With a new mega-pianist
popping out of the woodwork every fifteen
minutes or so these days, there are
few indeed who possess the depth and
interpretive range to go along with
the dazzling technique that seems to
be rather commonplace amongst youthful
keyboard virtuosi. Evgeny Kissin, now
thirty-one years old, is the most notable
exception. His is an ability that is
beyond his years, and he seems to play
with a perfection that hasn’t been achieved
since the likes of Horowitz. Couple
his manifold talents with an affable,
modest personality, and you have a rare
artist indeed. Kissin has it all: technique
to burn, a huge repertoire, a wide range
of musical interests and a charm that
will not quit.
In his 1999 film, Evgeny
Kissin, The Gift of Music, veteran
musical documentarian Christopher Nupen
gives us an intimate portrait of this
supremely talented young man. The film
covers Kissin’s early years, the appearance
of his musical gifts at a very tender
age, and the extraordinary relationship
between Kissin and his teacher Anna
Pavlovna Kantor, the only person with
whom he has ever studied.
This is typical Nupen,
and it is rather sad to see that he
has done little to change his style
in the last few decades. The narrator
spills on in a monotone with an over-flattering
run- on about the pianist’s unusual
giftedness. He then sits off camera
to interview Kissin himself, whose English
is quite fine, but his hesitating and
monochromatic delivery makes for some
pretty tedious air time. I continually
got the impression that I was sitting
Indian-style on the hard floor of an
elementary classroom staring up at the
movie screen, in the manner common for
educational film viewing in my youth.
The highlight of the
film is the extensive coverage of Kissin’s
1997 BBC Proms concert, which broke
all records, the audience having called
Kissin back for the longest string of
encores in the history of the famous
concert series.
If one can get past
the documentary part of this production
and just sit back and enjoy the recital,
then this is a recommendable disc. Otherwise,
a handful of Kissin’s readily available
studio recordings will suffice quite
nicely.
Kevin Sutton
A film by Christopher Nupen 
BMG
DVD 09026 63642 9 [104:00] 
