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"Is the Vienna Philharmonic coming or not?" This had been the talk of town amongst classical music fans in Japan since September, when its concert scene regained some semblance of normality.

Technically impressive pianism from Denis Matsuev doesn't click with Noseda and the LSO, but Shostakovich 6 is delivered with verve.

In an all-Rachmaninov evening, Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra open the 2019 festival with a brilliant exploration of the relation of music to power.

Showcases of pure virtuosity by Denis Matsuev and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under Leonard Slatkin, in performances of both Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade at Ravinia.

Despite wonderful contributions from Stanislav Kochanovsky and the Orchestre de Paris, a disappointing opening to the Philharmonie's Rachmaninov Weekend. 

Kochanovsky has been making waves around Europe and beyond, and we now heard just why.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Jansons treated the Lucerne Festival audience to works by Schumann and Bernstein. But it was pianist Matsuev’s Rachmaninov that electrified the hall.

A night of big names: Valery Gergiev, Denis Matsuev, The Mariinsky Orchestra, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov. 

“Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.” In the Soviet Union, composers quickly learnt when to toe the Party line.

Denis Matsuev's dazzlingly virtuosic account of Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto was contrasted by Yuri Temirkanov's gentle reading of Brahms' Second Symphony.

Denis Matsuev produced fireworks of the right kind in refreshing Tchaikovsky, with taut and dramatic Brahms from Yuri Temirkanov and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

In Amsterdam, Mariss Jansons conducts the Concertgebouw orchestra in a selection of six stunning rhapsodies for large orchestra.

Fluttering fingers and jabbing a toothpick baton, it’s difficult see how an orchestra can follow the beat – any beat – indicated by Valery Gergiev. 

Have you ever felt a sense of elation at the end of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony? In many ways, I find the Fifth as intensely painful and autobiographical as the “Pathétique”, with the finale seeing the composer nobly ‘putting on a brave face’, accepting fate’s hand stoically. The last pages often play through a mist of tears, the triumphant march ringing helplessly hollow. Not so here. 

On Friday 4 October at the Maison Symphonique in Montreal, Show One Productions in association with l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal presented the visiting Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra of St Petersburg conducted by its music director for the last 25 years, Valery Gergiev.

The first half of the 20th century must surely be one of the most richly creative periods in history. This was a time of great social and political change, spearheaded by two most devastating wars that saw death and destruction on a new level of cold efficiency.

His build is blocky like the hockey defense-man he once was, but Denis Matsuev’s fingers can touch piano keys lightly as butterflies landing on begonias. The mood of his solo recital opened blissfully, like the January night by the fireplace described in Puskin’s poem “By the Hearth” which inspired the first of the twelve monthly miniatures Tchaikovsky published as The Seasons, Op. 37b.

Thursday’s concert with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra started not with music, but with an award ceremony. It was the Norwegian Sibelius Society that gave away its annual award for the strengthening of cultural ties between Norway and Finland.

The name of last Tuesday’s Hollywood Bowl concert was “Three Russian Masters.” That’s Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich, whose music made up the program that night, by the way. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the audience got to hear a fourth Russian master: pianist Denis Matsuev. The first half of the program was centered around him. Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no.

As I listened to the opening work in the Philharmonia Orchestra’s concert on Tuesday night, I couldn’t help thinking that Sibelius’ tone poem Night Ride and Sunrise is the musical equivalent of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Russian was the theme and Russian the temperament in this concert, part of an ongoing series at the Barbican. This particular group of "Gergiev's Russians" consisted of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, in music spanning seventy years of compositional history.

This fall the Rotterdam Philharmonic have a series of concerts under the title of “Russische Herfst” (“Russian Autumn”) – with music from some of the great Russian composers such as Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Au Verbier Festival, Lahav Shani envoûte une soirée russe d’une énergie maîtrisée, accompagnant avec panache Denis Matsuev dans un Concerto n° 3 de Rachmaninov de toute beauté.

Valery Gergiev und Denis Matsuev laden zu einem Tschaikowsky-Fest voller Glückseligkeit.

Die Staatskapelle Dresden präsentiert mit Christian Thielemann und dem meisterhaften Denis Matsuev Brahms, Weber und Liszt in Luzern.

Die Münchner Philharmoniker machten den Zauber der Fünften Symphonie unter der Leitung von Valery Gergiev in einer frischen und fulminanten Interpretation spürbar.

Que les voyeuristes impénitents se précipitent au prochain récital que donneront ensemble Denis Matsuev et Julian Rachlin ! Objet de curiosité publique pour certains, soirée tout sauf subtile pour d'autres. A réserver aux fanatiques de "gros son" avant tout.

Voilà quelques années que Valery Gergiev a marqué cette musique au fer, et le jour viendra bientôt où maestro voudra faire entendre les cinq concertos au cours d’une même soirée. Pour l’heure, il s’en tient aux trois premiers...

Concert 100% Rachmaninov au conservatoire de Moscou, avec le pianiste Denis Matsuev entouré de la basse Mikhaïl Petrenko, du violoniste Gayk Kazazyan et du violoncelliste Alexandre Ramm. Interprétations spectaculaires s'il en est.

La London Philarmonic y Orozco-Estrada abrieron el Festival de Música de Canarias acompañados por el pianista Matsuev que, con su virtuosismo y capacidad comunicativa, conquistó al público.

Matsuev machte die Schwierigkeiten des Werks vergessen, man hört mehr ein spätromantisches Gemälde als Details des Klaviersatzes.

Mariss Jansons und das BRSO widmen zusammen mit Pianist Denis Matsuev einen Abend der Rhapsodie. España ist dabei der Ausgangspunkt für den Abend, bei dem Matsuev nicht vollkommen überzeugen kann.

Interpretación vertiginosa y febril de la Novena de Beethoven, con una dirección de Gergiev profundamente caprichosa y un Orfeón sobresaliente.  

Denis Matsuev nous invite dans une musique tout en nuances aux côtés de l'ONL, dans un programme qui mêle fougue et douceur.