Rachmaninov and virtuosic “keyboard acrobatics”

It is the fourth concert season for the Baden Baden Philharmonic orchestra under music director Werner Schtiffel. In the sold out Wienbrenner Saal Yuri Rozum, pianist from Moscow, was the soloist in Sergey Rachmaninov’s gigantic 3^rd piano concerto, which is feared by many pianists.

(…) During this concert season with Mozartiana of Tchaikovsky the emphasis was on Russian music. Rachmaninov composed his 3^rd piano concerto for his first tour of America in 1909 where it was a huge success during its New York premiere with Rachmaninov himself as a soloist. The work was loved both by the public and musicians alike. Its extremely difficult virtuosity is paired with formal clarity and musically alive expressive power. This piano concerto excited many pianists above all the legendary Vladimir Horowitz who was known as an “acrobat of the keyboard” and who interpreted the piece intelligently, wildly and burningly. Pianist Yuri Rozum needed not to fear any great predecessors. 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. Especially noticeable was the extraordinary collaboration between the conductor, orchestra and soloist. Sometimes Rozum played “blind”, his gaze locked attentively on the beats of Schtiffel. With pearl-like lightness he accompanied orchestral melodies and in the dramatic scenes he attacked the keys, however never over aggressively. The soloist turned the three great solo cadenzas into true storms of sounds.

How comforting when they were then taken up quietly by solo flutes and wood winds. The listeners experienced forioso in contrast with melancholy songfulness – the so-called characteristic two sides of the Russian soul. It was like magic… The public was very enthusiastic and despite “the hard work” that Rozum had put into the gigantic concerto, with undiminished ability to keep the audience in suspense he performed Rachmaninov’s solo piano compositions as magnificent encores.