Music review: Rachmaninov – The Piano Concertos 1

Some fancy footwork was clearly wanted to carry out the internationally celebrated UK pianist Stephen Hough and American conductor Andrew Litton to carry out all 4 piano concertos of Rachmaninov with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Only for the document, this pair of musicians took half in one of the crucial admired recordings of the concertos for Hyperion with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2004 – it collected effusive critiques and has come to be thought to be the modern-day definitive interpretation of those works.

Nicely right here in Adelaide they’re, and one may solely wait with bated breath to see what the Hough and Litton mixture would do in partnership with the ASO within the first live performance of this four-part sequence, Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos. For the document, Hough has been in Australia many instances earlier than, notably to take part within the ASO’s Beethoven Competition in 2014, whereas Litton – music director of the New York Metropolis Ballet – has by no means been right here earlier than.

Belting horns and a thunderous cascade of octaves throughout the keyboard at first of Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1, instantly introduced what this Rachmaninov journey would all be about. Hough has immense power, is razor-sharp in his timing, and each word is tautly managed. Not a touch of sweat emanates from his forehead as he dispatches the primary motion’s fiery, heroic bravura. He and Litton preserve fixed eye contact, and the orchestra is phenomenal ­– utterly with the pianist at each step and sounding a category above themselves.

There might be vastly alternative ways of taking part in Rachmaninov. This concerto can sound showy and syrupy if judgment lapses. The composer himself performed this concerto with athletic velocity and massive contrasts of temper (a recording he made in 1941 is marvellous). Hough performs with extra fashionable precision however with an identical vary of depth and temperamental self-discipline. His ardour is totally free-flowing however formalised, ridding any pointless indulgence.

Hough’s cadenza within the first motion is wonderful: whereas maintaining the good manner, he piles on the stormy aggression relentlessly. He, Litton and the orchestra hold a white-hot momentum to the final breath.

The second motion takes us to an altogether completely different place, as if in a smoke-filled lounge the place the pianist is left alone to meander idly over the keys. Hough is the consummate cabaret crooner right here, when you like, sensuous and human-touched. It takes some excellence of timing to sew within the orchestra seamlessly, and the communication that flows between him and Litton is masterful. A movie director couldn’t edit this unfolding rapture to raised impact.

It’s unbelievable that Rachmaninov wrote this masterwork on the age of 17 and 18. The third and fourth actions are good and look in the direction of the Symphonic Dances that he wrote a lot later in life. Definitely it has its schmaltzy moments, however the inspiration on this concerto, in addition to the artistry of this efficiency, have been genuinely issues to behold.

Rachmaninov – The Piano Concertos on the Adelaide City Corridor. Photograph: Claudio Raschella

This ASO “particular occasion” is timed to have a good time the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the composer’s start, though actually it was equally about Tchaikovsky on this first live performance by advantage of what adopted, particularly the latter’s Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64. The mix passes muster: the 2 composers profoundly illuminate one another of their emphasis on melody, orchestration and temperament; certainly, of their lifetimes they carefully adopted one another’s work and shared a substantial mutual respect.

One sensed immediately how nicely ready the ASO have been for this symphony. It was an distinctive efficiency by them. Litton could be new to the gamers, they usually to him, however their collaboration was outstanding for its diploma of understanding and empathy. Litton is a most absorbing conductor to observe, for a begin. His gestures are economical, concurrently aimed toward heightened expression and precision timing. However when the large stuff occurs, because it repeatedly does in Tchaikovsky, his course then turns into as commanding as a navy common doing battle. Along with beautiful arch-shaped melody on this efficiency, there have been climaxes of spectacular vitality the place Litton let the musicians rip.

This Fifth was each deliriously stunning and thrilling past any expectation. The ASO’s great taking part in was clearly intensively honed and rehearsed. What a distinction a prime conductor makes. If solely this gentleman may turn into its subsequent conductor, or a minimum of go to once more.

The ASO’s Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos, with pianist Stephen Hough and conductor Andrew Litton, continues on Might 27 and 31 and June 3 within the Adelaide City Corridor.

Supported by the Authorities of South Australia