Young, Russian, world class: the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra (RNYSO), under the direction of Julian Rachlin and with Denis Matsuev as soloist, made the first guest appearance in the Wiener Musikverein. On the programme are masterpieces by Tchaikovsky: his First Piano Concerto and his Fifth Symphony. Emerging from an all-Russian competition for young talents in 2018, the RNYSO unites 100 outstanding Russian musical talents from 28 cities. In its first season, the RNYSO gave over 40 concerts in Russia. PROGRAM Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Symphony No. 5, Méditation, Op. 72/5, The Nutcracker: Trepak / Danse Russe
The Prokofiev Marathon
This suite of five concerts at Munich’s Philharmonic Hall performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra and several soloists, forms part of the MPhil 360° Festival. The MPhil 360° Festival is a new festival which marks the beginning of Valery Gergiev’s collaboration with the Munich Philharmonics. Core of the program of the festival’s first edition are the five piano concertos of Prokofiev which enter into a dialogue with history and modern age. All of Prokofiev’s piano concertos are complemented by works of the German musical literature. Such a compilation appeals to the audience – the press raved: “The interpretations [of the five piano concertos] were so different, that an extremely enlightening portrait of Prokofiev came off“, not least “the new maestro was shining with the Munich Philharmonics” (SZ).
The Prokofiev Marathon
This suite of five concerts at Munich’s Philharmonic Hall performed by the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Mariinsky Orchestra and several soloists, forms part of the MPhil 360° Festival. The MPhil 360° Festival is a new festival which marks the beginning of Valery Gergiev’s collaboration with the Münchner Philharmoniker. Core of the program of the festival’s first edition are the five piano concertos of Prokofiev who enter into a dialogue with history and modern age. All of Prokofiev’s piano concertos are complemented by works of the German musical literature. PROGRAM Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2, von Weber: “Invitation to the Dance” arr. for orchestra by Hector Berlioz
Salzburg Easter Festival 2021: Christian Thielemann & Denis Matsuev
Since 2013, Christian Thielemann has led the Easter Festival as artistic director. Due to Covid-19, the 2021 edition was moved to autumn. Together with the Staatskapelle Dresden, Christian Thielemann presented Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto with Denis Matsuev, one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation. The second part featured the symphonic poem Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss, one of the orchestra’s showpieces. “Thielemann attached immense importance to subtleties and also took time to savour the phrases. The soloists from his own ranks also proved to be excellent, especially concertmaster Matthias Wollong with his long violin solo. Standing ovations.” (Kurier) PROGRAM Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor; Lyadov: The Music Box, Op. 32; Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Rachmaninoff – The Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4
Performing all four piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff in just two days – a challenge for the Orchestre de Paris on the Rachmaninoff Weekend at the Philharmonie de Paris. Together with three different pianists young conductor Stanislav Kochanovsky who is considered one of the most outstanding talents in his homeland Russia, performs the concert. For the first concert of the cycle, Russian Rachmaninoff specialist Denis Matsuev takes on the titanic Concerto No. 3 with all his distinctive enthusiasm, before exploring the more modern outline of the less-known Concerto No. 4. A performance which was hailed by the French press as superlative.
Rachlin conducts Tchaikovsky
Pianist Denis Matsuev and his good friend, the violinist Julian Rachlin, perform in the venerable Moscow Conservatory. On this occasion, the artists dare to try something new: instead of his violin, Julian Rachlin reaches for the conductor’s baton to conduct a piece which he, with his violin, would neve approach. Together and for the first time, they give an interpretation of a work put to paper by Tchaikovsky in the Moscow of 1874: his Piano Concerto No. 1 as well as the Symphony No. 5.
Lucerne Festival 2019: Chailly conducts Rachmaninoff
Everything changed for Sergei Rachmaninoff after 1917. As a result of the October Revolution, power impinged directly on his life – and on his art. The new political conditions forced him to leave his Russian homeland and flee into exile in the West. In order to earn a living, he had to perform for the most part as a piano virtuoso, constantly touring Europe and America. Which meant he had hardly any time left over to compose. The program with which Riccardo Chailly and his Lucerne Festival Orchestra open the 2019 Summer Festival orbits around this turning point in Rachmaninoff’s life, pairing the legendary Third Piano Concerto, written in Russia in 1909, with the melancholy Third Symphony, which he created as an émigré in Hertenstein near Lucerne in 1935-36. PROGRAM Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto Nr. 3; Symphony No. 3; Vocalise op. 34 No. 14