Boris Giltburg
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International Piano International NO.45 SEPT/OCT 2017 £5.50 www.international-piano.com RED OCTOBER INSIDE Revolutionary trends SHEET MUSIC in Russian music TURTLE DOVE POLKA at the turn of BY FRANZ BEHR the 20th century SEE PAGE 55 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 RUSSIAN MASTER FINAL Vladimir Ashkenazy at 80 RECKONING Was the right winner picked for PLUS this year’s Cliburn Rapid repeated Competition? notes made easy Learn to play Indian ragas on the piano 15% OFF MEMBERSHIP SEE PAGE 20 BORIS www.international-piano.com GILTBURG 09> Incisive interpreter 077005 772042 9 IPSO17_001_Cover_OM0908.indd 2 09/08/2017 11:09 Model pictured: K-300 ATX2 Enjoy Playing AnyTime With A Kawai ATX2 Hybrid Piano /KawaiUK www.kawai.co.uk @KawaiPianosUK IPSO17.indd 2 07/08/2017 17:30:52 CONTENTS SASHA GUSOV KEITH SAUNDERS 18 32 ROLAND GODEFROY JULIEN FAUGERE 68 88 Contents 5 EDITORIAL 36 PERSONAL TOUCH 55 SHEET MUSIC SPECIAL FEATURES Revolutionary reflections Russian-born composer Franz Behr’s Turtle Dove Elena Langer introduces Polka – and how it came 18 PICTURE PERFECT 6 LETTERS her world premiere to inspire Rachmaninov Boris Giltburg reveals his Your thoughts and commission for this year’s deep-rooted love for comments London Piano Festival 67 LIVE REVIEWS Russian culture as he Concert coverage from prepares to launch his 9 NEWS & EVENTS 38 AN ENGLISHMAN London and Boston latest disc of music by Evgeny Kissin signs with ABROAD Rachmaninov DG | Robbers desecrate Sam Haywood unearths a 73-85 NEW RELEASES Thalberg’s grave | Casio treasure trove of piano CDs, DVDs, books and 27 AUGERS OF launches new digital piano | rarities by Charles Villiers sheet music REVOLUTION Girls’ school given Steinway Stanford Piano music and pianism accreditation | and more… 86 AUDIOFILE in Russia at the turn of 41 LESSONS BY THE LAKE Finding the best fit with the 20th century 12 ONE TO WATCH IP pays a visit to the in-ear headphones French pianist François International Piano 32 ROUNDABOUT ROUTES Dumont Academy Lake Como 88 TAKE FIVE IP celebrates the 80th Dave Brubeck’s birthday of Russian 14 COMMENT 46 PIANO STUDIES experiments with time master Vladimir Can music help in times Conservatoire courses for Ashkenazy of crisis? pianists in 2017/18 90 MUSIC OF MY LIFE Swiss pianist Andreas 62 HORSES FOR COURSES 16 ILL-TEMPERED CLAVIER 51 KEY NOTES Haefliger’s pick of Was the right winner Why streaming services Rapid repeated notes recordings from a picked for this year’s Van are failing classical music made easy bygone era Cliburn Competition? September/October 2017 International Piano 3 IPSO17_003_Contents_OM0908.indd 3 09/08/2017 16:05 The World´s Most Advanced Piano Has Arrived We live in a world of constant change and technological in recording studios, the Disklavier ENSPIRE is still in essence advancement, from culture and the arts to computers and a beautifully crafted acoustic piano with a rich, resonant sound. communication. The new Disklavier ENSPIRE is a reflection of Whether playing for yourself, listening to a recorded piece, or the times we live in, offering a perfect symbiosis of cutting-edge using the dedicated ENSPIRE controller software with an digital technology and the traditional craftsmanship that has Android or iOS device for even more advanced playback won Yamaha pianos world-wide renown. While advanced digital functionality, this unique instrument allows you to experience the functionality and performance features such as music playback piano of the future today. make it perfect for use at home, in schools, restaurants, or even www.yamaha.com/dkv IPSO17.indd 4 07/08/2017 17:30:53 #42405 - Disklavier ENSPIRE ad V2.indd 1 31/05/2016 13:47 EDITOR’ S NOTE Welcome his October marks the centenary of Russia’s Managing Editors Ashutosh Khandekar, Bolshevik Revolution, a key moment in modern Owen Mortimer history that led to seven decades of Soviet rule in Editor Owen Mortimer Tthe USSR. Touching every aspect of life for the citizens Head of Design & Production / Designer Beck Ward Murphy living under this regime, the far-reaching effects of the Production Controller Gordon Wallis Revolution – social, political, economic, cultural – are still Advertising Sales Edward Croome being felt more than a quarter of a century after the end of [email protected] the Cold War. Marketing Manager Alfred Jahn Director of Finance and Operations Tony Soave Music, perhaps more than any other art form, has been Publisher Derek B Smith instrumental in shaping our understanding of the psychic Printed by HALSTAN UK, 2-10 Plantation Road, and emotional impact of these events. Many musicians left Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6HJ Russia after 1917: Rachmaninov moved to New York, where Distributed by Comag Specialist Division he died in 1943, while Prokofiev spent the years 1918-1936 Tel: +44 (0)1895 433800 living in Europe