Powerful Leif Ove Andsnes Plays Rach 3

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Available only until May 12, the Swedish Television offers a live HD performance of Sergei Rachmaninov´s third Piano Concerto with pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Lionel Bringuier as of February 20, 2009.

Content:
0:00 Introduction (in Swedish)
1:10 Alex Wade introduces Rach 3 and talks to Jonathan Philips
9:44 Interview with Leif Ove Andsnes (in Swedish) See summary in English below.
14:00 Live performance of the piano concerto

Click here to veiw the TV broadcast online.

Summary of interview with Leif Ove Andsnes

In the interview, the producer Camilla Lundberg asked Andsnes why he returned to the work after 15 years.
He first played and recorded it when he was only 24 years old, as his first Rachmaninov concerto.
Andsnes stated that the work defines crucial currents of modernity in the 20th century and therefore it has a special compositional and romantic quality. Having spent so much time with it, and when coming back to it with a new “bird perspective”, he felt that the contrasts and eruptive qualities of the piece should be more accentuated, which motivated him to have a second round with it. He also said that he found it unfortunate that the popularity of the film “Shine” led to the common notion that this concerto is nothing but a gladiator game.

One hundred years ago the work was premiered with Rachmaninov himself at the piano and Gustaf Mahler as conductor. History tells us how serious Mahler was in his work with the score and during rehersals. Andsnes considers this to be one of the moments in music history he would give anything to have experienced.

Rachmaninoff in action

Being fortunate enough to have spent a lengthy preparation period (five years) with Rach 3 during the 1990s, I agree with the popular metaphorical statement that this concerto is a serious attempt to climb K2.
After deciphering the most economical ways of moving (including intelligent fingering), I spent enormous amount of time on finding full sound easiness in the musical lines. This work also demands a very conscious idea of what to be audible in sections where the piano and orchestra share the musical energy.
The access to a large number of recordings was very helpful in this respect and I found the Horowitz/Ormandy collaboration and the Ashkenazy/Fistoulari particularly helpful in building the tutti soundscapes of the grand piano sound in the grand romantic orchestra.