Tchaikovsky & Grieg Piano Concertos — Denis Kozhukhin Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin Vassily Sinaisky Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-fl at minor, Op. 23 These are two of the most popular piano concertos ever composed, 1 Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito 20. 53 two pieces that have been performed and recorded hundreds of times, 2 Andantino semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo I 7. 04 and yet are still compellingly attractive for every new generation of 3 Allegro con fuoco 7. 11 musicians and music lovers. Both Tchaikovsky and Grieg had strong ties with their respective Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) motherlands, both were inspired by the folk music of their countries Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 and one can hear this in every note of these works. 4 Allegro molto moderato 12. 46 For me they represent the most important sides of our existence, such 5 Adagio 6. 14 as beauty, contemplation of the natural world and the distinctive 6 Allegro moderato molto e marcato 10. 12 resonance of the culture of diff erent lands. Denis Kozhukhin Total playing time: 64. 37 Denis Kozhukhin, piano Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin) Erez Ofer, concertmaster Denis Kozhukhin Conducted by Vassily Sinaisky © Felix Broede Virtuoso warhorses. more as simple “applause-gatherers,” this move with keen insight. “Grieg’s With the exception of the piano him right. And that came about, to the “Grieg motif” – a frequently fantasy for piano and orchestra than completing the work, Tchaikovsky appealing to thrill-seeking audiences? work mirrors for us the intellectual concerto, the fact that Grieg as a despite his focus on the more intimate deployed sequence of descending a concerto. This is not a musically decided to seek professional advice Really? Let’s try to get to the bottom of this. upheaval going on in the 19th century, composer devoted himself more to musical genres, thanks to his Piano octaves, sevenths, and fi fths – which empty virtuoso concerto, glammed up from a pianist. On Christmas Eve 1874, and his own response to this; as well as the less expansive musical genres Concerto. he borrowed from the traditional with simple eff ects without any claim he played the new concerto for his This CD contains the two piano Although in his teens Edvard Grieg had the make-up of his artistic personality is certainly due in part to his failed Norwegian folk music. In the fi rst to autonomous, musical art; on the friend Nikolai Rubinstein, the principal concertos by Grieg and Tchaikovsky received his basic musical education in and his determination to achieve attempt at a symphony, to which the Grieg composed his only piano movement, Grieg narrates a number contrary, the pianistic demands are on of the recently founded Moscow featuring the exclusive PENTATONE piano and composition at the Leipzig originality.” (Krellmann). Grieg was in great Nils W. Gade had egged him concerto in the summer of 1868 at of small and varied stories, which are a par here with the musical demands Conservatoire. He wanted Rubinstein, artist, Denis Kozhukhin. If one were Conservatory, throughout his lifetime a position to discern new infl uences, on in 1863. The craftsmanship of the the age of 25. His friend Benjamin set out in an extremely diff erentiated of the composition. Here, Grieg has an excellent pianist, to advise him to initially label them collectively as he retained his status as a Norwegian to accept them as innovative and, work is more than solid; however, it Feddersen had rented for him a manner, with intricately chiselled penned a concerto with symphonic on technical issues in particular. “virtuoso warhorses,” then by no means artist born and bred, which ultimately by immediately combining them shows no sign of the individuality of holiday house in Søllerød (just outside instructions regarding both tempo and aspirations. However, the evening turned into a would this be meant disrespectfully. established his world-wide fame. He did with the traditional national styles Grieg’s later style. Less than two years of Copenhagen), where he could style of playing. Thus, he transforms disaster. After an initially icy silence, On the contrary. These exceptional not become embroiled in unedifying of composition, to incorporate them after completing the symphony, the devote himself to his creative work the initially powerful main theme into And Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto in Rubinstein roared his contempt for concertos rank among the most imitation, but discovered his own highly and adjust them to his own musical composer pronounced the verdict without being disturbed. Grieg used something that is almost lyrical. By B fl at minor? The virtuoso warhorse the work, declaring the themes to be magical in the piano repertoire and personal path; here, he was certainly language. This was the only way this that it “should never be performed...”