and America before resettling in Moscow. Those who stayed either had to Advertising conform or fly under the radar if they wished to avoid persecution. Tel: +44 (0)20 7333 1733 Fax: +44 (0)20 7333 1736 The Russian School of pianism was already well established before the Revolution. Eminent Production teachers from this period include Felix Blumenfeld, Alexander Goldenweiser, Konstantin Tel: +44 (0)20 7333 1751 Igumnov, Leonid Nikolaev and Harry Neuhaus. Their pupils were to dominate the field of Fax: +44 (0)20 7333 1768 piano-playing during the 20th century, both within and beyond the Soviet Union. Editorial Any attempt to engage with Russian music during this period must therefore take Tel: +44 (0)7824 884 882 cognisance of the historical context in which composers and performers were working. [email protected] www.rhinegold.co.uk | www.international-piano.com The specific circumstances in which each piece was written and premiered, together with Twitter: @IP_mag the ideological stance of its creators, should have a direct bearing on how we experience Subscriptions Tel: +44(0)1293 312233 this music. [email protected] On the other hand, our listening need not be reduced to an exercise in historical research. International Piano, Intermedia, Unit 6, The Enterprise Centre, Manor Royal, Crawley, West Even composers and pianists loyal to the Soviet regime were capable of transcendent Sussex, RH10 9PE No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval expression – a beautiful melody is no less beautiful for having been written under duress. system or transmitted in any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior In some cases, perhaps, the difficult circumstances in which artists were placed led to permission of Rhinegold Publishing Ltd. The views expressed here are those of the authors and not of the publisher, editor, Rhinegold greater heights of expression than might otherwise have been felt. Publishing Ltd or its employees. We welcome letters but reserve the right to edit for reasons of grammar, length and legality. No These issues are explored by our cover artist Boris Giltburg (page 18), whose passion for responsibility is accepted for returning photographs or manuscripts. Russian music is rooted in his own family’s experiences. This is complemented by a detailed We cannot acknowledge or return unsolicited material. International Piano, 977204207700507, is published bi-monthly by overview of Russian pianism in the run-up to 1917 (page 27), part one of a diptych by Benjamin Rhinegold Publishing, 20 Rugby Street, London, WC1N 3QZ, UK. The US annual subscription price is US$83.00. Airfreight and mailing Ivry examining the cultural impact of the Revolution. We also pay tribute to the Russian-born in the USA by agent named Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy, who recently turned 80 (page 32), and introduce a at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to International Piano, new two-piano piece that takes inspiration from Russian painting in the 1920s (page 36). Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. Elsewhere in this issue, our mystery columnist Charivari takes aim at streaming services that Editorial and image research services for International Piano are provided by C Sharp LLP propagate misinformation and errors about classical music. Enraged by the basic mistakes he finds while trying to search for his favourite music, Charivari wonders why classical music seems to come ‘at the bottom of their list of priorities’ for such companies. Readers keen to explore this question can find out more from the August 2017 issue of Classical Music magazine – including a special focus on the classical recording industry led by guest © Copyright Rhinegold Publishing 2017 editor Costa Pilavachi. Log on to our website for details: www.classicalmusicmagazine.org OWEN MORTIMER EDITOR International Piano is proud to be a media partner of the International IP is available as an interactive International Piano NO.45 SEPT/OCT 2017 £5.50 www.international-piano.com Piano Series at Southbank Centre digital magazine from RED OCTOBER INSIDE Revolutionary trends SHEET MUSIC in Russian music TURTLE DOVE POLKA at the turn of BY FRANZ BEHR the 20th century SEE PAGE 55 pocketmags.com, iTunes and SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 RUSSIAN MASTER FINAL Vladimir Ashkenazy at 80 RECKONING Was the right winner picked for PLUS this year’s Cliburn Rapid repeated GooglePlay – read on your notes made easy Competition? Learn to play Indian ragas on the piano 15% OFF MEMBERSHIP iPad, iPhone, Android device, SEE PAGE 20 BORIS www.international-piano.com GILTBURG Kindle Fire or computer. Incisive interpreter App FREE, single issues £2.99 September/October 2017 International Piano 5 IPSO17_005_Editorial.indd 5 10/08/2017 15:12 LETTERS LETTERS Write to International Piano, 20 Rugby Street, London, WC1N 3QZ, email [email protected] or tweet @IP_mag.