreters can achieve. Especially, as it is
feared by many famed classical pianists. It was a well-measured interpretation,
always true to the stylistic ideals, which despite a fast tempo stayed clear in
thought, varied in touch and sonorous until the end. (...) In the
second half of the programme Rozum was able to get the audience off their seats
in the sold-out hall. He proved his technical mastery in Franz Liszt’s
virtuoso showpiece “Reminiscences of Don Juan” G 418. He developed lively
playing, which never sounded hard, even in fortissimo. Like in Mozart he used
the pedal skilfully to bring out the finest varieties of colour, filigree
pearliness and thundery storms. “ Wiesbadener Tagblatt, Germany, 30/7/1999
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Yuri,
You’re the Man |
“Stunned,
amazed and comprehensively gobsmaked. (...) Rozum’s technical attainments are
magisterial - vast - seemingly to always leave him with expressive breathing
space in the tightest digital corners and covering an astounding range of colour
and touch. To all that skill, Rozum adds an essential, intense musicality. (...)
We will rarely hear its like - not, at least, until Yuri Rozum’s already
eagerly anticipated return.” Adelaide Advertiser, Australia, 1998
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Rozum’s Chopin Concert Nears Perfection |
“Rozum
seemed at one with Chopin and gave full flight to his amazing compositions in a
transfixing display of physical ease and emotional insight. (...) Chopin’s
pianistic supremacy allowed astonishing effects that are beyond most mortals.
But not Rozum. He can rip the ivory off the keys with the best of them, yet can
transcend the blizzards of notes to reveal the full range of human emotions.
Rozum plays Chopin the way Chopin would have liked it played - with grace, ease,
intelligence, delight, song and dance. His concert was a treatise on rising
above pages blackened with notes to make heavenly music. (...) If there were any
sceptics in the crowd coming in, this remarkable display of piano wizardry
surely convinced them that Rozum is the real thing - one of the great pianists
of our time.” The Register-Guard, USA, 02/05/1998
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Pianist Turns Music into Personal Statement |
Russian
pianist Yuri Rozum prefers to let his playing do the talking - and what his
fingers did Saturday night spoke volumes about strength, love, passion,
spirituality, insight, meditation and warmth. (...) At hand was Beethoven’s
Piano Concerto No.2, Op.19 - an emotional, passionate piece requiring technique
of astonishing complexity that Rozum turned into a personal statement. (...)
Here was a performance of astonishing beauty that roved Rozum is the genuine
article, the real deal, the master of musicality. The Register-Guard, USA, 02/02/1998
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Pianist from Russia Mesmerizes Listeners |
“His
mastery of the music and his audience is total. (...) it was all done with just
two hands, a prodigious musical mind and splendid technique unparalleled in
recent memory. (...) Yuri
Rozum is a treasure, an aristocrat of the keyboard, a musician of the highest
order, a black belt in piano.” The Register-Guard, USA, 1996 |
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