. Schumann’s Piano Concerto as a model means of an extended melody in the par excellence?! In November 1874, hackneyed, clumsy, awkward, and not are equally popular with pianists and encouraged by the cultural-sociological specifi cally Norwegian oeuvre could Rather, Grieg decided to concentrate for his three-movement concerto. strings, the short middle movement Tchaikovsky began work on the worthy of improvement. Next came audiences alike. So far, so good. But a changes taking place with regard to have come about. We understand in future – inspired by his Norwegian Not only did he take over the key of A evokes an image of the harsh and concerto, but it caused gave him allegations such as “feeble concept,” closer look under the brilliantly polished the production and reception of music. from Grieg himself that he perceived compatriots Ole Bull and Rikard minor and the cascading, captivating lonely Norwegian landscape. Most quite some problems. No wonder, and even worse – that Tchaikovsky had surface defi nitely reveals features For centuries, music had been the his study period in Leipzig to be more Nordraak – on a new, nationalistic beginning of the fi rst movement, particularly in the fi nal movement, the up until then piano music had been committed plagiarism. And anyway – and stylistic elements that require a plaything of the wealthy nobility, but a suff ocating straightjacket than a path, by resorting to the rich repertoire other similarities can also be observed Norwegian fl avour is expanded even of secondary interest only to him. the work was unplayable. If Tchaikovsky more detailed diff erentiation. Were now it was moving into the reach of creative liberation of his personal of Nordic folk music, and mixing it with in the details of the movements. further; here, Grieg uses the rhythm of “Basically, I am infl icting violence upon expected him to play the work in public, Grieg’s solitary and Tchaikovsky’s fi rst the emerging middle-class. New works individuality. After all, there he was his ideas and knowledge of Central- Nevertheless, Grieg developed a work the spring dance “Halling” over quint myself by forcing my brain to come then it would have to be completely contribution to the genre perhaps were required for new audiences. And forced to bow to a conservatively European Romanticism in order to based on Schumann’s model that basses. Being less strictly elaborated up with piano passages,” he told his rewritten, apart from two or three not written primarily with an eye having been born in 1843, precisely as classical canon of aesthetics (which create a unique combination. His demonstrates his already mentioned, and rather more free and well-nigh brother Anatol during the course of pages. This deeply stung the insulted to “pianistic showing off ”? Perhaps times were changing, Grieg followed were soon to become history). subsequent world-wide success proved new Nordic sound, in particular thanks rhapsodic, the work feels more like a the composition. Thus, even before and humiliated composer. “I am no English longer a stupid boy, indulging in an swamped by the collective power of between two equal forces,” as he Denis Kozhukhin, with his own Cervantes Trio. After Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos) attempt at composition; I do not need the orchestra – are considered to be informed his patron, Nadezhda von his studies in Madrid, Kozhukhin was Berlin, San Francisco Symphony, have contributed to shaping the lessons from anyone.” Without further unnecessarily demanding by more than Meck. For although his Piano Concerto Piano invited to study at the Piano Academy Vienna Symphony, Philharmonia and orchestra into a fl exible ensemble that ado, Tchaikovsky then dedicated the just a few pianists. As regards thematic No. 1 is indeed virtuoso and extremely at Lake Como where he received tuition Philadelphia Orchestras. experienced the vicissitudes of German concerto to the German pianist Hans invention, it must be said that the challenging for the soloist, as far as its Denis Kozhukhin was launched onto from amongst others Fou Ts’ong, history during the 20th century in a von Bülow, who was full of praise for truly rousing main theme of the fi rst symphonic aspirations are concerned – the international scene after winning Stanislav Yudenitch, Peter Frankl, Boris particular way. Since its foundation, the work, and was later the soloist at movement has its origins in a Ukrainian and here it is very similar to Grieg’s First Prize in the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Berman, Charles Rosen and Andreas Radio Symphony the RSB has been particularly interested its triumphant première in Boston in folk song, the “Song of the Blind.” In the concerto – it ranks far above all other Competition in Brussels at the age of Staier. He completed his studies with in contemporary music, inviting major 1875. middle movement, a melody (disguised virtuoso concertos of his time.