Having been captivated in London and Zurich during
the last year by Mikhail Pletnev's unique (and controversial) way of
interpreting at the piano familiar masterworks in concert and recital,
and on Deutsche Grammophon CDs rarer music from CPE Bach (DGG
459
614-2), Beethoven (Variations and Bagatelles,
457 493-2) to Grieg (459
6712-2); each and every one recommended strongly, the
opportunity to hear and see him conduct an orchestral version of the
latter was irresistible. In his last London piano recital he had given
his occasionally wayward but totally convincing interpretation of Mussorgsky's
Pictures at an Exhibition. It was hard to believe that the Philharmonia
Orchestra was giving the familiar Ravel version, which I had usually
found too lush and comfortable, so austere and characterful did Pletnev
make it, producing an authentic Mussorgsky sound full of character,
intense, passionate and savage by turns. At the piano, Pletnev avoids
any unnecessary movement; on the rostrum, without baton, he uses his
whole body, but not histrionically, swinging shoulders and hips to convey
the phrasing in a way which was good to see - his two roles complementing
each other. I will continue to go to see and hear him as pianist or
conductor wherever opportunity presents.
The Pictures had been preceded by the Khovanschina
Prelude, spoilt by an unrestrained cannonade of coughing, followed
by an embarrassingly inadequate account of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto
No. 3. Alexander Moguilevsky was nervous, hard and inaccurate,
often seeming as if on autopilot, repeatedly re-adjusting his piano
stool, endlessly mopping brow, hands and keyboard with a towel. Back
home I put on my only CD of that concerto; I had forgotten that it was played
by Evgeny Moguilevsky (an excellent 1st prize-winning performance from
the 1964 Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition of Belgium
- Cypres CYP9612-3).
Was that a possible clue? I verified that Alexander is indeed the son
of that famous father - driven perhaps to try to follow in his footsteps?
I fear for him!
Peter Grahame Woolf
Return to:
Music on the Web