SOKOLOV, GRIGORY

De Russische pianist Grigory Sokolov is van de bekendste pianisten. In mei is hij voor de negentiende (!) maal in het Amsterdamse Concertgebouw te bewonderen in de serie Meesterpianisten – als enige pianist is hij ieder seizoen te gast in de serie. Met orkesten speelt hij al geruime tijd niet meer, waardoor dit album met begeleidende dvd zeer welkom is. Het meest recent is de opname van het 23e pianoconcert van Mozart, in 2005 opgenomen in Salzburg met het prachtig spelende Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Nog indrukwekkender is de tien jaar oudere opname van het derde pianoconcert van Rachmaninov opgenomen tijdens de BBC Proms. Sokolov koppelt hier welhaast brute kracht aan totale beheersing van de partituur en overvleugelt het BBC Philharmonic Orchestra volledig.

Mozart & Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos

Mozart:
Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K488
recorded live in Salzburg 2005
Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Trevor Pinnock

Rachmaninov:
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
recorded live at the BBC Proms in London 1995
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier

+ Documentary "Grigory Sokolov: A conversation that never was" by Nadya Zhdanova on DVD (59 Minutes)

R/E/D/F

Grigory Sokolov (piano)

CD + DVD (Digipack)

This release – set for March 2017 – is a piece of history: it is a combination of unreleased and historic audio and visuals. It allows a unique view of the enigmatic maestro Grigory Sokolov’s life because it offers an opportunity to hear authentic performances from over ten and even twenty years ago accompanied by a brand-new film by Nadia Zhdanova.

The legendary pianist, who no longer performs with orchestras, has finally agreed to release two stunning concerto recordings from his extraordinary past: Mozart K488 with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra under Trevor Pinnock (recorded live in Salzburg 2005) Rachmaninov's Concerto for Piano Orchestra No. 3 with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under Yan Pascal Tortelier (recorded live in London 1995).

Commenting on that very performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto K 488, the Salzburger Nachrichten noted that “Such is his intensity that Sokolov sweeps everything and everyone along with him”.

The Independent described his reading of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto as “ecstatic” and as “an outstanding performance”, while The Times wrote that “Sokolov swept through the concerto like a hurricane”.

These historic performances, will be published in combination with a unique documentary, which looks back on both Sokolov’s artistic and private biography. Whilst Sokolov is well known for being reclusive and rarely giving interviews, filmmaker Nadya Zhdanova achieved the impossible: She spoke with his friends, with colleagues and eventually was allowed to use private material from Sokolov’s archives.

She discovered rare and unreleased video footage (i.e. including Sokolov winning the Tchaikovsky competition in 1966), which offers an intimate insight into the life of Grigory Sokolov. The documentary is dedicated to Inna Sokolova the late wife of the artist. Both documentary and the booklet will feature poems by Inna Sokolova in four languages.