Daniil Trifonov debuts in Singapore with Rachmaninov’s Fourth Piano Concerto

The somewhat delayed commemoration of Sergei Rachmaninov’s 150th anniversary (2023) concluded with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under Hans Graf offering a rare performance of his Piano Concerto no. 4 in G minor. How and why he never attempted to replicate the successes of his earlier concertos remains a case for discussion. I favour the idea that the exiled Russian composer wanted to try something different during the “Roaring Twenties” by experimenting with modern trends. The paucity of gushing melodies and penchant for grittier harmonies and hard-hitting dissonances were moves in that direction. 

A martial and striding chordal opening, taking over where the third concerto left off, seemed promising with Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov’s emphatic response but the narrative soon devolved into seemingly nebulous doodling. Even the effete second subject, lyrically handled by Trifonov, did not leave a strong imprint in the memory. The syncopated rhythmic rumblings in the development, almost jazzy in character, and a crashing climax of chords finally caught the ear. An abrupt and peremptory coda to close saw this beloved composer clearly caught out of character. 

The slow movement, long mocked as a canon on Three Blind Mice, was possibly more an unconscious tribute to Schumann (the main theme of his piano concerto’s first movement). A muted reminiscence of the opening’s striding theme led to the concerto’s most sublime moment, a relook at Rachmaninov’s Étude-tableau in C minor (Op.33 no.3) but with completely different notes. Trifonov’s pianism was supple and effacing one moment, erupting into unabashed bravura the next. The finale was an excitable dance, capped with a reprise of the first movement’s crashing chordal climax before a scramble to the finish. 

Where has one previously encountered this cyclical device before? George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, which Rachmaninov would no doubt have known. Trifonov’s memorable Singapore debut was completed with two encores, Tchaikovsky’s playful Silver Fairy and the gloriously harmonised Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty as transcribed by Mikhail Pletnev. 

Trifonov’s encores had been a response to the concert’s opening work, Stravinsky’s Divertimento, a four-movement suite drawn from his ballet Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy’s Kiss), based on songs and piano works by Tchaikovsky. Neoclassical Stravinsky made for enjoyable listening, especially in the game of “spot the source”. Beginning with the romance Lullaby in the Storm, flute and strings were lovingly voiced. No one would miss spotting Humoresque, with brass merrily chugging along in Danses Suisses, which was more Russian than Alpine. The duet of Ng Pei-Sian’s cello and Dai Le’s clarinet in the Pas de deux was lovely, and with woodwinds almost stealing the show, this pre-concerto diversion made for mostly innocuous fun. 

The gala concert closed with Debussy’s Images for orchestra. Graf rearranged the order of the three works, effecting a fast-slow-fast three-movement symphony. Rondes de printemps provided a balletic opening, toying with songs and dances, including the regularly-quoted Nous n’irons plus au bois (We no longer go to the woods). Gigues was lit up with Pan Yun’s oboe d’amore solo, imbuing the movement with melancholy despite its rhythmic vitality. Iberia with augmented percussion (including castanets, tambourine and tubular bells) and strings strummed like guitars provided a festive end, furthering the jibe that Frenchmen wrote the best Spanish music.