In this concert BBC Proms veteran Valery Gergiev presents a prom incredible rich in rich in diversity with three firsts: his new orchestra, the renowned Münchner Philharmoniker, the young and incredible fast rising pianist Behzod Abduraimov as well as a musical discovery, the Symphony No. 3 by Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya.
The concert at the Royal Albert Hall opens with a “beautifully controlled performance” of Ravel’s hypnotic Boléro, followed by Rachmaninov’s soaring Piano Concerto No. 3. (Classical Source) Behzod Abduraimov’s – winner of the 2009 London International Piano Competition – brought “a singing tenderness to the opening, sensitively commanding leadership to the piano-and-orchestra conversations, and infectious brilliance to the finale.” (The Independent) ”Abduraimov is phenomenal” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) and “should be on any must-hear list”. (The New York Times)
With Galina Ustvolskaya’s Symphony No. 3’s pledges for redemption on raw brass and winds, Gergiev creates a contrast that couldn’t have been any sharper. The implacably dark scoring, played with huge commitment, resembles a “powerful, profound symphonic scream into space” that leaves the audience stunned. (The Guardian)
The resulting deep and spiritual immersion is lifted by Richard Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite and “suggests a sense of humour on the part of the new Proms director” (Evening Standard), as he takes the audience on a journey from one extreme to another. The waltz offers a “terrific performance, the gossamer strings perfectly judged, and the quieter moments shot through with tenderness”. (Classical Source)
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PROGRAM:
Maurice Ravel – Boléro
Sergei Rachmaninow – Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor
Franz Liszt – La Campanella
Galina Ustvolskaya – Symphony No. 3 “Jesus Messiah, save us!”
Richard Strauss – Rosenkavalier Suite
Hector Berlioz – Hungarian March – from “La damnation de Faust”