LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Available only until May 12, the Swedish Television offers a live HD performance of Sergei Rachmaninov´s third Piano Concerto with pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Lionel Bringuier as of February 20, 2009.
Content:
0:00 Introduction (in Swedish)
1:10 Alex Wade introduces Rach 3 and talks to Jonathan Philips
9:44 Interview with Leif Ove Andsnes (in Swedish) See summary in English below.
14:00 Live performance of the piano concerto
Click here to veiw the TV broadcast online.
Summary of interview with Leif Ove Andsnes
In the interview, the producer Camilla Lundberg asked Andsnes why he returned to the work after 15 years.
He first played and recorded it when he was only 24 years old, as his first Rachmaninov concerto.
Andsnes stated that the work defines crucial currents of modernity in the 20th century and therefore it has a special compositional and romantic quality. Having spent so much time with it, and when coming back to it with a new “bird perspective”, he felt that the contrasts and eruptive qualities of the piece should be more accentuated, which motivated him to have a second round with it. He also said that he found it unfortunate that the popularity of the film “Shine” led to the common notion that this concerto is nothing but a gladiator game.
One hundred years ago the work was premiered with Rachmaninov himself at the piano and Gustaf Mahler as conductor. History tells us how serious Mahler was in his work with the score and during rehersals. Andsnes considers this to be one of the moments in music history he would give anything to have experienced.
Rachmaninoff in action
Being fortunate enough to have spent a lengthy preparation period (five years) with Rach 3 during the 1990s, I agree with the popular metaphorical statement that this concerto is a serious attempt to climb K2.
After deciphering the most economical ways of moving (including intelligent fingering), I spent enormous amount of time on finding full sound easiness in the musical lines. This work also demands a very conscious idea of what to be audible in sections where the piano and orchestra share the musical energy.
The access to a large number of recordings was very helpful in this respect and I found the Horowitz/Ormandy collaboration and the Ashkenazy/Fistoulari particularly helpful in building the tutti soundscapes of the grand piano sound in the grand romantic orchestra.
/patrick
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:04
Amazing performance! Very beautiful. He has strong feelings to play Rachmaninov. Congratulations!
May 2nd, 2009 at 13:52
I have no words to describe it. Thanks for send-me
Lizete
May 2nd, 2009 at 16:38
Great! Watched some of the performance a little at a time. I do not know how to stop the computer from playing a few seconds then downloading, etc., on-and-on.
Some day I will find out how to buffer it all at once but this is a great piano piece. KP
May 2nd, 2009 at 16:51
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
I couldn’t watch if you didn’t attend, love from ıstanbul!!
May 2nd, 2009 at 17:00
Wow! Thank you so much. What an incredible treat!
May 2nd, 2009 at 18:51
I thank you very much! Without you I wouldn’t be able to listen and watch this wonderful performance. I enjoyed it a lot. I could only wish if you’ll have more if this kind videos. Thank you again.
May 2nd, 2009 at 21:38
Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed it, but I think the orchestra’s sound is too low respect of the piano’s.
All wishes,
Raffaele
May 2nd, 2009 at 22:54
Will this come out in video form? I would like to purchase at least six in video form for my students-what a wonderful opportunity for young people to watch
and listen to Leif Ove Andsnes’ live performance.
His comment about the film SHINE is interesting but questionable. As a psychiatrist it says much more about Andsnes than the performance offered in the Hollywood production, which truly was wonderful…the rest of the film was fluff at best, but the piano performance was wonderful.
If this comes out in video form I will purchase them for my students. Thanks for the heads up about watching online.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:21
Well, I have not enjoyed this performance. It was so fragmented so I missed the musical and physical connection between all the new “moments” in the entire work. Andsnes performance here was regressive in temper. The conductor was no spiritual link between pianist and orchestra. My listeners’ adrenaline is not consumed. So I am not thrilled by this story of Rach 3.
Thank you for sharing,
Jeroen.
May 3rd, 2009 at 15:53
This is great!!!! I watched this over and over again and i will never get tired of it!!! He played with a lot of movement…I love it…You need to have more videos lie this…But i agree with raffaele… the orchestras sound is not like the piano’s at all…but nice job on your part. I hope to see more in the Future.!!!! :D
Abbey
May 3rd, 2009 at 18:05
Thanks for this great performance!
best wishes
May 3rd, 2009 at 18:48
gracias
May 3rd, 2009 at 20:55
Thankyou so much for making my Sunday afternoon perfect,
I am sorry Jeroen did not enjoy this wonderful performance, perhaps if he, like me Spent 12 TWELVE years deprived of music completely,he may learn to appreciate the priviledge of listening to a brilliant pianist like Maestro Andsnes!.
My first years in OK Were spent with no way of hearing classical music ( I came from a musical family, )my Father was A Concert Master, and a conductor of his own 50 musician Chamber Orchestra.!
Thankyou again Piano Street for sharing.
Sincerely
Margaret Lucas ( luvinblume)
May 4th, 2009 at 13:02
Thanks for making this amazing performance available. I enjoy it every day.
Please keep them coming.
May 4th, 2009 at 20:41
The performance was simply stunning. This is how Rachmaninov should sound like. Andsnes is a great pianist. Many thanks for sharing this video.
May 4th, 2009 at 21:49
As many said, this is great!!!
Thanks!
May 7th, 2009 at 3:57
Thank you, Piano Street, for letting us experience a truly amazing performance of Rach 3. Leif must be at the pinnacle of his career to so flawlessly render this complex piano concerto.
Rach 3 must be the most relentlessly demanding piano compositions for pianists.
Out of curiosity, would anyone at Piano Street have a count of the total number of piano notes played? (Would make an excellent trivia question.)
Once again, thank you.
January 11th, 2010 at 0:16
Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking your feeds too now, Thanks.
I’m Out! :)