Gergiev and Matsuev ripped Chicago on Wednesday, November 8
Russian way to do it: Gergiev and Matsuev ripped Chicago on Wednesday, November 8 - by Natalia Dagenhart
Everyone talks about the strength of the ballet education system in Russia, but many people forget that Russia is also known for its extremely ambitious and thorough musical education system. Combined with the powerful Russian spirit, sometimes it creates unbelievable, powerful results. One of the examples of this extremely high standard of excellence was demonstrated in Chicago on November 8 at Symphony Center. The St. Petersburg-based Mariinsky Orchestra under direction of Valery Gergiev presented a beautiful night of Russian and German music - such a great combination! Denis Matsuev, called by some Siberian Bear, joined the orchestra and demonstrated all the mastery and volcanism of his talent.
The audience started gathering long before the performance. Russian speech was everywhere - proud Russian-Americans residing in Chicago got their tickets long before the concert and arrived at Symphony Center ready to admire their favorite musicians. The audience consisted of different categories of grateful music lovers, among them were young students majoring in music and experienced music gurus; however, all of them were united by one lifelong passion - their love to Russian music and the Russian presentation of it.
Of course, there was also curiosity. What would these Russians show this time? How would they present this strong and difficult concert program? Their curiosity was fully satisfied. Russians ripped Chicago.
It all started with the powerful Ninth Symphony by Shostakovich. This great composition consists of five very different movements, which are united by the same philosophical idea. Each movement brings its own color to the palette of this symphony. This masterpiece was composed over the very short period of only four weeks in August 1945, which was three months after the Allied victory in Europe. Gergiev and his brilliant orchestra were able to perform this composition the way it should sound around the globe. Flutist Sofia Viland presented a touching solo work in the second movement; the fourth movement was highlighted by bassoonist Rodion Tolmachev.
The genepool of the orchestra directed them exactly how to present this piece. They didn't play it, they lived through it. Gergiev, the nerve, the pulse of the Mariinsky Orchestra, demonstrated his famous finger-moving conducting technique. And even if it seemed that the musicians barely looked at him, he was like a magician coordinating their moves, emotions and dynamics.
The magic continued through the entire night. For the next piece, a tall and strong man, with curly rich hair and a willful face, came to the stage. It was Denis Matsuev, called by some Siberian Bear, a man who knows how to get from his favorite instrument, the piano, really soft as well as really sharp and strong sounds. It seemed like the only parts of his body that he didn't use to press piano keys were his knees; the rest of his body, though, was on top of it. Accompanied by the Mariinsky Orchestra, Matsuev presented the toweringly difficult Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor by Sergei Prokofiev.
Gergiev and Matsuev admitted more than once that they feel each other when they play music; they demonstrated this artistic connection one more time in Chicago. Matsuev presented the intensive emotion and dramatism of this piece with his every muscle, every nerve and every touch. He managed to use a tissue in between difficult passages and wiped his face, which was lit up with a deep spirit and a high level of emotional output. The audience watched him furiously. I saw one man cry. The electricity in the Symphony Center was not needed anymore. Matsuev was the plant producing it for the building that night.
After a loud circle of applause, Matsuev presented another bright side of his talent. His encore, Rachmaninoff's Etude-Tableau, Op. 39, No. 2, was a touching sensitive piece that contrasted with Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2. Matsuev's fingers didn't seem that powerful anymore; instead, they were tender and loving, presenting to the audience warm and poetic sounds. This presentation was again met enthusiastically, and soon Matsuev left. The audiences had a chance to rest from his unbelievable presentation and discuss these unbelievable Russians, who brought this extreme energy, spirit, love and professionalism to Chicago. Everyone was anticipating the second part of the concert.
Soon it started. The grand piano disappeared from the stage, and the orchestra members took their seats again. Mariinsky engaged into the endless beauty of Strauss' autobiographical tone poem "Ein Heldenleben", or "A Hero's Life". Written in 1898, this emotional symphony includes more than thirty quotations from Strauss' earlier compositions and is considered to be the autobiographical summing-up of his achievements in the genre of symphonic poems. This touching masterpiece gave an opportunity to every group of instruments in the orchestra to demonstrate the beauty and the capability of their instrument. "Ein Heldenleben" highlighted the outstanding violin-playing technique of concertmaster Lorenz Nasturica-Herschcowici, who played a brilliant solo on his 1713 Antonio Stradivarius' "Rodewald" violin.
The audience couldn't calm down when the last sounds of this masterpiece dissolved in the air. Gergiev was standing for a few seconds listening to the dissolving sounds of music in his heart, still living in this piece, but some of the audience members started clapping already. People got up on their feet and screamed "Bravo"! It lasted for a minute, and the orchestra responded with one, and then with another encore. It played first Prelude to Act 1 of Wagner's "Lohengrin," and then Prelude to Act 3. They played two touching preludes, but it was the finale of that incredible concert; a concert that lit up Chicago with gorgeous sounds of Russian and German music, presented with the Russian twist, so popular around the world.
Natalia Dagenhart