It is one of the most fascinating classical recordings of the year 2017: Daniil Trifonov’s interpretation of the Chopin piano concertos together with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the guidance of Mikhail Pletnev. Trifonov and Pletnev are both Russians, pianists and composers. For all these communalities, they are quite different personalities. Trifonov belongs to the crowd of highly talented and celebrated young pianists who has won numerous competitions and gives more than 100 concerts a year. In contrast, the Grammy-award-winner Pletnev is known for his intellectual grasp of musical language who might come across a little bit distant. It is a remarkable proof of trust for the young pianist, that Pletnev offers his re-orchestration of the two concertos for Trifonov’s solo recording. Chopin’s music is elegant and deeply personal, but the orchestrations of his concertos are considered makeshift, many assert. There have been several attempts to re-orchestrate them: Will the Pletnev-orchestration add a new dimension to the pieces? This collaboration is likely to be an artistic exploration at the highest stage and consequently, the music documentary „A New Chopin“ takes viewers on a rare tour of the artistic process.
Currentzis – The Classical Rebel
While the whole world thinks that Europe ends at Perm, Greek conductor Teodor Currentzis starts a classical music revolution together with his orchestra MusicAeterna in the Ural foothills, a fast changing former industrial city now being one of the major cultural centres of Russia. The film accompanies a new opera recording of “Don Giovanni” in studio-like conditions, traces artistic processes and portrays the maverick super-star conductor. The film combines both high standards of journalism and a pleasantly intriguing approach to the world of classical music with fascinating artists, peeks behind the scenes and timelessly beautiful music.
Jan Lisiecki – Night Music
Night: it can be dreamy or comforting, but sometimes it’s frightening, full of dark secrets. So it’s no great surprise that the long hours of darkness, often spent awake, have inspired so many composers to write some of their most touching works: Chopin’s dreamy Nocturnes, for example, Schumann’s dainty “Nachtstücke” or Ravel’s spinechilling cycle “Gaspard de la nuit”, populated by sinister figures and dark premonitions. In his piano recital at the Imperial Hall at the Würzburg Residence, the young Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, brings the spirits of the night, both good and evil, to life; in his hands, Ravel’s goblin “Scarbo” dances and the water sprite “Ondine” swims through the waves, dangerously seductive.