Mikhail Pletnev — The Piano Legend

Presenting works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Alexey Shor, Frédéric Chopin and Antonin Dvořák, the legendary pianist will be showcasing all facets of his famed range and virtuosity, with the programme incorporating music from the Baroque to contemporary. Starting with Bach’s English Suite No. 3, Pletnev shall then move on to Brahms 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117, before closing off the first part of the concert with a special arrangement of contemporary composer Alexey Shor’s Sonata, which has been prepared by the soloist himself. The second part of the evening will see the pianist return to the stage with Brahms’ Rhapsody, Op. 79, No. 1, a work originally inscribed to his friend, the aristocratic pianist and composer, Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. This is followed by Dvořák’s Eklogy (Eclogue),the piece’s title in reference to the literary work of a short poem based on pastoral subjects. Another piece by Dvořák follows, with a performance of his Moderato in A major, B.116, a short work composed in 1881. Next, the performance moves to Brahms’ Ballade in G minor, Op. 118, No. 3, a short yet varied work demonstrating a range of moods. The concert is concluded with a performance of movements from Dvořák’s Poetic Scenes, Op. 85, a deep, eclectic and richly evocative set of pieces displaying the unique melodic writing that Dvořák is known and loved for. The concert is concluded with a performance of movements from Dvořák’s Poetic ScenesOp. 85, a deep, eclectic and richly evocative set of pieces displaying the unique melodic writing that Dvořák is known and loved for. The concert is concluded with a performance of movements from Dvořák's Poetic Scenes, Op. 85, a deep, eclectic and richly evocative set of pieces displaying the unique melodic writing that Dvořák is known and loved for.

Programme:

JS Bach

English Suite No.3 in G minor, BWV 808

J.Brahms

3 Interludes, Op.117

A.Shor - M. Pletnev

Sonata for Piano Solo

-- Intermission --

J.Brahms

Rhapsody, Op. 79, No. 1

A. Dvorak

Eklogy (Eclogue) , B.103

Moderato in A major, B.116

J. Brahms

Ballade in G minor, Op. 118, No. 3

A. Dvorak

Poetic Scenes , Op. 85

I - At the Old Castle ("Na starem hradě"). Lento (E♭ major)

VI - Reverie ("Vzpomináni"). Andante (B major)

IX - Serenade . Moderato e molto cantabile (C major)

X - Bacchanalia . Vivacissimo (C minor)

XI - Title-Tattle ("Na táčkách"). Andante con moto (F major)

XII - At a Hero's Grave (U mohyly). Grave, Tempo di marcia (F minor)

XIII - On the Holy Mountain ("Na svaté hore"). Poco Lento (D♭ major)

Mikhail Pletnev

Piano

Mikhail Pletnev is a brilliant pianist, a highly sought after conductor, a splendid composer, a remarkable individual, and an artist who defies conventional classifications. “Stupendous virtuosity and glittering ingenuity are the hallmarks of his piano performances. His meteoric career as a conductor seems to have made his playing even more symphonic, and his sound more imaginative.” (Die Welt)

Born in 1957, in Arkhangelsk, Pletnev demonstrated his talent early, entering the Moscow Conservatory at the age of 13. In 1978 he won first prize and the gold medal at the Sixth International Tchaikovsky Competition. He has since performed countless times as a soloist with the world’s most esteemed orchestras and conductors.

In 1990, with the assent of then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Pletnev founded the Russian National Orchestra – Russia’s first non-governmental, privately financed orchestra. Today the RNO is considered one of the world’s finest orchestras; each year, led by Pletnev and other distinguished conductors, it tours Europe, the U.S. and Asia. In 1996, the orchestra performed at the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Pletnev has recorded with Deutsche Grammophon since 1993, and his discs have been repeatedly nominated for Grammy Awards. “If music is crafted time, then time for Pletnev is not something that can be measured in technical terms, rather the high art of infinity, of tension and its resolution.” (Crescendo, on the Beethoven Cycle)

The London Telegraph remarked, "from Pletnev's fingers and brain come ideas that vitalise the music and make it teem with freshness and wit. [He] made the music positively leap for joy." The Times describes his playing as "born of a prodigious virtuosity of imagination outrageous in its beauty." BBC Music Magazine called Scarlatti’s Keyboard Sonatas, which received a Gramophone Award in 1996, "piano playing at its greatest... this performance alone would be enough to secure Pletnev a place among the greatest pianists ever known.”

Pletnev has also attained international acclaim for his work as a composer. The 1998 premiere of his Viola Concerto dedicated to (and performed by) Yuri Bashmet was enthusiastically received by both the press and the public. His arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty for piano are legendary – for pianists the world over they have become technical exams that demonstrate one is a master of the instrument.

Recently a journalist wrote: “A conversation with Mikhail Pletnev is like his playing. He is quiet and listens. He is tired of the same old questions; he prefers to improvise. If he does not like something, he gets up and leaves. If something interests him, he awakens and begins speaking in a voice that is obsessed, monotone and musical. Pletnev does not speak of the ordinary; he is only interested in superlatives.”

Pletnev has been the frequent recipient of state honors and international awards, including a Grammy (2005). In 2007 he was awarded a Presidential Prize and Order “For Service to the Homeland.”